The Good Life France Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 56

The colour, scents, sounds and flavours of this vibrant market on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea make it a real stand out, happy place to be. The town is located in the heart of Provence, between Marseille and Toulon and its wiggly streets are filled with beautiful buildings. At the friendly market you’ll find around 300 stalls. Honey, olive oil, wine, cheese, spices, fruit and veg plus of course the freshest sea food are on offer. And you’ll find colourful baskets, flowers, pottery and table cloths. Wander under the shady plane trees along the Allées Estienne d'Orves and soak up the ambiance.

It gets busy in the summer months and will probably be even more so now that it’s been recognised as France’s favourite market, so get there early to avoid the crowds and if you need a parking space, have more chance of finding one (there’s plenty of paid parking).

Pick up ingredients for a fabulous French picnic and head to the local beach after-wards to enjoy it while watching the world go by.

Market day: Wednesday 08h-13h

www.sanarysurmer.com/

Everyone loves a French street market - from the visitors who flock to France to experience the good life to the locals who shop at their favourite each week. There are markets in almost every town and village or at least there will be one nearby. From the grand street marché s, to covered markets, called Les Halles, to the authentic street markets of Paris and in tiny villages where there may be only a few stalls, everyone has their favourite. This year in France, a contest aimed to discover – which is the most loved market of the French? The “Votre Plus Beau Marche” competition run by TV channel TF1 was hugely popular with voters. 25 contenders went through to the finals and when voting ended in May 2018 there was a clear winner – lovely Sanary-sur-Mer in the Var Department, Provence-Alpes-Cote-D’Azur.

We look at the winner and the contenders…

Sanary-sur-mer Market Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur