Uzès market

Market days in Uzès are well regarded by locals and tourists.

Wednesday’s market is focussed on produce and plants, takes place solely within the Place aux Herbes, and is generally a low key pleasant experience due to modestly local modest crowds.

Saturday’s market takes over every corner of the Place aux Herbes, overflows into the surrounding streets, and on to the ring road.  Sometimes we are woken early by the sounds of stalls being set up in Place Dampmartin below our apartment.  The produce and plant stalls are supplemented by toys, fabrics, handcrafts, homewares and more.  It is enjoyable too, but more intense than Wednesday, with many tourists leading to much larger crowds.

Both are a feast for the senses – the sounds, sights and smells draw you in, the touches and tastes often seal the deal.  Unfortunately here we can only convey some of the sights...

Le mais (corn).

The famous poulet rôti (roast chicken).  We only bought one, and it was great, but it was always great to smell while walking by.

From nearby Aigues Mortes, the sweetened bread Fougasse.

Grace after purchasing a small watercolour of the water feature in the Place aux Herbes, with the painter (a lovely man who paid a lot of attention to her purchasing decision).

Local asperge, the first produce we noticed regularly for sale from farmers at roadside stalls.

Local abricots.  Frequently available in roadside stalls when their time came (after asperge).

Locally made nougat.  Often purchased.  Always tasted.

 A jazz band who we saw several times at the Saturday market.  Xavier in particular liked them, and we bought their CD to remind us of Uzès and the market.

Spices and flavours.

Le savon (soap) from Marseilles.

The Spanish style pottery on display regularly below our apartment in Place Dampmartin.

Many different types of flavoured saucisson (sausage).

Yes, they do eat snails (escargot), in this case Coquille Bourguignonne (Burgundy Snails).

Monsieur Trout – vacuuming the guts out of the freshly killed fish for a sale.

Des faises (strawberries).

Flower stalls.

Pannacotta.

Grace tasting le miel (honey).

Andrew enquiring about la fromage.  Great varieties.  Massive wheels.

Regularly purchased for inclusion in lunchtime baguettes.

Le poisson.  Not regularly purchased (we under consume fish), but always worth a look.

BB guns!

Awesome porc rôti (roast pork). Andrew’s favourite baguette filling.

Olives.

Garlic (le ail).

Handbags and fabrics.

Elle and Xavier having a market break at Le Sept 4 in Place aux Herbes.

Olive oil (huile d’olive) in front of the water feature.

View down from our kitchen window into the market stalls in Place Dampmartin.

View towards our apartment (top floor on the corner) on Saturday market day.