Daily Open-Air Markets
August 2014
Hello again!
I apologize for my long absence. I had a really busy summer and then spent my fall semester in France! So these next few posts will be talking about my incredible experiences in France and Europe that I wanted to share with you all.
I spent 4 months this fall in the South of France. I chose to study in France for 2 reasons: because of my lifelong connection with France through my french godmother, and because of my love of the language. I chose to study in the south in particular, because after reading the famous book, "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle, I knew I had to go see the places he wrote about.
I stayed in a small city called Aix-en-Provence, which literally means "the city of water", and naturally, there were fountains everywhere. Fun fact: You can drink from all of these fountains! The city was founded in 1st century AD by the Romans. There are still ancient ruins, old churches and buildings that give the city so much history and charm. It was amazing to live in a place like this, especially when I am used to living somewhere not even 300 years old.
One of my favorite things about the South of France was the open air market that occurred every day. I passed 2 of these markets on my way to school. Each day the markets would sell fresh produce, flowers, cheese, and lavender pochettes. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, they would sell clothing, tablecloths, dish ware, as well as food. My housemate and I would frequent these markets weekly, almost daily, to purchase fruit and cheese from our favorite vendors. And every Saturday, my friends and I would go to the markets and pick up baguettes, saucisson, cheese, and fresh fruit. Then we would go to one of the nearby parks and have a picnic! It was a great way to explore Aix and to enjoy the outdoors, since it was almost always sunny.
The markets are one of the things I miss most about Provence. Aside from farmer's markets, we really don't have open-air markets in America, so that was a big change coming back. Another thing I miss is the cafés that lined every street, where I would stop almost every morning for a fresh, warm pain au chocolat. I went to one café so often that by the end of the semester the saleswoman knew my name and my order. But you can't blame me for taking advantage of the french food, especially since I was definitely not getting the full experience in my host family (more details to come...).
In any case, I absolutely loved living in Aix, and the fact that it was so small helped me to get to know the city more easily. Also, everyone was so friendly and welcoming that I immediately felt at home. I will definitely return!
Coming up in my next post: How to deal with a difficult french host mother.
A bientôt! (See you soon!)
Helen
