Vegan Mofo Day #14: Charles De Gaulle Airport Vegan in Paris Edition

In continuing my Vegan Mofo catchup, highlighting overseas travels. I arrived in Paris, exuberantly eager about my quixotic plans for the Louvre (bought an advanced ticket), lunch at Brasserie Lola (a popular vegan hotspot), and a stroll through Eiffel Tower and Seine River (happy ending).  Of course, romantic fluffiness never transpired. It wasn't fated to be. I lost my earbuds between airplane and airport, took wrong transfer off RER B train, and with only two stops left got trapped in an abandoned subway car-- all while dreary rain poured from a downcast sky. When I escaped empty car, I jumped off and ran up rock filled railroad tracks along alarming sounds of howling dogs. Thankfully French speaking female driver said the wait was ten minutes. Unfortunately, the train sped backwards. So that two stops away became "this is definitely not the right train." A stranger told me to wait for another local. It led me somewhere that was not the Louvre. I then took a bus back to the airport, had Paypal trouble, and was sadly, stuck at the airport for six hours. Fate decided that I should have no more adventures in Paris-- especially considering I have no true sense of direction.

At Relay, a huge book/magazine store selling sandwiches, pop, and chips almost at every gate, a few foods were available to salvage vegan hunger like an olive tabouli salad, Tyrrell's chips (a favorite from my last trip to Paris), and Evian water.

I wished to have found fancy, upscale, gourmet carrying Mark & Spencer prior to Relay. M&S, a store located after going through customs and walking towards flight gate, had everything needed-- fruits, veggies, juices, sandwiches, cookies-- a bunch of vegan treasures in this charming supermarket with fabulous to cheap priced food.

M&S had vast amount of Halloween clearance goodies. At €1.00 each, their Zombie Jelly Brains were gummy candies derived from fruit pectin and contained fruit juices and spirulina. 

Falafel is one item that can't be beat! These tasty broad bean bite sized delights were flavored with coriander, cumin, parsley, and five other fresh herbs. Nothing wrong with eating them cold whilst walking on through the airport.  My only regret was wishing to have eaten them along with earlier tabouli salad. Exceptional Middle Eastern spices mirrored each other. Also broad beans are called fava, faba, filed, etc. So yes, they still retained authenticity.

Another clearance item, Fizzy Fangtastic Popcorn priced at €0.75, was an orange flavored treat that I gluttonously devoured at the airport. Citrus sweetness against crunchy bulbous popcorn bunches brightened my glum disposition.

M&S Gingersnaps became a crazy addiction. Crisp, thin cookies (biscuits) contained a sweet spice of life that had my heart on fire. It was best to have vegan milk or juice with these kicking desserts. I feel a little guilty for eating on white sheet beds, spilling brownish orange crumbs of evidence. I tried to be neat. Tried. At €1.32 each, I should have purchased three packs. I immensely loved them, especially during wicked South African soap opera time, disheartened when reaching end of rounded package.