It’s been a good while now and life in France is starting to normalise for me. I have to be honest, it was a big culture shock, and not one I was ready for, however, the employment of a small dose of that tried and tested ‘resilience’ brings us to where we are now. I have established some sort of routine and figured out some ways to make life run smoother than it was at the beginning.
The biggest struggle I found upon moving to Aix-en-Provence was not so much the language barrier (although at times that’s been testing), but more the sheer expense of everything here. I know that Aix is a particularly expensive city but I also think the price of fresh produce, in particular, is just higher in France. There are less opportunities to pick up lesser quality produce at a lower price, which I suppose it intended to be a good thing. It does, however, mean that for a newly arrived vegan, who is acclimatised to filling his fridge with fresh fruit and veg from Aldi for a measly £10, the rocketing prices are somewhat disheartening. In fact there was a low point during the beginning of this journey where I was very close to leaving the vegan train behind simply because I was so disheartened by the cost and accessibility of a variety of fresh produce.
Then came the market. In hindsight I’m really not sure why it took me so long to venture to the market. Maybe it was the early starts, maybe it was the fear of interacting with scary French farmers, maybe it was laziness? In fact it was probably a combination of all three. Either way, a few weeks ago I made the decision to set the alarm, pack my best tote bags and make my way to the market on a Saturday morning and boy, was it an experience. The first thing to explain, something it took me a while to understand, is that there are two markets in Aix.
The first, and more publicised, is the big market that happens every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It takes over all the main streets in the city and offers mostly tourist traps. It’s beach throws, tea towels and a whole ton of lavender. It also opens out into one of the main squares and that’s where all the food stalls are focused. It’s the typical French affair and exactly like the market’s I associate with family holidays. Fresh rotisserie chickens, olives and antipasti, bread, meat, fish and a lot of cheese.
The second, and the one I now most often frequent, is something of a hidden gem. It wasn’t even mentioned when I asked for the market timetable at Tourist Information and maybe for good reason. It’s a completely different experience. This is obviously where the locals buy their produce and explains the lack of choice and extortionate prices in the supermarkets. The square is flooded with French grandmas selecting only the best for their meals that day. You have to get up early and go since things start to shut down before lunch time but it is so worth it. Not only does it force you outside into the reviving fresh air that we are so lucky to get on a morning in Aix but the experience of shopping at the market is something else. I don’t know if it’s the microinteractions that keep you on your toes with the French skills or the ease with which you can drift from stall to stall taking only what you want without the disgusting plastic sterility of the produce section in a supermarket. If you want to take five green beans, you take five and nobody bats an eyelid. It’s all paid for by weight so the stall holder is really not fussed about whether you buy five or fifty. It’s the same with the fruit too. Nothing is pre-packaged and the few things that are pre-bundled or priced individually are so reasonable that it makes no difference. The joy of this way of shopping, besides the lack of packaging, is the absence of food waste. When you can buy one carrot, one courgette, and a handful of beans, you have exactly what you need for your meal and nothing need ever go bad or get thrown away.
The combined pros with an apparent absence of cons (minus the slightly inconvenient opening times) leads me to the conclusion that shopping at the market is a must in a city like Aix where we have the ability to do so. It’s cheaper, the products are better and it forces you to practice your french (that’s why we’re here right?). If you have a market in your city and you haven’t already, I strongly recommend you go and take a look. Take a couple of bags and buy things that inspire you. Not only is it better for your wallet, the planet and your cultural experience of the city, it is bound to improve the output of your kitchen.
I hope you’re still enjoying reading and very much appreciate if you’ve made it this far!
I’ll write again soon,
J