Another Market, Where You Find Les bons Vivants

I’m back from a different market, this one located just east of the train station, a quick walk from Madame Barnard’s apartment. She had a family joining us last night, and at breakfast they sat in the sunny porch and had their coffee while their two young sons chattered in French.

Again at a market, I was shopping for one….a tiny handful of haricot verts, one slender zucchini, a taste of rillettes, Tours’ most famous product (masticated pork spread) and white aspargus. Oh, and the smallest little wheel of chevre I could find. I was packing for a picnic to bring with me while I bike ride along the new trail that’s been built by the Loire, and thinking about tonight’s dinner. It’s now about 100 km but there are plans to make it much, much longer, and eventually to connect to Budapest on a network of trails.

This market was full of foreign traders: a man selling headscarves and long flowing robes for women, a man making spring rolls and selling his pre-made packages of vegetables and rice, African and Arab vendors selling halal meats and trinkets, and a little amusement park area.

The locals come to the market towing their special market wagons, sort of like two-wheeler suitcases but suitable for placing vegetables and meats wrapped to go. Others just tote durable bags, but people were streaming in from all sides of the city.

I saw round zucchinis, chives with little buttons crusty with dirt, white asparagus of massive size, (and found that the bigger the spears, the higher the price) and this sign that said “come to the market, it’s good, it’s full of life, and it’s people who like the good life.” I couldn’t agree more!