14.43 - Appreciating and Navigating French Markets
In this FREE le Bulletin we head to the French markets. Not just 'a market', there are many types. On y va ! - Let's go. PLUS we CELEBRATE the extraordinary courageous achievement of JENNIFER ANDREWES
Bonjour friends… I’m thrilled that you’re here again this week - bienvenue !
What’s happening in MyFrenchLife Magazine - new articles.
Next, The wonder of Markets in France.
A celebration of an amazing woman and her achievement.
If you enjoy this edition, please note that every week there is another entirely different version of le bulletin exclusively for paying subscribers, and today that version is ‘14.43.a - Toulouse: Part 1 — La cuisine Toulousaine et plus’
Look for it in your inbox (or here) where you can access a trial, or a preview or an upgrade to enjoy it fully!
Judy - 2.11.’24
1. Let’s explore & read the new articles in My FrenchLife Magazine
Did you know there are >3000 articles in MyFrenchLife Magazine, where savvy francophiles love to immerse themselves and indulge?
Thank you to all Contributors to our magazine. I love that your articles take us from one end of France to another and constantly remind us of the rich culture of this wonderful and diverse country.
Merci.
Judy.
Here are the most recently published articles:
Escapades:
1 →Paris: The Old Charm of Les Halles — A brief look at the old ‘belly of Paris’ ←
by Jennifer Bragg←
In the 20th century, Paris became busier and more crowded. The grand market at Les Halles remained unsanitary and it took up prime real estate in the center of Paris. So, authorities decided to tear it down in 1969…” writes Jennifer
2. →Carennac: One of the Most Beautiful Villages in France ←
by Mike Werner←
Carennac: a village where history, culture, and nature converge. Its well-preserved medieval architecture, rich cultural heritage, and stunning natural surroundings make it a unique destination that offers a deep sense of connection to France's past while providing a tranquil retreat in the heart of the Dordogne Valley…” writes Mike.
3. La cuisine Toulousaine: what and where to eat in Toulouse ←
French Cuisine is full of passion, tradition and perfection, and food in the South of France is no exception.
As any other region in France, Toulouse has its own specialties and traditional cooking, and there is a vast array of dishes to sample and top class restaurants to try. Here is a list of our favorites…”
↓ CLICK IMAGE & read all the new articles on MyFrenchLife Magazine ↓
2. Appreciating & Navigating French Markets
a) How to Shop at the French Village Market by Kate Hill
French Market shopping varies greatly across this country, with the most significant differences between large cities and country towns.
There are good markets everywhere due to the quick transport from regional food-growing hubs called the M.I.N. or Marché d'Intérêt National to the center of all of France at Rungis—Les Halles near Orly airport. All food roads lead to Rungis; from there, the goods tumble into restaurants, supermarkets, and smaller markets in Paris and the rest of France and on to Europe.
Much of the food grown here in the Lot-et-Garonne department, especially the organic produce, is shipped to Rungis, too. But most of the food I buy weekly travels from just 1 to 20 kilometers—from the farm source to the farmers’ market.
The local markets reflect the best of the seasonal best with a diversity and abundance of fruit, vegetables, grain, meat, and dairy grown in this temperate four-season climate influenced by the oceanic currents of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, which warms the nearby Bay of Biscay.
So how do you choose what to buy at a market and how do you go about it?
Here are Kate’s top four tips for market shopping → read her article for details
1. First, do a casual loop to get the lay of the land; spot the lines at certain stalls as they usually are a good sign of quality; typically, the longer the wait, the better the produce…
2. Zero in on the heavier things to put at the bottom of your basket (meat, heavy vegetables-potatoes, onions, etc.) ….
3. Keep a change purse handy and keep enough change to pay for your purchases in smaller bills and many coins…
4. Most importantly, smile, be polite, be patient, say bonjour and au revoir monsieur/dame, ask your neighbor in line if they can help you, and enjoy yourself. I learned so many of my first recipes while waiting in line at the market. Think of the waiting line as your research opportunity—a living library of excellent cooks and shoppers.
Read the entire article - its a prefect Prima. Thank you Kate.
Call them Puce or Flea, these markets are treasure troves….
b) How to Find Flea Markets in France by David Lebovitz - Finding antique shops, brocantes & thrift stores in the French countryside
… A question I get is how to find the flea markets in France.
Most are found because we arrive somewhere and see signs for them while driving around. When I do, I snap a picture of the sign with my camera phone so I can look up the town or village when I get back to where we are staying.
Often, they’re posted at roundabouts since those are high-traffic areas, although you have to be quick because French drivers tend to lack patience; mine, initially, didn’t like the idea of going around the roundabout a second (or third) time, which is a bit of a foreign concept to French drivers. But now he’s used to it and—get this—even slows down so I can see the sign better, writes David.
Storage is often a problem too… and David writes about how he deals with storing his treasured flea market buys challenge for us all, especially when living in Europe, space is at a premium! Read the entire article.
c) Friperies, Brocantes et Les Marchés aux Puce - France loves a good deal at a second-hand market by Theresa Conroy (and Don Russell)
My mother never wanted me to borrow books from the library because they were dirty and could have bugs. You can imagine how she would feel about me buying used clothes and household items...”
That’s one vintage clothing store for every 10,000 people. Never mind all the pop-up flea markets and the huge, citywide braderie held every year. The yearly sales are such a big deal that they draw merchants and customers from throughout the region. In June, during our city’s 53rd grand flea market, the streets filled up with 300,000 shoppers. The French city of Lille is host to the oldest and largest flea market in Europe, with over 10,000 vendors and a million visitors. “ writes Theresa.
The French are serious about recycling, repairing and never throwing anything away that could be repurposed or reanimated. Our neighborhood even has a monthly “Repair Cafe,” where you can bring broken appliances, toys, bikes and damaged clothes to a team of volunteers who will try to repair them. Their credo tells you a lot about the French mentality: “
“This makes it possible to restore its youth to a device or any other object that has already been used a lot, and to be able to reuse it. Because the idea is not to throw away. A small weld, a resistance to change, a drop of glue, dusting . . . The repair volunteers make a diagnosis and explain to you what is wrong . . . and if they can fix it!”…writes Theresa.
Theresa admits to storage issues too, read the entire article.
…And here you can search to find markets in Paris
Market search: Paris — this is very useful, enjoy!
Best search engine to find markets in Paris←
Do you live in Toulouse? I’d love to chat with you…
Do you have a favourite French market? What type and where? I’d love to know. Please share…
3. …And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram → @MaVieFrançaise
Images and so much more… Stories…. Each day, each week we offer something fresh!
Bursting with news, views and articles, video chats, poetry, introductions to new magazine contributors… and more… follow us and join in @maviefrancaise … See you there soon, I hope.
The Celebration of an Amazing Woman
The Grand Finale: Jennifer Andrewes — Pilgrimage Report
To celebrate the arrival in Rome and the last day of the pilgrimage: Via Francigena - Canterbury to Rome may I suggest that before you read this, you PRESS PLAY
on this superb piece of music by Tomos Christie, son of Jennifer?
It is hauntingly beautiful and apt.
And below, I have unusually taken the liberty of quoting Jennifer’s private words verbatim to celebrate her achievement!
I ask you to pause and consider the challenge, the strength: mental and physical, the persistence, and the extraordinary achievement encapsulated by the completion of this achievement.
An extraordinary feat Jennifer.
Bravo!
For those who don’t know Jennifer has early onset Parkinsons Disease and research shows that long-distance walking can help stave off the worsening of symptoms.
Jennifer, we all stand here and raise our glass to you.
We are proud to know you.
À ta santé - to your health!
Judy MacMahon and the entire MaVieFrancaise community from all around the world, we stand here in your shadow.
Day 110: Isola Farnese-Rome 24km. Total 2409km. The day finally arrived and it dawned clear after raining all night. I was never in doubt that the gods are on our side. We’ve been very fortunate with our weather window. Four of us women who started separately decided to finish together, so we headed out with Megan and Sylvie after a 7am breakfast as the light was just dawning. It was cool but clear and got warmer as the sun broke through the clouds. We followed the Via Cassia for the first 4km or so, crisscrossing the busy road to take advantage of the footpaths and avoid the worst of the traffic. None of it registered - we’re walking into Rome!!!
Turning off into the suburbs, the bulk of the remaining walk was through urban parks- glorious green tranquility right there in the city. You could not even hear the traffic. First the Parco Insugherata, then Monte Mario, after a short coffee stop. Gradually more urban. WhatsApp messages flew between pilgrims exchanging info - I got a ping from Jeroen the young Dutch guy, about 1km ahead of us to say the gates to the park were unlocked- and later to confirm the exit gates were also open. There’d been rumours it was locked. Then another ping: a Google pin marking an upcoming panoramic spot: “Here the magic moment. Not gonna send you the pic. See for yourselves.” Wow, 15 minutes later we crested a hill to see Rome laid out before us with our first glimpse of St Peter’s basilica. Magnificent. Emotional.
We gathered up various other pilgrims down the final hill - two Australian women and another Dutch guy. The last 2km straight down to St Peter’s Square passed in a flash. The whole walk, all 24km of it flashed by. Something was reeling us in as we walked at a faster pace than normal and felt the urge to run at the end. At the last minute it threatened to rain. We got a few heavy drops. But it did not come to anything. The gods were crying tears of joy for our arrival. So many tourists. So much noise. Barely room to move as we came through the columns. But the joy was huge. Jeroen was waiting for us. Lovely guy. Make way, pilgrims arriving! Citt said: ‘Do you hear the bells?” Like so many days previously, the church bells were ringing for our arrival.
We avoided the long snaking queues and passed through the prayer tent entrance with our pilgrim passports. The call must have gone out, because on the other side of security a volunteer met us and guided us straight in to the basilica to register our details and prepare our testimonial certificates. After that we were able to wander freely in the church and crypt to see St Peter and the tombs of other popes. By 2pm we were at maximum capacity to deal with the crowds. We’d been told that there’s a special mass on Sunday at which the pope will be present. Directed to the Swiss Guards post to get a special ticket on our way out, the security guy would only allow one of us in. I drew the long straw, and so I found myself speaking Italian with a fully kitted up Swiss Guard, who drew three red invites out of his tunic pocket! Surreal. The final task was to farewell my shoes, which I did ceremonially into a rubbish bin with a special blessing and much gratitude. I wish I could bottle the feeling of standing barefoot on St Peter’s Square having walked almost 2,500km to get here. I felt so light, in body and spirit.
Made our way along the Tiber a further 2-3km to our hostel - a donativo unbookable refuge in a convent in Trastevere run by the Confraternity of St James. Lovely volunteer hosts who made us welcome and cooked a delicious simple meal for us later. There are 24 beds and only three of us here: me, Citt and a young Danish guy who walked from Sienna. Drinks were appropriate- first a lemon soda to celebrate our final milestone; then aperol spritzes with a bunch of eight of us pilgrim friends who have variously arrived in Rome in recent days. Good times, good friends, great memories. Cheers!
Playlist today is a special one: ‘Hiraeth’ by my son Tomos Christie. Hiraeth is a Welsh word that means a deep, soulful longing for home and a place of belonging. That’s how I feel at the end of this incredible journey. “
Jennifer Andrewes
(words above copyright Jennifer Andrewes)
AND NOW, Jennifer has ARRIVED in ROME, 2409km from Canterbury, and the day before her birthday… Congratulations Jennifer Andrewes!
How do you challenge yourself?
Have you ever undertaken what you’ve called a ‘big’ challenge?
Do you have a message for Jennifer?
4. “Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’ newsletter” Judy MacMahon
I hope to see you here again soon
Judy MacMahon
Fondatrice
MyFrenchLife.org
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Kim wonders where it all goes as vendors move on to new locations during the week, how do they maintain fresh high quality.
One of the many gems in France, the vast variety of markets.