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A tongue-in-cheek last word from our editor – this time about night markets.

We choose our meal, our wine, our location and then we sit and eat off plastic. What is it with night markets? I want to start a revolution but I need you!

Where else do you go where you have brilliant entertainment and not only an excellent selection of local wines but also bread, cheese and desert. We not only specify which meat we want and how we want it cooked but we can choose from other dishes such as paella, hog roast, spit roast chicken, pasta, snails, mussels et al, yet we do all this and eat off of plastic!

We wouldn’t do that in a restaurant. Okay I can hear you say “but it’s a night market, in a town square, it’s not supposed to be sophisticated”. Forgive me for saying this but sophisticated to me means waiters whispering in my ear, comfy chairs, soft lighting and music that you sometimes have to strain to hear. That’s not a night market for sure, but a local village event doesn’t have to be stained-plastic-table-top-basic either.

If you are one of those clever people who remembers to take their cutlery, crockery and glassware, it is not quite so bad but you are still eating off a plastic table.  (No, I am not suggesting that we start carting our own chairs or tables everywhere.)

Years ago, I turned up with a tablecloth and candlesticks – the kind that are encased in glass and won’t fall over and set fire to the place – and, oh yes, a small vase of flowers. I was given the most peculiar looks.  People were aghast! I had to be mad.  Why?  It looked pretty and we felt like we were treating ourselves to a gastronomic feast with live entertainment as opposed to a cheap night out.

That’s my revolution – let’s turn our night markets into a charming, more civilised and, dare I say it, even romantic event!

So go on, get your tablecloths and your candles out and give it a go!  Imagine how all those candles will look as the sun goes down. Beautiful and atmospheric.

There, now I am done droning!

Depending on the time of year, you will find lists of markets, specialist markets, night markets, Christmas markets and a host of other events happening in Gironde, Dordogne, Lot et Garonne, Lot, Gers, Tarn et Garonne and north Haute Garonne, in our What’s On pages.

Image: Shutterstock

First published in the July/August 2018 issue of The Local Buzz

Image: Shutterstock

First published in the July/August 2018 issue of The Local Buzz

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