I don't know what it is, but there's something special and fun for me about shopping at outdoor markets - I know it's not everybody's cup of tea but it's definitely one of mine. The displays usually look abundant and wonderfully fresh, the atmosphere is busy and exciting, the vendors call out to potential customers advertising their wares (and sometimes offer samples, chat and joke with their regulars, and are generally helpful to newcomers in every way. If I see an outdoor market (or a suspicion of an indoor one) I'm just drawn to it. I realise that may be completely incomprehensible to some who abhor the crowds, the jostling, the noise.......... hmmm.
Whenever I'm in my home state of Tasmania I feel the urge to go to Hobart's famous and truly sensational Salamanca markets on Saturdays at least once while I'm there. I haven't travelled that widely overseas, so forgive me if I'm a little parochial, but I actually consider this to be one of the best outdoor markets in the world - it's so much more than just fresh fruit and vegetables. So there's a shameless plug - if you're in Hobart, don't miss it.
I've really loved discovering new markets and revisiting familiar ones while we've been here in Paris. We've returned to Marché Bastille (on Bouevard Richard Lenoir, just a hop, skip and jump from our apartment) on several occasions - sometimes it's really crowded, and other times not, and when it's not so busy it's fun engaging with the stall-holders with our little bit of French and their little bit of English. One man even asks what we call his produce in English, which is a bit of a novelty as it's usually me asking those sorts of questions. He's the nut vendor but seems not to be familiar with the word "nut", which I find amazing!!
We like to lash out at the poissonnerie and buy lots of salmon and filets du cabillaud (which Google translates as "cod fillets") because it always looks so wonderfully fresh - it's delicious when my clever fish-chef husband cooks it for dinner!!
One vendor asks us where we're from - when we reply "Australie" he says "Oh, you're welcome"!!! How nice to be welcome because we're from Australia (as opposed to somewhere else in the world from where we would be considered less welcome, I guess - I wonder where that might be........) ;-)
Another day we discover a variation of this market a little further up the same boulevard, and some of the vendors are familiar - they must do the rounds. I love the way they allow us to try out some French, don't mind when I ask them what words to use, and then sometimes ask us to give them English words in exchange :-)
One stallholder charges us double for our carrots, but then throws in 8 mandarins - does he feel bad for taking advantage of the naive tourists who struggle to catch what he says as he rattles off the required amount in French? Whatever it is, we don't feel inclined to haggle over an extra euro and the mandarins turn out to be delicious :-) The fresh fruit and vegetables seem to be much cheaper and of better quality at the markets - our local supermarkets are fine for groceries, but the fruit and vegies leave a little to be desired.
Our apartment host has left us a shopping cart (you know the type, you trundle it along behind you and it fits lots of stuff inside) and I never remember to take it until I find myself struggling home and up two flights of stairs with bags of shopping - darn, should've brought the trolley (I always over-buy......). But on one outing to Marché Aligre I remember to take it and I definitely put it to good use. It's so much better than carting heavy bags (once I get over the initial feeling of looking like a granny.........)
Walking home yesterday we discover the Marché aux fleurs et aux oiseaux Cité on the island not far from Notre Dame. I adore fresh flowers so a market called the Market of Flowers (and birds) in spring in Paris? I'm there! I'm expecting it to be like the Campo de' Fiori in Rome - stall after stall of gorgeous colourful flowers - but I find it a little disappointing, it's actually more like a series of nursery stalls selling plants (beautiful, granted) but not fresh bunches of flowers. No birds either, they're just on Sundays. Oh well, now that we're here we might as well browse...... :-)
Today we shop again at Marché Bastille for fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, nuts and fish. We consider the strange looking saucisses and saucisson, but it's absolutely wall to wall market-goers today and everyone is really busy. I don't think my French is adequate to have the necessarily rushed conversation about exactly what they are and what to do with them! But we're very happy with our purchases today, it's such a satisfying feeling to cart home beautiful fresh and healthy produce (some so fresh they're still crawling around right before our eyes.........!!!).
Mon amour particularly enjoys the buskers, some of them are really talented. Others not so much and are clearly hoping to appeal to those who are tone deaf and have no sense of rhythm or timing............ While I shop for the last few items, my very tolerant and accommodating (and a little less market-loving) husband enjoys the sunshine and the buskers and waits for me - this guy and his mate are very entertaining :-)
On Saturdays this same market hosts the Marche Creation de la Bastille, where artisans can display and sell their paintings, jewellery, and other crafts.
The wonderful thing is that here in Paris there are markets all over the place, and I think I'm going to miss that when I get home!! We'll have to start finding and frequenting some of our own local markets :-)
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