Mick and I had planned several day excursions to take our Australian friends to when they visited. Two of these were to the markets in Esperaza (held each Sunday and which are my favourite markets), and to the markets in Céret (which are held each Saturday and are very famous in this part of France). Céret also has a wonderful museum right in the town centre we had enjoyed two years earlier and we thought Michael and Jeanie would like it as well.

I know I have mentioned two markets we have already been to with our friends – in Collioure and in Prades –  but, they were flukes. I did not know they would be on the days we visited those two places. And although the markets are interesting in themselves, visiting these small French towns and villages when the markets are on gives them a nice buzz.

I’ve already mentioned Esperaza on this trip, but we ventured there the day after Jeanie and Michael arrived. They assured us they were not too jet lagged after their 24+ hour trip from Sydney. It was cool and there was a low fog over the village to start off with but there were more stalls here than on the previous two visits Mick and I had made this trip. So there was plenty to see, taste and experience.

It was hard to get Jeanie and Michael to walk quickly past all the exciting stalls, but I was very keen for them to check out the local boulangerie where you can buy a slice of the biggest baguette ever. I also know from previous experience that the boulangerie can sell out of its produce and I did not want them to miss out. We eventually made it and there was a massive line up (well, at least 8 people were waiting outside and there were about 10 more inside). Even though we had to wait outside for a few minutes, I insisted that Michael and Jeanie must go in. Once it was our turn to be let in, Michael had a quick look round and left us girls to wait in line to buy something.

Jeanie decided she had to try the large loaf of bread.

It actually tastes very different to other French bread and is delicious, so I was very pleased she did that.

After a coffee in the local bar, again with the locals drinking wine and beer and coffee, some were also eating oysters from the markets, we headed out to find some goodies.

Mick and Jeanie tried some wine, including a Blanquette, and bought a bottle which was enjoyed later that evening.

The following Saturday we caught the €1 Bus to Céret via Perpignan. Again great views all the way, enough to keep us all entertained.

Being Aussies from country New South Wales, we never tire of the site of this tall mountain covered in snow. This mountain is quite a distance off in the Pyrénées.

Once we walked from the bus stop to the centre of Céret, we decided to split up and have an hour wandering the markets so we could each look at and taste what we wanted.  It didn’t take Mick too long to find his favourite stall, which also happened to be the favourite stall of the local stray dog who kept sniffing around for some offcuts.

Jeanie was sorry we had split up because she totally missed the man selling pastries filled with French delicacies including rabbit pies, snail pastries (Escargots Bourgogne) and finally the one Mick bought and enjoyed, a frog (?legs we presume) and mushroom pie (Grenouille et Champignon) for €4. It was the most expensive pastry on offer.

Not that Jeanie wanted to taste any of them, she just would have loved to see Mick devour the frog pie. Mick also had a taste of the rabbit pastry and was sorry he didn’t buy it as well.  But he needed to save room for some lunch.

These markets were not as busy as we remembered them from last time we were here.

We spotted the same handmade chocolates for sale (we’d bought some two years ago), and at €100 / kilogram they should be fantastic.  I bought some for us to share with Jeanie and Michael, which we did on their final evening with us, and I was very disappointed. They were not as good as I’d remembered.

We felt a slight twinge of homesickness when we spotted several people walking around the markets with bunches of wattle. This little lady had her bunch secured in her shopping cart.

We found a warm restaurant for lunch and dawdled as long as we could as we had more than an hour to wait for our bus. Unfortunately, the local museum which houses loads of works by Picasso, was closed for a few months.

The bus trips got us back to Caudiès in time for us to head home, change our clothes and head off to dinner with Marius.

You’ll be relieved to read that these were the last markets we visited during their stay.

But there are still one or two more adventures we enjoyed while they were here.