Market Merriment

Usually you can go into a French town and count on one hand how many people you see out and about as the tumbleweed rolls across your path. Today, however, was market day at St Just en Chevalet and it became quite the hubbub of activity!

Many French towns have a weekly market and they’re fantastic. Clothes, shoes, sausages, cheese, fruit, vegetables and local honey are just some of the items on offer. What kit would I put together for a trip to a French market?

1. An alarm clock….. ‘The early bird catches the worm’ and all that. If you saunter on down to the market after your leisurely holiday croissant and café au lait breakfast you’ll be sorely disappointed. The markets start very early and can often be packing up by lunchtime.

2. French phrase book….. It’s always worth trying out your French over some price negotiations. You never know you may get an item at a knock down price but even if you don’t you’ll have fun chatting to the stall owner. Nobody seems to be in a rush at the market so enjoy some good conversation whilst you can.

3. A dab of sun cream and some good sunglasses to hide behind….. Once you’ve packed your bag with fruit, local honey and a pair of the latest Gucci copy trousers find a café to sit outside, order a grand café crème and watch the wonderful French world go by. You’ll see groups of elderly farm folk gathered together chatting about life, the world and the price of bananas (an important discussion point in France as, for some reason, they seem to be quite expensive). Watch the heavily laden archaic bicycles struggle by and the array of dogs with their owners availing themselves of the odd stray sauccison or in our case a dinky little white dog who kept escaping from his owner to steal apricots!

Not a single hi viz jacket in sight. Happy days!