Tarragon and Truffles

Traditional food markets and flea markets; markets devoted to foie gras or fashion bargains, oysters or truffles; massive everything-including-the-kitchen-sink markets and magical Christmas markets. In a region-by-region guide, the author picks out her personal favourites, usually in the most beguiling towns and villages and points out the specialities to look for, be they Mirabelle plums or Provencal cottons. For good measure, she adds a brief on nearby highlights, a historical curiosity, a shop or a restaurant not to be missed as well as suggestions of where to stay, completing each chapter with an at-a-glance alphabetical list of all the weekly markets in that region. Although primarily designed as a prop to take with you, the book's anecdotal style at times edges it into the realm of armchair travel, giving the reader a sense of following on the author's coat-tails and absorbing not only the scents and flavours of the markets themselves, but the atmosphere of their settings.