April10, 2002
The Open Air Market in Arles
Words and images by Jenine Lurie
What good is shopping for all that wonderful food and produce if you haven't a thing to wear? Pas un probleme in Arles France where the extensive open air market begins with tables of used clothing, sweaters and jackets-- sold for between 1 and 3 Euros. A cheap and fun way to pick up a shopping garments that are uniquely suited for the market.
Get there early, the market begins at the crack of dawn and ends around 1:30 in the afternoon.
As you make your way past the clothes, you will begin to enter the flower stands, cheese stalls,
breads, butcher and produce. Tables of garden fresh and local varieties stacked with
whatever is in season line the walkways. Herbs and spices are taken
very seriously in Provence, as it is the pivotal crossroads between Asian and European trade,
and the vendors in the local market are supplied with the very best and freshest available. Pungent odors of lavender, sage, cardamom, turmeric and saffron grab your attention both with beautiful color and fragrant smell.
C'est impossible not to try a few tastes while strolling past. The rotissoire de poulet
is a favorite stop, and in it you'll find roasting chickens, quail, duck breasts and potatoes and onions
soaking up all the tasty drippings. With a French baguette, it is a lunch stop worth remembering.
In addition, the mussel man has plates of mussels fresh, hot and steaming preparez pour aller and with
a beer while seated on a sidewalk stoop it is a very satisfying snack and sampling of the nearby
Mediterranean waters.
