Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Au marché avec mon sac 'Clover Cottage'

'To the market, with my Clover Cottage bag!' Every French town has a thriving market. Market shopping is very important to the French.
The food is often sold by the producer, and is often more local, more fresh and, above all, you can see, touch, smell or even taste it. There is no point in buying food you haven't checked this way, for the French - the only supermarket which does internet orders only does them for packaged dry goods - OBVIOUSLY no one would buy fruit or veg without checking them first...That amazing 'swirl' above is fish! Dried sardines, I assume... and in front of the marié you can choose your goats' cheese or sign up for some double-glazed windows.
I was looking for a zip for a favourite pair of Son 1's shorts. Here's the haberdashery stall. The lady was happy for me to take photos, but apologised that the stall wasn't well decorated today! Looked fine to me...There certainly were enough zips!I found a good match.It's tricky to see here, but there are loops and loops of dried sausage hanging on the stall here. It's very yummy. Pork, beef, duck...The Halle, which was deserted when I took photos last Wednesday, is full on market day. Ah-ha, the Provencale stalls....All my kitchen towels come from this one (circular blue towels with embroidered provencale foods), and my mum bought a wonderful quilt at a stall like this - getting it home on the plane was fun!After a good look around all the plant and flower stalls, I chose this one to buy some herbs.Here they are - the sweet aromatic ones which Raja ate within a day of planting last year - now safely out of doggie reach below the Pot family and their strawberries.Tomorrow - memories from Scotland, to prepare the way for my 100th post Auld Alliance giveaway!

9 comments:

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Thanks for sharing your trip to market. I enjoy reading about and seeing photos of what is going on, on the other side of the world.
Glenda

JuanitaTortilla said...

Wow, that is A LOT of zippers! Bouquets of zippers :D

Mm! Love the market scene! Love markets!

Sonia said...

Oh, I grew up with street markets like that in Malta too. Everytown had its market sometime in the week. My towns BIG market day was Saturday. I often call my mum on saturdays and she'll fill me in about all the goodies she found while shopping with my sister... Sigh!! I miss it...
Thank you for the memories Floss
Sonia

Elizabethd said...

I love going to our markets. Interesting how different markets are in diferent regions, Brittany has all sorts of things that The Gironde didnt, and vice versa.

Anonymous said...

Thank you that was lovely :o) I very much enjoyed reading your posts below too xx
Sumea

THISNTHAT said...

Hi, Thanks for following my blog. I will be doing likewise and look forward to my regular on-line trip to France as I do so!

Mrs. Cozy Home said...

Oh the market heaven, I want to bring a big bag and shop!!

And after seeing those sausages, I'm starving...!

Josie-Mary said...

Thanks for taking us shopping :)

Thecraftytrundler said...

Wish I could be there, it looks like a fantastic market!! Lovely to see the bag in use!!

Hugs : )

Sharon xx