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Mercato centrale, as it's name suggests, is placed bang in the centre of Florence. And it's a food market. It's kinda like Borough Market is to London.
Inside you'll find the odd tourist that's found their way there but you'll mostly see chefs buying wholesale and locals buying their ingredients for that night's dinner.
The smell of truffles as you walk in will wash over you and, if you're anything like me, pull you in like the tractor beam in Star Wars. It's got some amazing wines (nearly all varieties of Super Tuscans), cheeses, olive oils, bread, huge bags of fresh porcini mushrooms (depending on the time of year) but, for me anyway, the main reason to go is for the cafes at the rear of the market. There's always a queue and it's packed with locals. A good sign. It's very cheap (about €3.50 for a main and €2 for a medium caraffe of wine. The porchetta sandwiches at Nerbone at €3.5 are an absolute must. They're incredible.
Piazza del Mercato, Florence, Italy
Google map: bit.ly/12SI4Jr
The exciting prospect of lunch hits you as you begin your saunter down Rue Monge on a Sunday market day. Head to a rotisserie where the chickens are plump and the sweet aroma of freshly roasted meat is most enticing. Bird secured, walk the six or so blocks to Jardins de Luxembourg, find a bench with a view and have an al fresco lunch among Parisians with napkins at the ready. A simple and hugely satisfying lunch in one of the finest cities in the world.
Place Monge Marche, 5th arrondissement
Google map: bit.ly/YLbxPf
There is a small Christmas market held in the beautiful setting of the central square. It is straight out of Ruritanian romance and there's a very good chance that there will be snow to add to the atmosphere. Plenty of cosy cafes around the square and the gluhwein was only 60p. We stayed at Casa Luxembourg which was both comfortable and very reasonable.
Piata Mare, Sibiu
Google map: bit.ly/YAVjOW
I first visited the Krakow Christmas Market when I was sixteen with my aunt. It was a lot bigger than I expected, taking up most of the Rynek. For presents, it's perfect! Everything is so unique and majority is handmade. Being outside in the freezing cold with the smells of delicious warm food, sweets and drinks made my Christmas shopping ten times more fun - and a lot cheaper! All the stress of finding the right things fell away thanks to the beauty of the city and the lack of highstreet shops was a breath of fresh air. It's really cheap to get a flight out at this time of year and there are some excellent hostels just off the square. I loved this trip and I am definitely looking to go back again one Christmas soon. I probably spent less on this holiday and all the gifts than I would buying presents in the UK. I can honestly say that the Krakow Christmas market was definitely the highlight of my winter.
Head for the heart of the Jewish quarter, Kazimierz. At Plac Nowy you’ll find the original Rotunda market selling local produce but at the weekends the market expands with antiques and junk on Saturdays and second hand clothes on Sundays but you need to get there early – it starts at 5.30am.
Then follow the old city wall encircling the Old Town, now a 4km park segmented with tree lined avenues and Art Nouveau and Romantic architecture. Explore the cobbled streets and relax with the locals on the grass by the river at the base of Wawel Castle.
Look out for the dragon sculpture at the entrance to the cave beside the western slope and wait patiently for a few minutes to witness it breathing fire.
Google map: bit.ly/T8ggyZ
No trip to Melbourne would be complete without a visit to one of the city's great food markets (Queen Victoria market, South Melbourne market & Prahran market are my 3 favourites). And from mid-November to the end of February most of Melbourne's markets are open late one night a week. There's live music, and stalls selling street food from all around the world. Snacks/dishes are usually reasonably priced (under $12) and there's a great atmosphere.
Queen Victoria Suzuki Night Market: www.qvm.com.au/snm/snm_home.aspx
South Melbourne Style After Dark:
www.styleafterdark.com.au/
Norman Rockwell called Stockbridge ‘the best of America’, and this small Berkshire town where he lived retains its old-fashioned charm. Wandering along the flag-strewn Main Street, you can browse in the quaint local shops or stop for a glass of cider on the porch of the Red Lion Inn. Around the corner, The Elm Street Market is a nostalgic little place where you can chat with the locals at the counter while breakfast is made. Go to the Norman Rockwell Museum to view the artist’s vision of small-town life and decide how much (or how little) Stockbridge has changed in forty years.
www.stockbridgechamber.org/
Red Lion Inn:
www.redlioninn.com/
30 Main Street, PO Box 954, Stockbridge MA 01262-0954
+1 (413) 298 5545
Google map: bit.ly/QYDEcW
Elm Street Market:
www.elmstreetmarket.com/
4 Elm Street Stockbridge, MA 01262, United States
+1 (413) 298 3634
Google map: bit.ly/W5ouWt
Norman Rockwell Museum:
www.nrm.org/
9 Massachusetts 183 Stockbridge, MA 01262, United States
+1 (413) 298 4100
Google map: bit.ly/Ppo0KG
The Viktualienmarkt is a food market right in the centre of the old part of the city of Munich. While a visit there at any time would be interesting, there are 140 stalls - some free-standing in the open air, others in permanent covered locations - clearly seeing the market and choosing from the extraordinary range of food available would be most rewarding in fine weather.
The market operates throughout the year (Monday to Saturday) and is a good place to eat and drink. Until my recent visit to the city I thought France offered the finest food markets, but the Viktualienmarkt is wonderful and should be included in any visit to Munich.
bit.ly/PJiLBt
Viktualienmarkt 3, 80331 München, Germany
+49 89/89068205
Go to Marienplatz U-bahn, or Bus 52, and the market is a short walk to the south, between Peterskirche and Frauenstrasse. The official Munich Tourist Office online has further information.
Google map: bit.ly/SxUAW5
Easy drive (two hours+) or train ride from Berlin. Hanseatic city with picturesque market square, shopping and fountain focal point. Great toyshop, two floors for kids of all ages - Wupatki, Rungestrasse 19, 18055 Rostock. Christmas market in December - try the deep fried bananas! Catch a tram to the imaginative zoo (with good playground), or a train or boat (in season) to the seaside town of Warnemunde. (Wide, sandy beach, good fish restaurants, fish market and lots of boats and ships coming and going.)
If, like me, you enjoy visiting grocery stores when you visit a new city, then I recommend the
Loblaws supermarket chain – with over 10 locations in downtown Toronto – I prefer the recently renovated one that has opened up in the former Maple Leaf Gardens – a venue that hosted the likes of Elvis Presley, Mohammed Ali and Frank Sinatra, not to mention some of Toronto’s best hockey.
The newly renovated space now hosts a theatre of food: a sushi bar where chefs prepare their
latest creations, a bakery offering artisan breads, a variety of pastries and baked goods, a tea emporium, and the famous 18 foot “Wall of Cheese” with over 400 varieties of cheese to choose from – don’t be shy to approach a specialist and ask for a sample. Besides the rows of organic produce and general grocery merchandise, there are also other items such as cookware, linens and home accessories, as well as a large area devoted to those who want to grab something to eat, sit and relax. This place is open seven days per week, 7AM until 11 PM.
And when you’re done here, head up to the second floor, where there is a cooking school
offering demos and classes certain days of the week, as well as Joe Fresh, www.joe.ca, a fashion retail chain that sells mostly at Loblaws, offering adult and children’s wear, shoes, accessories and bath items.
www.loblaws.ca/60carlton
60 Carlton Street, Toronto, Canada M5B 1J1
+1 416 593 6154
Google map: bit.ly/U53Io0
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Those who have visited Southeast Asia know how much fun the night markets are: one can spend hours strolling through the closed off streets, shopping, eating, browsing and catching some live entertainment.
Toronto’s oldest Chinatown – there are six in the Greater Toronto Area – is hosting the second annual Toronto Chinatown Night Market, giving visitors and locals an opportunity to experience a traditional Asian night market without spending the exorbitant airfare to get there.
The free event runs from July 20th until September 7th, 2012, from 5pm until 10pm every Friday and Saturday night. The area where the market takes place (Huron Street, south of D’Arcy Street) will be closed to vehicles between 3pm and 12am.
Street vendors sell everything from handicrafts to toys and household items. There is fortune telling – both English and Chinese, as well as games, giveaways, and music. This year, the focus of the event is food, with many food stalls set up, as well as street food eating contests.
www.chinatownbia.com
Google map: bit.ly/P8MIgU
* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti
Trulli are typical of the region, circular limestone buildings with a conical roof, each slightly different, kind of resembling a Moor's turban from an Aladdin film. They are dotted around the area, and come in different levels from basic to luxury. Rent one near Ostuni (The White City), only about 10km from the crystal Adriatic, visit different villages for dinner every night from Locorotondo (great outdoor club called Mavu) to a meat feast at Ceglie Messapica, or passegiata at Martina Franca. But maybe best of all is to go to the market in the morning to buy fresh Buratta, Altamura bread, Primitivo wine and orechiette. I'm dreaming again ...
www.vacanzeinpuglia.it
Google map: bit.ly/PQu34q
If you have dreamt of walking though fields of lavender, then Apt is the perfect base to do this. About 1 ½ hours drive north from Marseille airport, Apt is a market town in the heart of Provence. Although not especially pretty, it is perfectly located to visit other wonderful sights – the perched villages of Roussillon, Menerbes and Gordes, wineries with grand, old chateaus and best of all, vast fields of lavender in every direction. Even my reluctant husband and brother drank in the scent! On a practical note, Apt has three supermarkets to stock up with provisions. We also stumbled upon a fantastic restaurant, Chez Nous and enjoyed sublime food, charming service and great value at 28 Euros for three courses. In the middle of July, we may not have been on the Riviera but there were so few crowds! We hired a villa with a pool, with stunning views of the hills surrounding the town. The market in Apt on Saturdays transformed the town, with its colour and perfumes and enabled us to bring back memories of a special Provencal holiday.
Chez Nous, 87-93 rue de la republique, 84400 Apt, France
+33 (0)490743277
Google map: bit.ly/Prob1f
This small town is a short drive from Avignon on the edge of the Luberon Natural Park. There are many open air restaurants alongside the river, which winds its way through the town. Wander around the markets and along the river to the water wheel and get an ice cream at Compagnie Des Glaces which has over 50 flavours including lavender - very Provence!
www.compagnie-des-glaces.fr
Quai Jean Jaurès, 84800 L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France
Google map: bit.ly/M8xcvG
Every Monday from around 9am to 2pm there is an amazing regional market in the adorable little village of Forcalquier. It's year round but in the summer it's absolutely heaving to capacity - in the best way. Mouthwatering produce of course but also a fantastic variety of other things like beautiful Provencale tablecloths, homemade soaps, artisan crafts. It seems to take over the entire town and extends onto the "ramparts" and upper square. There are often second-hand clothes bargains to be found (tables of lovely stuff to dig through for 1 euro!) and usually there is some extremely funny demonstration going on of the latest cooking implement like a frites-cutter. It's definitely the type of place you can pass the whole morning (and fill your shopping baskets).
I also love dining at any "Bistrot du Pays" whenever I'm in Provence (they have them in other regions as well). This is a regional network of bistrots in very tiny villages that are the lifeblood of the villages. They all serve tasty, inexpensive three course lunches and most serve dinner too. The focus is on regional traditions and local food. My two favourite near Forcalquier are Pierrerue and Cafe de la Tonelle (reservations recommended at both).
www.forcalquier.com/
Google map: bit.ly/MVFCsz
A list of Bistrot du Pays is at:
www.bistrotdepays.com/
Cafe de la Tonnelle:
04230 Ongles
+33(0)4 92 73 19 89
Pierrerue:
Rue de la ferraille
04300 Pierrerue
+33(0)4 92 75 33 00
Portugal isn't known for its great gastronomy, and outside of Lisbon its hard to find restaurants without the decor of a UK public toilet with stark white tiling from floor to ceiling, though these restaurants run by their owners with the wife generally doing the cooking do delicious home-cooked food.
In the little visited Alentejo I would recommend Estremoz Saturday market in its large marble lined main square, where even the kerb stones are made of marble. Here little old ladies sell whatever is fresh in their vegetable garden and from their fruit trees, and their husbands sell their olive oil, olives and honey. Ask "posso provar" can I try in Portuguese and everyone will be willing to offer you a taste. The market is famous for its cheeses and cured meats all hanging on public display ripe for a tasting. After you have shopped try a tiny restaurant near to one of the old town gates, restaurant Azul, where every Saturday the kitchen offers three main meals, usually one fish and two types of pork, sometimes chicken served with plenty of homemade chunky bread, fresh olives, chips and salad. A main meal will cost around five euros without wine, hang your flat cap on the wall and sit down and enjoy!
Estremoz market, every saturday early until around 12.30pm, many buses from Lisbon or drive from Lisbon around 1 1/2 hours
Azul: Rua Victor Cordon n0 39, 7100-560, Estremoz, Portugal
Google map: bit.ly/LlaQ8W
Sunday is flea market day in Berlin and the coolest market (Mauerpark is a bit touristy, though still good) is RAW at Revaler Strasse, inside a derelict train station.
raw-flohmarkt.de/
Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 2924695
Temple Bar Food Market is heaven for foodies and takes place each Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm at Meeting House Square beneath a shiny new retractable canopy. You’ll find everything from freshly baked bread to organic apples and even an oyster bar. Continuing on to South William Street, get kitted out in cutting-edge fashion from Dublin’s young designers at The Loft Market which is located in, yes- you’ve guessed it, the loft of The Powerscourt Centre. Browse the stalls from 12 – 6pm on Fridays and Sundays and Saturdays from 11am-6pm.
Heading over the north side of the Liffey to Moore Street, don’t miss the larger than life market traders with their battered Silver Cross prams brimming with oranges and giant Toblerones. These ladies are so synonymous with Dublin street life that they were even the subject of a recent photographic exhibition.
www.templebar.ie/
12 East Essex Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 1 677 2255
Google map: bit.ly/IJxLfR
* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com
A resort south of the Loire which has a 12 km stretch of golden sand. The vast expanse of sea, sky and sand has inspired many an artist. A great place for swimming, surfing and sailing (the Vendee Globe yacht race starts and ends here). Visit the seashell museum and the museum of contemporary art and local traditions.
Buy local produce at the bustling covered market where there’s an array of attractively arranged fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. Tour the local salt marshes, which are situated a few miles out of town, by boat.
Pays de La Loire
Google map: bit.ly/HNeFmW
This popular, pebbly beach is a great for families, with all the amenities you need to encamp safely for the whole day. We happily let our teenagers wander off to the market square to snack on crepes: the whole place is so contained and feels so friendly. Plus the views in every direction are amazing. The summer evenings here can be magical too, with fancy but affordable restaurants, an open-air cinema in the citadel, and spectacular firework displays that are applauded by a chorus of car and ship horns.
www.villefranche-sur-mer.fr/tourism/index.php
Google map: bit.ly/J03LKr
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