Fabulous French Weekend Markets
They are ubiquitous throughout France — the weekend markets that contain a mix of items from fresh fruit and vegetables to cheese and sausage to clothing. We’ve been to a variety of them in cities and towns from one end of France to the other.
Bright umbrellas shade the buyers and sellers at the Saturday market in St. Girons
One of the nicest markets we have attended has been in the town that we now call home — St. Girons in the Midi-Pyrenees down near the border with Spain. And no, just in case you think I am being biased, this truly is a well-rounded market since there are just as many ‘pretty things’ like hand-thrown pottery and linen clothing and original artwork as there are stalls selling food.
You can always find live music each week in several places sprinkled up and down the streets and laneways.
Musician busking for change in front of a brasserie in St. Girons in the Midi-Pyrenees of France
The setting is especially charming, too — from the open-to-the-skies square at the end of Rue Gambetta down through the avenue of plane trees which parallel the swiftly flowing River Salat. Those traders beneath the lush green trees must be quite grateful for that shade on those blisteringly hot and sunny South of France Saturdays. We shoppers certainly are!
Shopping beneath the plane trees at the St. Girons Saturday market
We feel quite lucky to have this year-around weekly market a mere few minutes away from our new apartment. We walked out the front door with our canvas shopping bags and voila — we were across the footbridge over the river and right in the thick of things in just under 15 minutes.
Footbridge over the River Salat in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France
Picturesque St. Girons hugs both sides of the River Salat in the South of France
The produce is always ultra fresh and significantly cheaper than what we pay in the local supermarkets.
Shopping in the Rue Gambetta square in St. Girons in the Midi-Pyrenees of France
We fell in love with the vivid colours used by one potter who had a booth at the markets.
Bright coloured pottery for sale at the Saturday market in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France
We picked one vivid green bowl, changed our minds, and decided to go for the larger orange bowl you see at the bottom filled with fruit.
Buying a piece of pottery at the Saturday market in St. Girons
Large orange-glazed pottery bowl from the Saturday market in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France
Hope you are enjoying these slices of life in the South of France!
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09/07/2012 at 1:29 PM
10/07/2012 at 3:53 AMKate
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Yes I am enjoying it : )
You know how much I like markets and pottery!
10/07/2012 at 8:55 AMDeborah Harmes
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Glad you like this article, Kate!
The piece we picked was very plain but had such a striking colour. The ones that were decorated were all of those ‘country themed’ sort of things with roosters or florals etc. I just loved the really BOLD colours he had because there were lots of other vendors doing the more neutral brown or gray pottery shades.