A Sunday Morning at the Market

Late on Saturday night, I had the realisation that today was to be my last full Sunday in Paris before I return home to Blighty.  Even though I know that I will be back to Paris again and again, I just knew that I had to make the most of it, so contrary to my love of staying in bed on the weekend, I accepted the offer from a couple of my cohort who were off to a Sunday morning market at rue d’Aligre in the 12th arrondissement.

There is something intriguing to the foreign visitor about a French street market.  For me, it’s not necessarily the goods on sale that are interesting but how this is such a fundamental part of French life.  In the UK, most of the customers you would find going to the market would certainly be of my mother’s generation.  Yes, there is the occasional Farmers’ Market but these are generally once or twice a month, not enough to be part of your essential shopping habits and certainly out of the price range of everyday people.

One interesting thing I found from just wandering around the stalls was that people knew exactly what to look for (if Jamie Oliver brought round a class of British Schoolchildren, they wouldn’t have a clue what have of the products were).  Everyone was buying seasonally and there wasn’t a processed good in sight.  I also knew that everyone who was coming to the market today was there to buy something they would eat that day, probably off straight home to prepare a sumptuous Sunday feast to enjoy with family and friends around a large table.

My advice would be to get there early.  We arrived before 9am and all stall holders were set up and ready to go, when I cycled past after breakfast this street was packed.

Before the hoards arrive

I’m not great with words, so let me share with you a few pictures instead:

Lots of different types of lettuces – only €1 a piece

Even some baby leaves – mix and match to your taste

I can’t say I have ever seen purple and yellow carrots at Staines Market!

A wonderful selection of tomatoes

Of course, if a smallholder was present, I always asked if they would mind if I took a picture.  This stall holder was particularly friendly when I asked if these were cucumbers and he gave me one to taste, commenting how they were much drier than a regular cucumber that was just full of water.  Indeed he was right.

Curly Wurly Cucumbers

When I asked this guy if I could take a picture, he said that only if I came around and got in the photo with him – how could I refuse an offer like that?

Market trader Jane

The interesting thing about this market was that the rue d’Aligres only had fruit and veg stalls along the length of it, if you are looking for meat, cheese etc, then you need to head into the shops behind the market stalls.  This cheese shop caught my eye with it’s “Museum of Horrors” in the window.  As I was taking a picture an old French man came up to me and told me that these were all the ends of the pieces of cheese from the shop – they were generally more tasty as well.  I just love the fact that nothing goes to waste here.

Scrag ends of cheese

Another friendly stall holder – €2 for these mushrooms, heaven knows how much these would be in Waitrose

Those people who weren’t buying food were obviously buying a hostess gift of flowers – select your flowers and this guy would whip them up into a hand-tied bouquet in a matter of minutes.  It’s a shame that we already had flowers at the house, otherwise P would be receiving a gift.

Fresh flowers

Head to the end of the street that meets rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine and you will see a boulangerie on the right-hand side.  As well as the main shop, they set up a stall outside, quite a queue had formed, even first thing in the morning; looking at their baguettes and brioches, I understand why.

Fresh baguettes stacked up and ready

Brioches flavoured with orange – I might have to add this to my repertoire

Marché d’Aligre
Every day from 5am – 1:30pm (except Monday)

If you are in Paris and would like to visit a market, you can go any day of the week.  A full list of markets, by days of the week, can be found here.