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One of the best ways to get to know France is to visit a local market.
Strolling among the stalls on Boulevard Richard Lenoir in Paris one
morning, we watched as finicky chefs picked through crates of Brittany
mussels and truck drivers recharged themselves with tiny cups of strong
coffee. A little girl helped her mother arrange bouquets of fresh
flowers. A well-heeled woman dismissed the fruit of four different
vendors before finding the perfect pear. The sights and smells lured us
to participate, and stammering in bad French, we asked the vendors
which cheese to pack for an afternoon picnic. Opinions were diverse,
and we eventually settled on a pungent variety made from sheep's milk.
For visitors, all of France can seem like a market -- it's one of those
rare countries where every region offers something worthwhile and
distinctive. Paris represents the height of fashion, art and food --
its sense of style is so strong it intimidates some visitors, yet the
city can also be remarkably comfortable and intimate. The provinces
offer their own landscapes and cultures: the glittering crowds of the
Cote d'Azur, the elegant chateaus of the Loire Valley, the hospitable
vineyards of Bordeaux, the rocky coasts of Brittany, the dramatic
slopes of the Alps and the Pyrenees and the charming farms and villages
of Provence. The country can satisfy just about any traveler's taste. |
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