The mother of all markets!

With an interesting mélange of gorgeous antiques and home accessories, the Marche d’Antibes in Antibes, France is truly the place to shop like there’s no tomorrow, finds Raul Dias

Think springtime in the French Riviera and potent visions of scores of sun worshipers flocking to its pristine pink-sanded beaches swim into your mind. But there’s more than just the sun-n-sand that this decadent crescent of the South of France has on tap for the hedonist in us all. With café au lait and croissant mornings melding into evenings spent drinking chablis and gourmandizing plates of coq au vin, it is those torrid afternoons in between that need taking care of. And the centuries old weekend Marche d’Antibes in Antibes is just the place to shop away those hours as I discovered one fine May afternoon.

So as I let serendipity take me wherever it wanted to, I ambled along the narrow alleys of the market with no particular plan of action or agenda in mind. “Go with the flow” was to be my mantra du jour. As a budding patron of the arts, a gallery is one of the first places in a market that invariably lures me in. And the Gallerie St Michel was no exception. ‘Infested’ with all kind of paintings from pastorals to modern abstracts, the art gallery had an inexplicably eclectic air about it. A charcoal drawing by the owner of the gallery, Mssr Zerbib himself, depicting the Antibes Marina a few yards from the market caught my attention. Not only because I was actually talking to its creator, but more so because I had just a few hours ago sailed out of that very same marina aboard a 70 year old wooden ketch. A good humoured minute or so of bargaining later, the 12” X 8” framed drawing was mine for a decent 75 Euros (approx. Rs. 4,500)

If there was one thing the local Antibeans, like my hotel’s genial concierge, told me to look out for in the market, it would have to be the basket shop that is neatly tucked away in a discreet corner of the large market. Besides selling a plethora of weed, straw and raffia baskets, the USP of this shop is their extensive range of picnic baskets in all shapes and sizes. As a hard-core picnicker, not owning a decent picnic basket was always something I had regretted. But no more. A medium sized wicker beauty with dual flap lids and trimmed with typically French red checked cloth and a sturdy handle was what my eyes scoped out. Seeing my crest fallen face at the mention of its price of 35 Euros (approx. Rs. 2,100), the portly owner of the store decided to throw in a pair of ivory-coloured lace doilies as what he called a cadeau (gift)!

My next stop was the decidedly quirky and rather whimsical ‘olive’ themed kitchen wear store that sold almost every conceivable kitchen implement, be it saucepans, ladles, bowls, serving dishes and the like, all emblazoned with the two olives and leaves motif. With a friend back home about to start her own little patisserie, I thought a set of egg yolk yellow ceramic cake stands (with the olive motif but of course) would be a perfect house… err, I mean patisserie-warming gift. In exchange for a reasonable 15 Euros (approx. Rs. 900) I had the set neatly wrapped up in the previous days newspaper and stowed gently in my roomy new picnic basket.

No sojourn to the market would be complete without a visit to the antiques section that is housed in its north end. Here you will find everything from silver tea sets to mother of pearl mirror and matching brush sets that look like something fairytale characters like Rapunzel would have probably used to coiffeur her never ending tresses! A pair of brass candle sticks decorated with winged cherubs in mint condition for 10 Euros (approx. Rs. 600) each dawned on me as the perfect wedding gift for my friend who has a yen for both angels and antiques alike. So cracking a deal with the stall owner, I walked out happy and content with the pair along with a delicate brass dining table bell that she threw in for an extra 3 Euros (approx Rs 180).

With the big buys over and done with, the usual bric-a-brac beckoned and I made my final purchases of a dozen bunches of lavender potpourri for gifts at 1.50 Euros (approx. Rs. 90) each and two pepper mills for 2 Euros (approx. Rs. 120) each for my dining table back home in Mumbai.

Arms laden with parcels, a robust shot of the forbidden Absinthe beckoned from the nearby Absinthe-only bar. As I sat down and leisurely downed the emerald-green, aniseed-meets-licorice flavoured drink, a calming, super-satisfying sensation took over my being. And to this day I am still trying to decipher if it was the effect of Absinthe doing its little number on me or the highly intoxicating shopping at the true mother of all markets!

(First published in the 10th July issue of The Address-The Times of India)