Sunday Market on the Banks of the Garonne

My first full day back in France was a Sunday and there was a huge outdoor market just a few blocks down the street from where I was staying in Chartrons, Bordeaux. I spent several happy hours there (in the sunshine!) exploring all the different offerings and wishing I could buy bags and bags of lovely products. The Chartrons market isn’t a farmers’ market, so I spent some time deciphering why I rated it so highly.

First of all, there were a significant number of local producers. I was very impressed to be able to buy wine (not the one pictured above) from Château Grand Brun in the Haut-Médoc (an area better known for large wineries with a rich, international audience). The grapes are picked by hand and the wine is sold at several local markets as well as online. It’s a lovely wine and they emphasized that they grow it, produce it, and sell it. The wine is classified as a Grand Cru Artisan and has won a number of awards.

Another vendor was selling fresh goat (and some cow) cheese as well as aged varieties. I was blown away by the variety (well over 30 different kinds) and by the artistic finish on each and every one of the cheeses. Given the nature of fresh goat cheese, it has to be a local producer.

Those of you who aren’t goat cheese fanatics will have to forgive the number of photographs, but they truly are works of art.

A good market also has to be a place where local residents can pick up a good portion of their weekly groceries. The market had 70 vendors – from fish, meat, and cheese to bread, pastries, fruit, and vegetables. People were loading up their bags and bicycle baskets. There was a tram stop across the street and I saw people taking their groceries home by tram.

Good markets are a communal gathering place and form the basis of community as people return and meet week after week. The Quays Market is situated on the banks of the Garonne river where cycle and walking paths, skateboard park, playground, and discount fashion outlets ensure there is something for everyone within a 30-minute walk. In addition, many of the vendors had set up outdoor tables and chairs where people were gathering to slurp oysters, paella, or fried chicken.

There is variety at a quality market and that was certainly the case here with books and paintings for sale alongside “cider pressed in the city of wine,” fresh fruit juices, dried fruit, and olives.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only tourist enjoying the market, but we weren’t the primary audience. This was a local market for local people. And thank goodness for that!