Le Marché des Lices
During the time I spent in France, to my delight, I always happened to run into a farmer’s market no matter where I went, and food markets, especially French food markets, are some of my favorite places to be. Of all the markets I went to, the Marché des Lices was by far my favorite. It is the second biggest market in France, but unlike others, it only sells food. Located in the Places des Lices in Rennes, the street comes alive every Saturday morning, and by 9am, it is bursting at the seams. As you make your way there from Sainte Anne metro station, you round the corner, and there it is. Beautiful, vibrant, seasonal produce awaits you at each stand: bunches of bright little radishes, baskets of red and gold pears, and more grape varieties than you ever knew existed - every cluster silently willing you to buy them. If you are so lucky to be there at dawn - as I often was before weekend travels - you can wake up with the market. Vendors illuminate their goods with strings of lights, and there is the slightest hint of magic in the air. It feels like a secret, one that everyone else is too busy sleeping to discover. As you near the end of the street, you look around and duck into the first of two, large, covered buildings. Wandering through the aisles, you are greeted by meats, farm-fresh eggs, and almost any type of cheese that your heart desires. You walk out a different door and enter a little court filled with food trucks. It smells like breakfast. Gallettes and crepes (for 1€ a piece!), bowls of paella, and whole-roasted chickens. With a gallete oeuf fromage in each hand, you enter the next building. It’s heaven, full of bread, pastries, jam, cider, chocolates, and a million other temptations. Through the last doorway is one final court filled with seafood. At this point, all your pocket money is gone. With your arms filled with infinite, delicious bundles, and a head full of inspiration, you slowly wind your way back to Sainte Anne. It is the end of the perfect morning.
Date: September 2016