Sounds of the City: Boulangerie

The boulangerie just around the corner from the BN's Département de la musique happens to have a few stools at which one can sit when the weather is bad, and throughout a long winter of bad weather, I did a lot of sitting in there. This gave me lots of time to listen to the boulangère (female baker) do her thing.

There's a kind of musicality to the back-and-forth between baker and customers. Add in the percussive nature of rustling paper, the ch-ching! of the cash register, and the opening and closing of doors, et voilà! It's a perfect environment for another documentation of the sounds of the city.

In this clip you'll hear a common refrain, "Avec ceci, Monsieur?" which translates to "Anything else, sir?" and which used to really throw me off. Late in the clip you'll hear the proper response: "Ce sera tout"- that'll be all.

This second recording focuses on the conversation between one somewhat talkative patron and the boulangère, who ends with a sprightly, "Bon weekend!"

If you're ever in the neighborhood, I recommend this boulangerie not only as a great place to get a bite to eat, but also a great spot to sit for a minute - and listen.