Saturday, February 19, 2005

Sommieres market

This is our favourite market, the second being the indoor market in Nimes. This is a genuine French market, in a wonderful setting, in the middle of this pretty medieval town. Scenes for the film "Jean de Florette" (or was it "Manon des Sources") were shot here so you have probably already seen it without realising it.

Mum decides that she wants to eat oysters, 12 of the little critters, which are ridiculously cheap at 3.40 euros per dozen. The bars do not sell food on Saturday but helpfully provide trays so that you can buy your oysters from the stall nearby. We favour Bar Partropi today because we find a table where Jan can order the wine. If like me you can't stomach swallowing live, fishy slime, then you settle for something much more tasty cooked freshly for you from the nice man on the Lebanese (or is it Libyan) stall. Either way, everybody is happy and later we set off to buy wine in the next village, St. Christol.

This small village is quite special inasmuch as it has 3 wine producers of note. We normally favour Domaine des Hospitaliers for their oak aged Merlot, but today we are on a shopping mission for my son and mother and visit Domaine de Guinand.

With the wine bought, we head off to Nimes for a little more shopping before we wend our weary way home and a meal of crispy duck a la Jan. Yummy.

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