le 2 fevrier 2008
On Saturday, my American friend Lindsey and I decided to find the outdoor market on the Rue les Lices. So, we got onto the metro, which is ridiculously easy to navigate because there is only one line. Sainte Anne was the stop we needed, and it's only about 4 or 5 stops away from Villejean Université. Sainte Anne is a beautiful cathedral complete with flying buttresses and gorgeous arches. Sainte Anne has a lot of cultural ties to Bretagne’s Celtic ancestry. In face, until 1532, Bretagne was actually under English rule. This is apparent in it’s half-timbered houses and nearly extinct regional tongue. But, back to Sainte Anne. Before the spread of Christianity to the Celtic region of the world, Ane was a pagan goddess. Then, as Christianity took root, the image of Sainte Anne, the mother of Mary, took the place of the pagan goddess. Sainte Anne is said to have appeared to a man in the town of Auray. She and St. Yves are the patron saints of Bretagne.
Lindsey and I don't generally venture outside of what we know when it comes to walking around down town Rennes, but there were people with empty bags heading in one way and people with full bags coming towards us as we strolled throughout the cobble stone streets, so we guessed we were heading in the right direction.
Soon enough we came upon le marché. It was a sensory overload. People were milling around everywhere; vendors were shouting prices; the scent of fish, vegetables, fruits, and fresh breads wafted through the air. I bought 1kg of pears, a few oranges, a lime, tomatoes, and an avocado for the week ahead. It seemed so surreal to be buying tomatoes in the presence of half-timbered homes and farmers whose family business has been farming for longer than my family has been in the United States. It was good to see that tradition has not been sacrificed to industry like supermarkets and corporate owned farms.
There was also a portion of the marché dedicated to the selling of flowers. Roses and lilies were there in every color.
From the marché we walked around through the maze of streets and boulevards, eventually coming upon another cathedral, though I couldn’t find a sign telling its name. Next to the church was the entrance to le Jardin du Thabor (jardin = garden). This used to be the church’s property when it was a monastery housing over a hundred monks. We took a stroll through some of the paths, though it all seemed to go on forever. There was a birdcage full of exotic looking parakeets in an array of vibrant colors. There were also a couple of extremely well-fed pigeons wobbling around the birdcage looking for whatever their pretty cousins let fall out of the caged perimeter.
We left the garden to buy a birthday cake for Anna, one of the German girls, and wandered in and out of shops. Someone stole my scarf last week, and you simply cannot be female in France without a scarf. I think there might even be a limestone plaque on Sainte Anne saying just that. No luck on a scarf, but we found an inexpensive shoe shop... there might be some trouble there...
On the way back to the metro, we happened upon a little open book marché next to the metro stop. I, of course, browsed the selection. I was surprised to see translations of American classics like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, as well as several books of American poetry. Though, American media is very omni-present in France. French radio is dominated by American music, etc. I bought a book for 3€, because what kind of a good day doesn't end with a new book?
That is all that I think of to write for now… though I am sure there will be more to come soon. I am going to visit my roommate Heidi Benson in London in a few weeks, and there might be a day trip to St. Malo this weekend, so I will keep the pictures coming!
On Saturday, my American friend Lindsey and I decided to find the outdoor market on the Rue les Lices. So, we got onto the metro, which is ridiculously easy to navigate because there is only one line. Sainte Anne was the stop we needed, and it's only about 4 or 5 stops away from Villejean Université. Sainte Anne is a beautiful cathedral complete with flying buttresses and gorgeous arches. Sainte Anne has a lot of cultural ties to Bretagne’s Celtic ancestry. In face, until 1532, Bretagne was actually under English rule. This is apparent in it’s half-timbered houses and nearly extinct regional tongue. But, back to Sainte Anne. Before the spread of Christianity to the Celtic region of the world, Ane was a pagan goddess. Then, as Christianity took root, the image of Sainte Anne, the mother of Mary, took the place of the pagan goddess. Sainte Anne is said to have appeared to a man in the town of Auray. She and St. Yves are the patron saints of Bretagne.
Lindsey and I don't generally venture outside of what we know when it comes to walking around down town Rennes, but there were people with empty bags heading in one way and people with full bags coming towards us as we strolled throughout the cobble stone streets, so we guessed we were heading in the right direction.
Soon enough we came upon le marché. It was a sensory overload. People were milling around everywhere; vendors were shouting prices; the scent of fish, vegetables, fruits, and fresh breads wafted through the air. I bought 1kg of pears, a few oranges, a lime, tomatoes, and an avocado for the week ahead. It seemed so surreal to be buying tomatoes in the presence of half-timbered homes and farmers whose family business has been farming for longer than my family has been in the United States. It was good to see that tradition has not been sacrificed to industry like supermarkets and corporate owned farms.There was also a portion of the marché dedicated to the selling of flowers. Roses and lilies were there in every color.
From the marché we walked around through the maze of streets and boulevards, eventually coming upon another cathedral, though I couldn’t find a sign telling its name. Next to the church was the entrance to le Jardin du Thabor (jardin = garden). This used to be the church’s property when it was a monastery housing over a hundred monks. We took a stroll through some of the paths, though it all seemed to go on forever. There was a birdcage full of exotic looking parakeets in an array of vibrant colors. There were also a couple of extremely well-fed pigeons wobbling around the birdcage looking for whatever their pretty cousins let fall out of the caged perimeter.We left the garden to buy a birthday cake for Anna, one of the German girls, and wandered in and out of shops. Someone stole my scarf last week, and you simply cannot be female in France without a scarf. I think there might even be a limestone plaque on Sainte Anne saying just that. No luck on a scarf, but we found an inexpensive shoe shop... there might be some trouble there...
On the way back to the metro, we happened upon a little open book marché next to the metro stop. I, of course, browsed the selection. I was surprised to see translations of American classics like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, as well as several books of American poetry. Though, American media is very omni-present in France. French radio is dominated by American music, etc. I bought a book for 3€, because what kind of a good day doesn't end with a new book?
That is all that I think of to write for now… though I am sure there will be more to come soon. I am going to visit my roommate Heidi Benson in London in a few weeks, and there might be a day trip to St. Malo this weekend, so I will keep the pictures coming!
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