Sunday, 22 February 2009

pelardon




I've resisted writing a post about our local market in Montpellier. I felt sure I'd fall into cliches about French markets and I probably will.. but I'm going to do it anyway!
We have a routine most Saturday mornings, of heading down to a local café close to the market, buying some pastries and then settling into enjoying our café crèmes. I then go off, canvas bags in hand, to shop for the weekends fruit & vege and usually also Saturday lunch, whilst F orders another café and stays put to read Libération.

I still get overwhelmed by the variety of different stalls and usually buy tomatoes at one, salad at another and leeks at still another stall. I'll choose a ripe Pelardon (a local goats cheese) for F and a less mature one for me. I'll queue at the bio (organic) bread stall, where you buy bread by weight. Lastly, I'll chose something yummy for lunch.. either a seafood tarte, a 'poulet roti' from the Chinese man or some stuffed peppers.

I have to say that this is one of the more upmarket markets in Montpellier.
There's even a 3 piece jazz band playing most weekends.
During the week if I have time, I'll bike down to the local 'arabian' market to stock up on much cheaper but equally good, fruit and vege.

On our way back to the flat, we'll often take the long way, to see if there are any new apartments for sale in our area. We're on the look out for something larger to move in to. Fingers crossed that we'll find the perfect apartment!

7 comments:

  1. These look so fresh! I love going to the green market on Saturdays too! Buying some fruits and vegetables ...

    Good luck with your apartment hunting! ox

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  2. j'adore faire le marché également :)
    la seule chose qui me stresse un peu est la foule :(

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  3. love the photos in your blog! and i think it is even neater that you live in France!

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  4. love that top pic - so pure and pale

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  5. this sounds like a wonderful saturday to me. all that coffee and strolling and bread by weight.

    good luck with the apartment hunting!

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  6. Hi! I discovered your blog just now, very circuitously, but am so glad that I did! I lived in Montpellier several years ago and these photos are making an already burning desire to go back even stronger! It was so hard to find an apartment there when I arrived in the fall. I ended up living in les Arceaux, and it sounds like you're describing le marché bio which was just at the foot of my little street, la rue Condorcet. Do you go to the bakery in the rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau? It was my favorite in Montpellier at the time (there's another that supplies the bread for the little épicerie biologique in les Arceaux that I believe has been considered Montpellier's best, but it's a bit out of the way on the tramline between the center of town going in the direction of la Paillade.
    Do you ever do the wine tastings on Saturday mornings at La Cave des Arceaux? I love that they bring in area winemakers every Saturday to give tastings! The proprietor of the store always suggested wines I loved, and if I ever bought a bottle without telling him what food I planned to pair with it, he always had a suggestion. What's the favorite café you mention? Latitude? Aaaahhh, as you can tell, la France me manque terriblement! So happy to have found your blog.

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  7. hi anna - thanks for your comments!
    i think the fact you ended up living in les arceaux was a very good thing! we live in this quartier. i like it very much as it's very central.i can biike & walk most places..
    yes, i do go to the bakery on rue jean jacques rousseau - usually when i come back from the centre.
    yes, the cave des arceaux is a very good thing!
    the café is 'la carré du roi' with tables under a big tree in the middle of a quiet street, parallel to rue pitot..

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