I love farmer’s markets. When we lived in Washington state there was an amazing year round market that we would shop at. It was always crowded, there were always some kind of performers, and of course the ready to eat food was always so good. We have three markets here, the largest on the weekend and the other two are during the week.
When we first arrived in France, we didn’t know that everything was closed on Sunday’s. I don’t mean banks and other businesses, I mean everything. Grocery stores, the mall, restaurants, everything. But the market, that is open for business. It is usually busy when we go, with lines at the favorite shops. We can find anything from clothes and shoes to purses and toys, food from meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, even stands that only sell sausage or olives. There is Apple juice made here that is popular, and of course a few crepe stands.
The market is a few blocks long, also taking up a couple of side streets. There may be a performer and it’s usually a clown making balloon animals. There are craftspeople who sell handmade baskets from Africa, a gentleman who does leatherwork, photographers, and more. It’s a full market. We have favorite stands – a great place to get chicken and ham, another that sells a sausage and potato dish, and of course the apple juice guy.
The weather turned to sun around lunchtime today and we were rushed out the door by our youngest as he was very interested in riding his scooter. The walk to the market is quiet, we only pass a few people going home, and as we get closer there are more people. The tram runs less frequently on Sunday’s and the only restaurant we know of that is open is McDonald’s.
My tip is this: find out when the market in your town and embrace it. A couple of hours on Sunday is easily spent walking up and down the street before going to our favorite shops to get lunch and dinner and head home.
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