French Markets

The markets of Bangkok are full of exotic fare, but in France, it is all about the superb quality and freshness, the colour and the very Frenchness of it all.

Our favourite market is Issigeac, where the market rambles around the old streets.  This is a staple of our Sundays in France.

A must for the market is a colourful basket.  Our old one had seen better days, and so our first stop was to buy a new one.

Alan strolling to Bergerac market

I was looking for colour, Alan for size.  We settled on an enormous one, which Alan had the task of carrying around the various markets.

Issigeac is both a tourist and produce market, so locals and tourists intermingle, along with their languages.




With so many yummy things on offer, it is always hard to keep control and buy only what is needed.

Lots of things can be tasted.  We always start the day by saying, none of that expensive cheese that we manage to eat in one day, and then fall at the first tasting hurdle.

You can even try the wines like this man.

Isn’t this little pig adorable?  I stopped to take a photo and didn’t manage to escape before being drawn into conversation (Alan, Ian and Pauline rather cruelly left me to it).  The pig’s owner started spouting on about being part of a circus that no longer made any money (unless my French failed me and he was just an unemployed pig lover).  He offered me a bonbon (sweet/candy) and foolishly I took it (well, it was free).  Then he started rambling on about raising money for the animals by making and selling these bonbons and could I buy a box or two (who me?  He should have turned it into bacon if he couldn’t afford to keep it!).  Meanwhile I, with a sickly look on my face was wondering whether they had put pig poop in the bonbons as they tasted like, well pig shit.  Sorry but poop makes them sound like they tasted better then they did.  I muttered some lame excuse in English (funny how suddenly I couldn’t speak French) and made a rapid escape.

There is a fantastic cheese shop in Bergerac, which we visit on market days.  Anyone who knows us knows how much we love cheese, and this shop is a must for us.

Take your pick from cheeses made from cow, sheep or goat milk.  You can have hard, soft or blue (or indeed all three).

There are cheeses for those who like it to be strong or mild, savoury or even slightly sweet.  Let’s face it, it’s all to be found in France.

 




You can buy plants at the market, Like here in Ste. Foy, our local market.

Ste. Foy is apparently (well according to them anyway), one of the top 100 markets in France.

 




Can anything look more French than a string of onions or garlic?

 No need to cook after your visit to the market.  You can buy freshly roasted chickens and potatoes.

Apparently there is one place in the world where Lard is still used - salty lard at that!