Lovely Market days

Visiting markets is one of the pleasures of holidaying and living in France, and there are plenty to choose from. Avranches and Fougeres have Saturday mornings, St James Monday, Louvigne du Desert a very small one on Friday, but best of all is Wednesday at St. Hilaire.

The choice here is tremendous, with masses of fruit and vegetable stalls, cheeses, fish and shell food.There is also an organic vegetable stall which sells only what is in season and grown locally at that particular time. Also clothes,bedding,haberdashery and lately lots of jewellery stalls and watches.

Watches at 5 € each, and mine had been going for a year! Ducks, geese, hens and guinea fowl also have their own area away from the food stalls. You get a chance to pick your own fruit and veg, feel, smell and hold up for inspection, just as the French do, and I've seen someone even pop a grape in their mouth to see if it was to their taste.

It is very busy all year round, but during the holiday season it is very very busy.The French don't seem to let the tourists worry them too much.If three of them meet three of their friends, they still stop to chat blocking completely the alleyways. I'm sure they don't do it on purpose; as part of their week is the market, and must be enjoyed to the full.

Dropping into a bar mid morning for a kir or glass of wine is the norm.(We'd rather have a cup of tea, wouldn't we.)? The Summer Farmers market is due to start evenings once or twice a week just outside Louvigne. This is set in a small field outside a farm.

Sometimes maybe only a dozen or so stalls, but one stall in particular almost groans under the weight of strawberries on it, whilst another is full of salads. If you are feeling peckish it is possible to nibble, taste and sip your way around, sampling produce that you know is grown within a few miles radius.

Cider, pomeau, cheese, honey, fowl and bread are in abundance.The bread is baked in a beautifully restored bread oven, which my son and I were lucky enough to be shown round.

A very quick "show round" obviously, but their bread is delicious and sold on this market.If you are keen on busy, and want to see something really busy try the food hall next to the Saturday morning market at Granville.

Two floors of a really old-fashioned food hall, which has everything you can think of. This is truly a great shopping experience, but a word of advice here. Elbows at the ready, or you'll never make it. !!

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