Sunday 7 December 2008

Saturday Markets

One thing we've grown to enjoy, living so close to Rennes, is the Saturday market, but because of the miserable weather we've been having, it has been some weeks since we managed to get there! Yesterday the sun came out again for a few hours and we jumped at the opportunity to go and join in with all the other shoppers!



The market takes over a section of streets around the Market Halls of Les Lices, right in the centre of the city, and it is divided roughly into these sections :


Flowers & plants of all sorts of shapes and colours !




Vegetables and Fruit , both the basic & exotic!








and of course garlic - how could you live and cook in France without it!!

Then there is fish



and shellfish, a lot of it still wriggling about!









onto the Market Halls for fresh meat & poultry ( I didn't bother with photos, thought I'd leave it to your imagination!!)

Bread




with jam



or cheese





or even pate, whichever takes your fancy!

These are just a few samples of all the items on sale of course, but with so many people rushing about it was just about impossible to get photos of it all ! What you can't see are the olives and herbs, the wines & ciders, all the 'fast food' stalls selling crepes , ready roasted chickens & pork, French sausages wrapped in galettes and Chinese spring rolls & 'nems' and all sorts of other delights , as DH remarked - it's a great shame I couldn't get a photo of the noise and the smells!!
Back home for a late lunch and then the afternoon saw us at one of the local Marche de Noel but unfortunately it took place in an old 'manoir' which was a maze of small rooms with very bad lighting, so no photos I'm afraid!! One pleasant thing to report though was that I met up with Elizabeth in 'real life' after all these weeks of meeting in Blogland, and gave her my 'Pay It Forward' offering ! Next Wednesday (hopefully) I am off to Angers to meet another cyber friend of even longer standing for the first time , Brigitte has kindly invited me to go with her to see an exhibition of the tapestries of Jean Lurcat and I am so looking forward to this trip and another chance to ' put a face to the name' !!
Sorry about the long last paragraph, Blogger has decided not lo let me 'space out ' !!!!

6 comments:

Gina said...

I'm so jealous of the markets you have on the Continent. as you know the ones we have over here are rubbish.

Love and hugs Gina xxx

Annelies said...

We leave for France on the 20th of December. I do need to buy verveine, garlic etc. etc.

Elizabethd said...

And how nice it was to meet you, Ann.
Your PIF was absolutely delightful, thank you so much. Now I have to 'pass it on' somehow.

Anonymous said...

Lyon has a market like that on Saturdays. It was so nice, and so much fun! Lots of different things to see and try. While I love the farmers' markets here in the US, they don't even come close to comparing to the markets in France. Lucky you!
Anjea

Clare said...

I can't remember. Is it Rennes where the book On Rue Tatin is set, or is that Rouen?

Most of the markets round here are mainly for the tourists so during the winter they nearly fizzle out, except for the veg, fish and "everything duck" stalls.

Anonymous said...

and you did'nt visit me...