The market in Revel
Saturday morning market in Revel
The market in Revel - in department 31, the Haute Garonne, not the Aude - is classed as either one of the 100 most beautiful markets in France or one of the 10 most beautiful. Depends on whose website you read. It is beautiful.
The halles is in the middle of the medieval town, surrounded by arcaded buildings, some still the original half-timbered ones. Food vendors are in that part of the market, the other stuff - the market junk, which is cool too - is on a boulevard.
Revel is about an hour from Carcassonne, north of Castelnaudary. As part of our committment to have a life beyond work and to explore a bit my friend Lynn and I decided to go to the market this morning.
We meandered our way there, we were talking and I missed a turn so we ended up taking a strange triangular route along the N113 from Castelnaudary and then then going north on the D117. Serendipity, it's great. We stopped in Avignonet because we saw a brocante. Nice stuff, pricey. I was looking for a cash machine and the woman I asked said the closest one was at Villefranche, about 6 km.
In Villefranche I found a fabric store that actually had patterns so we stopped to get a pattern and some fabric. I still haven't found anywhere to buy sewing patterns in Carcassonne although I have to admit it hasn't exactly been a mission. There is a great place to buy fabric in Carcassonne though. It's in the bastide, on the rue de la Republique, just down from Sephora.
We finally got to Revel at about noon. Not a bad time actually. The
vegetable vendors are trying to get rid of things and we got a huge bag
of broccoli for one euro. We also got a piece of walnut tarte that was
amazing. Basically 2 rounds of shortbread with a sweet walnut
filling. Yum.
And I bought tulips. I love tulips. It's funny, it's November but there were a lot of spring flowers. Cut irises and tulips and forced hyacinth and narcissus. And little pots of winter pansies.
We bought quiche and went to St Ferriol to have a picnic beside the lake.
Cute village, St Ferriol, but I think you have to go in summer to appreciate the lake. It's been drained and is pretty smalle. And the wind. Wow! I guess that's why the sign on the A61 has a picture of a windsurfer.
After lunch we went to Soreze. More about that tomorrow. Or soon anyway.
In the meantime, some pictures of the market in Revel.
Hi, nice blog on Revel market, I have added a link to my what's on page in my blog for anyone interested in the food market.
Posted by: Brian | January 26, 2009 at 04:26 AM
Hi, we live just up the road from Revel and go to the market as often as we can, changeover days from our gite allowing of course and being able to take time off from our other activities, my wife is a seamstress and I design websites so we keep pretty busy, even on Saturdays.
Really is a lovely place though especially with the Lac de St Ferreol so close by.
Posted by: Brian | August 21, 2009 at 08:09 AM