Pézenas, France

The small city of Pézenas is full of narrow streets and grand houses dating back to the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries when the city was the seat of the governors of Languecoc. The cobbled streets of the city wind past houses now occupied by craftspeople creating sculptures, jewellery, fashion items, tableware, and decorative objects.

On Saturday, the market takes over the entire town center with a wide-ranging offering of regional Languedoc food, clothing, flowers, and crafts, including a large organic farmer's market.

We park in a large lot at the edge of the city and walk in.

Entering Pézenas old town

Deeper into the old town

We find the market

We pass the merchandise, following our noses to the food section, with offerings for consumption here or to take home for our own preparation.

Food for everyone

End of the market, time to turn around

We leave the market and head back into the streets of the old town to see what we can find.  The narrow streets are lined with shops, galleries, and small restaurants, many of which we stop to admire.

Exploring the streets

Finding small shops and restaurants

And cats soaking up the warmth of the cobblestones

One interesting shop has replicas of deserts, with many cakes and pies available in a non-edible format.

Fake cakes

Others offer more traditional goods

The streets weave around and ultimately return to the main square, where we walk through more of the market on our way back to our car.

Back at the market

Leaving the old town

We head out of the parking lot toward our next place to explore.