A favourite pastime of ours is to wander in local markets.  We try to do this in many cities that we have visited on holidays.  It is a wonderful way to meet the local people, become exposed to the specialties of the area and find great treasures to take home as mementos.

Our market explorations have led us to some really great spots.  Some of the highlights include: 

• La Boqueria in Barcelona - a terrific food market with all the delicacies you could want – meats, cheese, fruits, bread, etc
  
• The Saturday flea market in Fuengirola where you can literally buy anything from luggage to tablecloths to underwear!
  
• The famous Jamaa el Fna market in Marrakesh where the nighttime unfolds entertainers, food vendors and people selling their wares, on bed sheets on the street

No matter where your travels take you, you can usually find some kind of market that gives you a sense and usually taste of the culture where you are visiting.

The Pyrenees-Orientales region has an abundance of markets.  Collioure has a wonderful market that is held on Wednesdays and Sundays.  Here you can purchase local produce, incredible bread and pastries, spices, honey, vinegars and cheese made at fromageries in the mountains.  We love to walk the aisles and choose what we will eat for the next couple of days, enjoying the choice and relishing in the fact that everything is so fresh. The market runs year round, with the summer weather seeing it spread to twice its size of the market held in the winter.  The additional vendors bring along artwork, pottery and clothing that is more suited for the tourist season.

Here is a little video we made of the winter market in Collioure:

On Saturdays you can visit the market in Port-Vendres.  They have many of the same types of products but also include many fish and seafood products as well.  We have thoroughly enjoyed buying fresh oysters from that morning’s catch and eating them with shallots and a splash of Banyuls vinegar. So tasty!

Argeles-sur-Mer hosts their market also on Wednesday and Sunday.  It is great to check them out and compare what one might offer differently from the next.  They also hold an evening craft market in the summer season.

Thursday morning sees the Saint Cyprien market set up and also during the summer a specific Catalan produce market in the evenings on the beach.  What a fabulous way to spend the evening!

There are almost another 50 markets in the surrounding area, far too numerous to list here.  However you can see a full list of towns and the corresponding dates by clicking on this website link.

Be sure to take the time to look for markets wherever you are travelling in order to meet the people in the community, learn about customs and taste the fabulous specialties of each different location.  This is what traveling is all about!

It is always at this time of year that we start to become restless or en français - agité while waiting for the longer, lighter days of summer.  Living in Canada we tend to move through winter in stages.  First we say goodbye to autumn when the colourful leaves drop from the trees and we have to start wearing warmer sweaters and eventually coats.  Then out come the mitts, hats, scarves, and finally boots when the snow starts to fall.  We anticipate Christmas, followed by the New Years holiday and then on to January when the kids are back into the school routine and the bulk of the snow and ice hits us hard.  By the time Valentine’s Day has come and gone, we are really tired of winter and start to look forward to the spring weather, holding out hope that we have seen the last snowfall or freezing rain storm.  Usually we are disappointed and still have to make our way through the long month of March, when even though the calendar officially says spring, Mother Nature seems to take her time catching up!

It is so much tougher when we see the weather staying so wonderfully pleasant in Collioure.  The temperature has steadily started to increase (although it really doesn’t get very cold there in the winter).  Today it was 16 degrees - and I have seen many pictures of the flowers starting to bloom and the sun welcoming the locals back from their holidays.  Since it is very often sunny, averaging 320 days of sunshine each year, this beautiful area welcomes visitors early.  People come for the clear, bright days as early as February and March.  It really is amazing what a few days in the sunshine can do to lift your spirits and put a bounce back in your step.

The spring welcomes the folks on school breaks or Easter holidays. Those who are not tied to summer vacation periods can enjoy all that the town and surrounding area has to offer in April and May, when the weather is lovely and the crowds haven’t accumulated yet.

Living in a temperate climate is our dream.  To be there, when it is cold here - that is what we strive for.  For now, we will visit when we can, hold tight to our memories when we can’t and live vicariously through the wonderful people from all over the world, who are visiting our apartment and exploring the wonders of a true Collioure vacation or en français - location de vacances Collioure.

From freezing Toronto, continuer à rêver (keep dreaming).  

While strolling around the older neighbourhoods of Collioure, you will realize that several things make this town so charming: the proximity to the sea, the quaint cafes, the artist’s boutiques and the lovely streets lined with buildings painted in pretty pastel colours.  There are also many unique things such as the ornamental wrought iron and if you look down, you will undoubtedly notice the unusually decorated drainpipes.  The outlets of these simple, structural pipes on the front of buildings, have been fashioned as mythical open-mouthed creatures and are typically made of glazed ceramic.  Most often they are painted in neutral colours of green or brown and were actually an integral part of the façade of most regional houses in the Pyrénées Orientales  area.

This tradition of creating the faces is part of the local heritage.  Catalan humour is such that they will strive to find fun in creating interesting pieces of art from the most mundane objects – even utilitarian things such as pipes meant purely for draining water! Now local artisans have continued this custom and create drainpipe ends that are glazed in many different colours.

Many people say these faces are a form of gargoyle – from the Latin word “gurguilio” that means throat.  One of the definitions of gargoyle is:

“a spout, terminating in a grotesque representation of a human or animal figure with an open mouth, projecting from the gutter of a building for throwing rain water clear of a building.”

This has been a very common form of design that really has a true function.  Many architects used multiple gargoyles on buildings to divide the flow of rain water from roofs and to help keep the building intact.  Gargoyles were often used on cathedrals or churches and aside from their practical purpose, they were said to be a worthy method of warding off evil spirits.  There are several very famous cathedrals sporting these interesting creatures.  For example the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.  Anyone who enjoys looking at older architecture will immediately notice many different styles of gargoyles and learning the meanings behind them are usually just as intriguing as their appearance. Click here to read an interesting article detailing the symbolism.

Next time you are walking the streets of Collioure, be sure to glance down and check out their “friendlier” version of the gargoyle.  Now you will know exactly what they are and appreciate the subtle humour and wit of the Catalan people. 

Related articles

• Imagination in the Gutter
• Look Up!
• La Gargouille

This week has seen celebrations surrounding two of our favourite things – crêpes and Nutella. We love crêpes so much that after our first visit to France we invested in a crêpe pan and large spatula for making these wonderful thin pancakes at home. We now enjoy them on vacation and in the comfort of our home.  We don’t know many people who don’t love both Nutella and crêpes and certainly in France they are heavily consumed, often together.

Crêpe is the French word for pancake and is derived from the Latin crispus meaning “curled”.  February 2nd is La Chandeleur or “Jour des Crêpes”.  Originally this was a celebration to observe the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the baby Jesus, 40 days after his birth.  It was customary for processions to be held and candles to be lit at midnight as a symbol of purification.  So how do the crêpes factor in?  As the pilgrims arrived for the processions they were given crêpes as nourishment.

The modern day approach of the holiday is now known as the “return of light” or an increase of longer days as the seasons change from Winter to Spring. Crêpes are made as a symbol of prosperity for the coming year.  It is now a tradition to hold a coin in your hand and a crêpe pan in the other while flipping the crepe into the air.  If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, it is thought that your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.  No matter the outcome, you can enjoy a yummy treat!

World Nutella Day is on February 5th.  The slogan of “Keep Calm and Carry a Spoon” unites people from all over the world and encourages them to share in their love of the chocolate gooey goodness.   Fans become creative and share their recipes for using the hazelnut spread in all different ways and we all benefit while indulging in the sweet spread.

Interestingly the French don’t typically eat crêpes for breakfast.  Normally they are eaten for lunch, as a snack or for dessert.  The fillings range from very simple such as the zest of a lemon with a dust of icing sugar to sweet crêpes with jams, Nutella or syrups and savory dishes with eggs, meat or vegetables. 

Whether you are in France or at home in your kitchen, you can always enjoy this simple creation that is known as France’s national dish. Just close your eyes and imagine you are in the French countryside or strolling under the Eiffel Tower or sitting by the Mediterranean eating as the French do.  Bon appétit!

Be sure to try out crêpes at home.  Here is a basic recipe
Related articles:

• Annie: Dessert appreciation
• No. 131: Le Jour des Crêpes
• World Nutella Day
• 17 Recipes for World Nutella Day