le 8 janvier

WOW we had a fun morning! Scottie, our neighbor Emily, and I all got up early this morning to go the the open-air market on the banks of the Saone river. You would love it! There was beautiful fresh produce everywhere, merchants specializing in fresh seafood, special hams and sausages, many varieties of cheeses, spices... there was even a merchant selling small rotisserie chickens, freshly cooked. the many dogs accompanying their owners to the marche were particularly interested in the smells coming from the chicken vendor. i actually felt really sorry for one collie that i saw who looked like he would shake himself to pieces because he wanted one of those chickens so badly!

we have heard that there are several big markets around lyon on sundays - i can't wait to go to the others to see which is the best. the best part is that everyone seems extremely friendly and ready to answer questions and make recommendations to those of us who are unfamiliar with french foods. of course, this is probably because they are all merchants trying to sell you their wares, but it was a good confidence-builder, just the same!! i'm particularly excited about some very tasty gruyere that i sampled and brought home. i also have what i think is this brilliant idea that i dhould just ask one of the cheese vendors to pick three really good cheeses of different varieties and give me a little bit of each to take home. i really want to try new things but going to the supermarket is hardly the way to do that. in fact, at the marche en plein air, the vendors seem more than happy to let you try a little piece of their products. i sampled two cheeses and a ham at the place where i got the gruyere, and the woman who made the raspberry jam i bought also let me try a sort of caramel sauce and a thyme jelly that she had made. both were delicious.... the raspberry jam is particularly good, too - i think that she may have found a very loyal customer!
for next week, my mission is to find some good recipes and bring them with me so that i know exactly what to buy. it will give me just a little more direction - i wanted to buy everything in sight today!
for now, i think i may go out and take a walk for a little bit. a plus tard!