Visiting Cora Supermarket in Sarreguemines, France

It's almost like an expat rite of passage in this area: many a Kaiserslautern-area immigrant eventually finds herself making her way to Cora, a supermarket chain in France. Some might say that it's just a supermarket.

To that I say: it is a supermarket, with many "exotic" things. They're especially exotic since the offerings are different from what we have in Germany.

I visited the Sarreguemines store, but there's also one in Forbach too. They are about the same amount of time for me to reach. When I first entered the store, I was struck by just how pungent it was, even though I was incredibly congested from allergies. It was also rather warm with stale air, which didn't help the smell, which was probably from the seafood section. I was quite thankful that I was as congested as I was! I'm not sure if the store always smells like that but it was strong.

Despite the "aroma," I enjoyed looking at the store, which was quite busy. The store reminds me of something similar to a Super WalMart in that they had some inexpensive merchandise like cheap clothes and shoes. There is a more gourmet side to the store, though, and the grocery section is huge with something for everyone.

Want some "American" cookies that have French and Flemish writing on them? Or how about TexMex fixins'? How about something really French, like the snails below? (I'll be honest: I had a hard time taking a picture and looking at them, especially considering that I don't like meat. What the heck is the green stuff in them? Eek, don't answer that!)

I wandered around the grocery aisles, searching for something interesting and tasty to buy. It was a bit overwhelming to try to make out the French and Flemish; German had been on my mind so much. I put aside my confusion and started shopping.

Here are the things I bought:
-French hot chocolate,
-macarons (they were okay, but weren't as good as those fresh from a bakery),
-some mini frozen quiches (delicious and probably not remotely healthful); and
-some chestnut paste/spread stuff in a tube (I mostly bought it because I thought that the mascot, a dude made out of chestnuts, was adorable -- not really a good reason, I know, and I have no idea what to do with it).

I saw the baguette bag. How cute is that? I didn't buy one since I usually don't buy bread, but it would be great for someone who does!

Bread bag: a love of bread (or something close to that)

 I was ready to pay and leave. Whew, it was one last test! There are different lines based on how one is paying (as far as I could tell). For example, I think that one line was by Cora card only. It seemed as if finding the correct line to checkout and pay is almost as complicated as it is to sort one's trash/recycling in Germany! I lucked out and chose the correct line, trying to avoid speaking as much as possible, managing only to say "merci" as I took the receipt and my bags. It was a fun visit with some tasty French things to try, sans snails, of course!