an event market in fall

Today, we have had an event market in town: a Bauernmarkt (~framers’ market).

Twice a year we have such an event market – in spring and in fall. Although it’s called farmers’ market and definitely has products offered by farmers and rangers, it is very different. Our weekly market is twice a week: Tuesday and Friday morning you can find the booths here on this place. You can usually find the same vendor. But this market is different.

It’s on Sunday from 10 to 18h. The venders are prepared to bring some entertainment i.e. for kids like tinkering, make candles explain honey making, showing bees and other farm animals like sheep, small pigs, hens or turkeys. You can also find some artists offering handmade soap, polished semi precious stones or dried flower decoration’s or in this case decorating stuff made from slates. And certainly, you can find many food stands: bratwurst (grilled sausages), waffles, fresh bread, smoked fish, fischbrötchen (fish rolls), coffee and cake. Often they also demonstrate old (nearly forgotten) handicrafts like wool making (spinning) or modelling from bee wax.

Take care.

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some cheese

Another product you can buy in Étretat is goat cheese. Despite the goat ranch is only a few hundreds of meter away from the center of the village, I didn’t found their cheese on the local market. But, I found it in a few local stores and even in the local supermarket, a member of a huge chain – what a surprise.

But, from the beginning 🙂

On top of the cliff (landwards from the part called Les falaises d’Etretat) you can find a goat ranch. You can visit the ranch. They have visiting hours for the farm itself and they have a shop with some interesting products made from goat milk: ice cream, chocolate, pralines and of course their cheese. I’d recommend have a walk to the farm, taste some of their products and walk bat to the village. You can easily make a round trip by walking up to the barm by following the roads and then head to the coast to follow the cliffs back to the village.

I like the pralines and the cheese. It’s a kind of cream cheese sized like a flattened tennis ball. You can get it at an age of 3 days, 1 week or 3 weeks. The older the cheese is, the more solid it is because it loosens moisture. I liked the 3 day old most. The older the stronger. 🙂

Take care!

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going shopping

I already wrote some posts on french farmers markets and how different they are compared to ours here in Germany. So, I included only a short gallery without writing much about it.

In Étretat the market does not only have stands for vegetables and fruits. You can also buy different kinds of cheese, meat, sausages, soap and even clothing.

A place, usually used as a parking ground, in the center of the village is used for the market on friday mornings. It’s always interesting to see all the products and even taste some of them.

So, simply enjoy the gallery below. 🙂 – please be patient, wordpress needs some time to load the gallery :(, I don’t know , why

Take care!

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Mercat de la Boqueria

When in Barcelona, don’t miss the big market hall “Mercat de la Boqueria” located in the old-town, next to La Rambla. You definitely dive into a wonderful experience. It’s not really a hall. It’s a big square, equipped with a roof carried by pillars. But, you’re still outside. So, you always have a slight fresh wind and get some fresh air, even when it is crowed. But, you won’t get wet, in case it starts to rain.

There are at least two entrances, when coming from La Rambla. As soon as you come in, you’ll astonish about all the smells, colors and product variety. Take you time for an extensive visit.

You can buy all kinds of food: fruits, veggies, bread, meat, fish, sweets, wine, ice-cream. All is available fresh and in huge masses. You can also buy ready-to-eat food to take with you or eat at once.

We were here at about noon. I’d recommend coming at least in the late morning hours at around 11h, or so. Keep in mind, the later you come, the more products are sold and the weather becomes warmer, what isn’t good for meat and fish. When coming around noon, you can have your lunch here and watch locals having lunch.

Don’t wonder about the funny dresses of some of the shop assistants – keep in mind, I took the photos at carnival 🙂

Take care!

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At the flea market

Today was flea market day. Twice a year on a Sunday we have a big flea market here, organized by the city development organization. This time, the flea market was held for  the 75. time. Every year in May and in October it takes place. People search at their attic, in the wardrobes and the cellar, for stuff to sale. They rent a space in the streets an on huge parking lots.

The official start is at 6 o’clock in the morning, but many people set their stands up earlier in the night.  The first customers also come in these early hours to make their bargains. You can find nearly everything: clothes, shoes, toys, oil painting, antiques, used cell phones, computer parts, books, records and many other stuff, you won’t think of.

Certainly, a flea market also has a few booths, where you can by some sweets, beer, coffee, crepes, french fries and grilled sausages.

Today, the weather was not that good. Although there was no rain, but it was quite cold. Only 8°C made the salespeople at their stands feel very cold. And, because of the weather I guess, there were fewer visitors at the market, as usual, when it is warmer. So, bad luck. When I was at the market at noon time, I saw several people packing their stuff back in the boxes to bring it home again. Usually the market closes at 6 p.m and the first people start packing the boxes at approximately 5 o’clock.

Today’s gallery is quite long again. I hope, you enjoy it anyway.

Take care!

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A french market

Luckily the sun was back this morning. So, I was happily looking forward to the visit at the market scheduled for this morning. I guess, I won’t be fun, if it had rained like the day before, when we were in Paris.

When I was in Brittany and in the Normandie, we were looking for such a local market, but we were unable to find one or we were too late. So, I was quite happy, to have now the opportunity to visit a market. Stéphane at myfrenchheaven.com includes every now and than photos taken at his local market (i.e. here). So, I was quite curious, what I’d see.

Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, seafood and meat, spicery, cheese, eggs, clothes, hats, shoes, jewelry, bakery products, coffee, tea, cooked meals, crepes, furniture and many more. I expected to find the fresh foods. and maybe clothes, but there were so many other things to buy (and to see). It was really amazing.  And it was very interesting.

Here we also have such markets held once or twice a week. But here the diversity of products is way smaller even on big markets. Here they usually focus on fresh stuff like fruits, vegetables, fish, cheese and meat. complemented by cleaning stuff and sometimes table cloths. Usually you can find two or tree stands of one kind, but that market had so many to offer. I guess, there were more than 5 stands offering fruits and vegetables and at least 5 other stands offering fresh fish. Nearly every product group was at least twice at that market, even the square isn’t that large. Wow!

Thus, today’s slideshow is quite long – sorry.

Enjoy!

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