Market day in Le Bugue
February 24, 2013 60 Comments
Fresh produce
Open markets never fail to cast their charm on me and I won’t give them a miss if I can find one on any given day. Checking what are on offer from different stalls will make me lost my sense of time as my mind wanders off to what nice meals I can make from the many fresh produce that I can get my hands into. Unfortunately, I don’t have a big family to feed so I always have to try to control the urge to overbuy and overstock especially on those stuffs with limited shelf life.
When we arrived in Dordogne for the second half of our camping holiday, we got some info on what to do and see in the area. The suggestion of open markets in the nearby towns and cities came in handy especially as I was really looking so much forward to exploring a few during this holiday. The nearest to our camping was the town of Le Bugue, a 15-minute drive and where most times we will also get our groceries.
The open market in Le Bugue as compared to the open markets I’ve seen in the west of France has less seafoods and was more oriented to the produce of the land and wood crafts which was pretty understandable from a geographic perspective. We had a great time exploring this market, my little girl so especially loved the trinkets, toys and also the hat that we got her for protection from the strong sun. I enjoyed admiring the fresh vegetables and other food stuffs on offer as well as got myself a nice typical French basket which would later came handy when we get groceries or go on picnics.
Le Bugue
Le Bugue
The Vezere River
Bridge spanning the Vezere River in Le Bugue
The Vezere River
Admiring the trinkets
Trying out a hat
Checking out the toys
Wood-carved slingshots — I played with them a lot as a child
Wood crafts
Wood crafts
Bread stall
Stall for roast chicken
Artichokes
Sun-riped tomatoes
Radishes
Paprikas
Red paprikas
Green plums
Preserved lemons
Olives
Garlic in herbs and olive oil
Olives
Black olives
Sun-dried tomatoes in herbs and olive oil
Seafood stall
Snails
Mussels
Fish
Baskets
Baskets
Got myself a French basket
About Malou
Great write-up and fantastic pictures! Well done!
Thank you.
Glorious summer shots. Can almost smell the produce!
Thank you. Can’t wait for the summer this year.
You had me peering at the screen with that first photo to look at the prices. I see the beans/habachuelos/judias come from Spain and are a similar price to ours, although sometimes ours drop to two euros something.
But the other prices seemed dearer, the cabbage/col/repollo – ours costs less than a euro a kilo, although one of our neighbours gave us three a couple of weeks ago, so not something I’ve bought – the broccoli, and especially the white turnips/nabos at 3.95€. Can you remember how much the tomatoes were?
We tend to buy the long peppers/pimientos, they are somewhere between one and two euros.
Lovely photos of the produce.
I guess the prices of these fruits and vegetables are far cheaper in Spain especially at the height of the season. Prices at the open markets are not that cheaper nowadays because the sellers also have to pay taxes and other costs that at times, competition from supermarkets are forcing them out of business.
Not sure how much the tomatoes cost but we could sample them right there and then and couldn’t resist buying because they were so sweet and luscious, so perfect for a summer salad.
I love the markets too. You’ve captured the magic here and the great food
Thank you.
Beautiful photos and delicious food to look at as eye candy! Your little girl is getting so big!
Thank you. Yes, my little girl is growing up so fast.
What a great trip! Oh.. those tomatoes!
Yes, it was a nice trip to the market. Really enjoyed it despite the heat.
Glorious!
Love the bag you got! I love farmer’s market day which is a lot like yours here too! They are Wednesdays and Saturdays (in our town) April through October and I can’t wait for it to open this year! It’s a good thing I can preserve some of my purchases because I over-buy all the time. It just looks so good! We don’t have prepared foods much at our farm markets but that bread looks fantastic! What a great idea – if I had access to a commercial kitchen, I would make some to take to the next one – bet it would sell great here!
My bag was the cheapest at Eur 7. The others with more intricate designs were at least Eur 20+. That’s nice that you have farmer’s market day over there too. It would be nice if you can make/cook stuffs that you can sell to the market. I’d love that idea too but yes, a commercial kitchen and time are two elements which are pre.
Great shots. Just so you know what you’re calling “Paprikas” we here in the United States call “Bell Peppers”.
Thank you. I know, these paprikas we also call “bell peppers” in my native country (Philippines) but has adopted the name given here.
Love open markets too!! Beautiful photos as well!
Thank you, Nikki.
Oh those photos make me want to go!
France is always fun especially its open markets.
Well, that certainly looked like a lot of fun . . . and once again in the heart of the Bordeaux Region with all those great wines!
Indeed it was a lot of fun. And they have wonderful pates and foie gras out there too.
Wow, what a life! Make me feel so boring here in the states! Your pictures are AMAZING as usual! Love all those vibrant colored fruits and veggies! And you look so comfy cozy in your sundress and sandals! We’re still all bundled up and ready for another snow storm this week!Looks like you’re enjoying your camping trip!
These pictures were from last summer but it’s only now that I’m finding the time to blog about them. Winter is pretty much in the picture here, its been snowing last night and today, the temperature is just a degree or two above freezing. We’re looking forward to summer very much, when we can be in the lightest of clothes and slippers again.
AMAZING photos as usual! Looks like you’re enjoying your camping trip! The fruits and veggies look so vibrant! Wishing for warm weather here in the states. We have another snow storm ramping up!
You must come and see France, enjoy the life in the countryside in summer.
What a fabulous market. It looks like you could spend a whole day there.
True, I wouldn’t mind spending the whole day visiting stall after stall and sampling the food stuffs too.
Great photos! It isn’t fair to show all that lovely produce to someone sitting in Alaska in February! Of course our grocery stores have “fresh” produce…but nothing straight from the fields, and I’m sure the flavors of the foods you show are amazing! I love open markets too…(“farmers’ markets” I call them) ..especially finding the fresh breads and local fare that is always so fun to sample! ~ Sheila
Thank you, Sheila. I’m also still experiencing the heart of winter out here at the moment and these pictures were from last summer when we went on a camping holiday in France. I could tell you that the fresh produce here really tasted wonderful, bought paprikas and aubergines which I just brushed with a bit of olive oil and they went nicely on top of the grill as side veggies to the chicken and pork barbeques we had. The fresh salad was also great especially these tomatoes which were really sweet and fresh. Bread in France is just so good and even a non-bread eater like me is an instant convert.
Bread! I think there is hardly a bread in the world that isn’t wonderful…especially the homemade kind. I’m not talking about the commercially made stuff…but what you find at markets or little shops? I could live on it!
This what I love so much about the French villages and small towns –their markets and fresh products. They are so spoiled, but it’s their way of life. So only as there is food, bread and wine on the table … and good friends around it – they are happy. Why can’t we be the same. Wonderful photos, but I wouldn’t expect anything else of you.
A little envy on your holiday and for your French basket. *smile – thanks for bring me along to Le Bugue … my first visit.
I could live in that part of Europe, huh! Food is amazing and there’s so much to see and do as well.
I love my French basket, quite a steal at Eur 7.00 and is very useful when I go out. No need for the pricey bags, happy with this basket as fashion accessory.
Those French baskets will never go out of fashion .. it’s like the French brooms. Love them too.
Yes, France is a fantastic place to live … maybe if I win on the lottery there will be money to get the sea view apartment in Biarritz *smile
What a beautiful place!! The photographs are amazing!! I wish I could visit the place, it seems very interesting. As you say I love the markets too. Hope you enjoyed a lot the place and the food.
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Maybe your next journey is to this part of Spain!!!
Thank you. I look forward to someday visiting your country again. Been there a couple of times many years ago and have really enjoyed exploring lovely mountain villages and going to vineyards and markets too.
I love open markets!
As always thanks for sharing a glimpse of your adventures!
Great pic of you at the end of this post
Thank you, Rosy.
What a fabulous market Malou! Thanks for sharing your lovely photos.
Thank you, Dor.
I love markets everywhere. You got some wonderful shots but it looks like your little girl is growing.
Thank you, Diane. She’s indeed growing up so fast.
What wonderful pictures of the market. I love open markets as well, but there are non that compare to what I have seen in your photos.
Thank you. France have lovely markets so that’s something to check out if you get the chance to see this country.
This looks great! Love open markets too. Went to a couple in Provence. But that was 4 years ago. The wooden toys are great to young kids. I hope your daughter can enjoy these before she gets hooked on the video games.
Thank you. Those Provence markets must have been wonderful. We’re thinking of heading to Provence this summer and definitely, open markets are on my itinerary. My little girl is not that interested with video games, she’s more into making/creating things and drawings.
I hope you can keep her off video games as long as you can. It is the most awful nightmare a parent can have to battle with once it starts. We banned it from our house but when she had play dates at other people’s homes, well, we could not control that.
She’s got this Wii and some other console games as well. Strangely enough, she’s not that keen. Playmates come here and want to play these games but she’s more keen to do other things like build a tent from blankets in the living room.
I love the vibrant colors and the varieties that the open/farmers market has to offer. Ours are so limited…definitely no nice wooden toys here. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to more market days from your post.
It must be nice to encourage local produce like the way they are given a boost in France. Despite the proliferation of supermarkets, many are still longing for the markets in the old-fashioned way.
I love markets anywhere! A nice photo of you Malou
Thank you, Gilly.
Gorgeous photos! How did you decide what you would buy? It all looks fantastic!
Thank you, Lynn. I went for the cheapest basket and it was a good choice.
Ah, what a lovely town, Malou, with a marvelous open market! Your images have made me very hungry! It’s amazing the amount of handcrafted wooden objects…they all look so finely done, too! Le Bugue…had never heard of it, but now it will be in my dreams…and on the ‘wish list’!
I can recommend the whole of Dordogne as worth exploring. Many lovely old towns and open markets, Medieval castles and parterre gardens. So much to see and do out there.
I love markets especially in France! Amazing and beautiful and I love how you are enjoying it thoroughly
We share the same passion for markets then.