At the Market in Goudargues, France
In a short text to a good friend in the United States, I wrote on my last day in Europe.
“I’ve traveled great distances and captured hundreds of images and video clips of people and places that have taken me beyond myself in ways that I’ve come to enjoy. Looking forward to sharing a few stories upon my return.” I like to think of the video clips, photos and journal entries are a way of preserving memories of moments in time that are shaped by place.
We arrive early at market on the first day after our visit to southern France. This place is one of many historic villages along the river Cèze. The market is situated on both sides of the canal that flows through the town. After living in the United States for so long, we have grown accustomed to our fast pace of supermarkets with mostly processed food. We are here today for a very different experience, shopping for eggplant, pickled garlic, olives, bread and a few gifts before we stop for a café au lait in the park in the shade under the large plane trees that line the street. We linger at the market for a while, surrounded by talkative residents gathered in the public square.
This moment in time gives me a sense of being in a different body, being away from home and in a small-town environment. The town of Goudargues, situated in the Cèze valley, is surrounded by vineyards and agricultural land. Known locally as the Venise Gardoise, because of the canal that runs through its center. The streets are lined with pavement cafes and shaded by two rows of mature plane trees. Goudargues, like many other French towns, seems suspended between the 19th and the 20th century. The market which occurs several times a week throughout the year serves the two basic human needs of buying food and other simple items, and gathering for conversation. A reminder to all of us to slow down and enjoy the simpler activities in life.