This year the International Market in Valence was held on the 22nd of September and the TTA took over the van loaded to the gunwales with products from our area and wider afield. Carol and Bert travelled in the van whilst Adrian and I flew to Grenoble and hired a car.
This is the 3rd year we had had the market on the same weekend as ‘la Fete de la Gastronomie’. Our experience has varied year to year and this time we had a lot more music, with singers and musicians and we drew quite a good crowd. Our stand did well and there were many old friends to chat to and new friends to be made. Carol had done an excellent job of choosing what we would sell, and we made a good hole in our produce. Bert was kept busy in his customary role as ‘sales advisor’ telling all clients what his personal favourite is and convincing people to purchase.
This year we did not take the ingredients to sell English breakfasts. Adrian was kept busy on the stand, taking the money from Bert’s conquests.
Our photos show that we displayed our children’s work. This was from the end of March in coordination with the Essex Book Festival. One of the schools from Valence contributed, and there was a lot of interest in their replies from ‘What does PEACE mean to you?’ Next year we will be continuing to work with the EBF hopefully with some schools the same and others joining in. Of course the question will be different.
The market is only part of the experience when we get together in Valence. On the Saturday evening we went to eat and dance together with all the other twin towns. It was a lovely meal and a great opportunity to relax and enjoy being a part of Twinning.
On Sunday morning, having been given some tickets, we went to experience ‘la Fete de la Gastronomie’ for ourselves. I’m not sure I can use sufficient superlatives to tell you how wonderful it was! We began by looking around cheese stalls which was great – when suddenly we were attracted to a stand providing Cantal beef with Cantal potatoes. We had never eaten something so delicious! Then we crossed the road into the rest of the Fete and ate three desserts each, got a bottle of lovely fruit juice, drank a beer and watched a top chef cooking. What an unexpectedly wonderful experience! Thank you to those in Valence who gave us the tickets – your generosity was much appreciated.
We flew back on Monday having done the market in Valence, but also having had a great time experiencing so many other things as well!
More photos from our trip are here:
Joy Phillips, Chairman TTA