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Spring 2022

Discover Paris in the spring, Caen in Normandy and its marvellous markets plus Yvoire, a picturesque village on the edge of Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie. Explore Saint-Omer, a historic city in the far north that's full of secrets and treasures, and Evian, where Frankenstein's monster stayed! Head with us to Metz in Lorraine to find out about its incredible past, La Couvertoirade, one of the prettiest villages in France, and the UNESCO heritage of Avignon. Guides, gorgeous photos, what's new in France, the best tours and delicious recipes from the legendary Le Nôtre bakery in Paris - and more.

Discover Paris in the spring, Caen in Normandy and its marvellous markets plus Yvoire, a picturesque village on the edge of Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie. Explore Saint-Omer, a historic city in the far north that's full of secrets and treasures, and Evian, where Frankenstein's monster stayed! Head with us to Metz in Lorraine to find out about its incredible past, La Couvertoirade, one of the prettiest villages in France, and the UNESCO heritage of Avignon. Guides, gorgeous photos, what's new in France, the best tours and delicious recipes from the legendary Le Nôtre bakery in Paris - and more.

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Early on a sunny Friday morning, I explored<br />

the market which spills out of Place Saint-<br />

Sauveur the oldest square in the city and into<br />

the roads around. It’s probably the oldest<br />

market in Caen too. Though the date for when<br />

it started isn’t known, the market is mentioned<br />

in documents from the time of Richard II,<br />

William the conqueror’s grandfather.<br />

About 250 traders are here, selling everything<br />

foodie and almost everything else. Local<br />

honey, butter, cider, calvados (apple brandy),<br />

garlic and even ginger, saffron and yuzus<br />

grown less than an hour from the city.<br />

Of course, Norman cheeses are there in<br />

abundance - Camembert, affectionately<br />

known as God’s feet by the locals, Pont-<br />

L’Evêque, Livarot and Neufchâtel. I stopped in<br />

my tracks at the sight of chocolate bread and<br />

a delicious spread of tarts and cakes. “Would<br />

you like to try” the stall holder asked me,<br />

smiling as I sighed with happiness – it tastes<br />

divine. An elderly lady nodded approvingly<br />

and told me that she never buys any food at a<br />

supermarket, only this market and the Sunday<br />

morning ‘big one.’<br />

In the square, shoppers pulling trolleys and<br />

carrying baskets and bags are watched over<br />

by a statue of a no-doubt approving Louis XIV<br />

dressed as a Roman Emperor. A voracious<br />

gourmand, he was said to eat up to 300<br />

oysters in a single sitting. With that in mind I<br />

followed my nose to the fish market where the<br />

freshest of scallops, which are emblematic of<br />

Caen, sea snails, bulots, fish and all manner of<br />

shellfish were arrayed. A group of infants on<br />

a school trip to learn about food passed me<br />

18 | The Good Life France

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