Outdoor Markets in Charleston close up tight in winter. Not in France! The Saturday market is a year-round tradition here.
The markets change seasonally, of course. In summer we look for local tomatoes, fresh herbs, and all the wonderful veggies of summer. There are stands that are a riot of color, selling geraniums and petunias for window boxes and pots. Everyone vies for a space in front of the busy stalls, including the tourists and the campers who show up for summer sun.
You know it's fall, though, when the oysters come out. Tables of them with an abundance of varieties from the coast. There is steaming sauerkraut too, and the aroma of warm, fat sausages and ham, ready for the choucroute garnie. Mushrooms of all varieties sprout up in fall as well.
Of course we all hang out at the local café after our shopping, but we change bars in winter. The Brasserie Nord, the sunny bar at the center of the market where we gather under the parasols in summer, is replaced with the noisy, packed, and convivial interior of Cici's, where they serve hot orange wine with a smile. Stake out your table early, or you'll be left out in the cold.
To shop at the market any time of year, you must have the proper tool: un chariot de courses. These rolling bags are de rigeur for toting your veggies. I stash one away in Charleston for when we visit, and they're an anomaly there; everyone's always coming up to me to ask where I got it (Amazon has them, of course). A rolling cart is handy for toting other things too, you would be surprised how often you'll want to reach for it. Then of course there are the classic French market baskets, giant colorful sacks with leather handles that are sold mainly at the markets. I have a collection of them too, as actually it takes un chariot AND a giant basket to haul my Saturday goods!
I snapped a sampling of carts and bags at our weekly Cluny market one fall day:
Our loyal reader Colleen Taylor is a fine artist, and she also paints cards, like the beautiful Christmas wreath below. If you want something special for your Christmas greetings, you can check out her cards, and her other artwork, at Fine Art America.
6 thoughts on “Tooling Around the Market”
These shopping bags on wheels are wonderful. If you know of an elderly person who still lives independently, one of the rolling bags would make a great gift. I gave my mother one several years ago when she moved in to a senior facility. When she returns from shopping she can put her individual bags (she seldom buys a lot at one time) in to the rolling bag and pull it to her apartment. No making multiple trips to the car for purchases. Seeing this post today reminds me of just how pretty and useful the colorful bags are. I’ll be in the Alps in July and I think I’ll buy several and send them home for gifts for family and friends. Thanks for the reminder!
You can have your purchases taken to your car by donkey in the summer in Cluny.
These chariots are wonderful!!
We are spoiled with the shopping carts that are available to us at most every market here in the US.
And really need something practical and easy to use when we are away from home.
My belle mere,bless her,surely would have loved having something so terrific.Their house was at the top of a steep hill,on narrow,car unfriendly cobblestone roads.
My arms still ache when I remember lugging our daily supplies home!
I am crazy about bags of all types!! I must have 60 or 70 reusable shopping bags common here. Enjoyed seeing your photos. Hope to sit at the cafe again in 2019!!
J’apprends aujourd’hui que ce que j’ai toujours appelé un “caddy” s’appelle, en bon français, un chariot de courses. Better late than never!
You truly caught me by surprise with my card Lynn! I’m thrilled that you mentioned me as well as one of my cards. I so appreciate you doing this. You are just the sweetest & thank you!
I love this photo of you with your cart & that darling bag! I can tell you when I shop I don’t look nearly as stylish as you do. I have one of those carts but mine is a boring plain black one. I purchased it so long ago when I went on wholesale buying trips & I still have it. They do come in handy.
Wonderful post & what a pleasant surprise for me. Thank you again!