“Come on, ladies and gentlemen, make your choice!” a fruit and vegetable producer calls out. An elderly couple approaches and looks at the products on offer: endives, figs, pears, carrots… “Two euros, four kilos of peaches,” the vendor adds. The couple gives in and grabs the good deal. It’s 10:30 am at the Cours Saleya, and the day promises to be excellent despite a slight cool breeze.
The back-to-school season is felt at the Cours Saleya: tourists are fewer, children absent. Certainly, less laughter and shouting, but other products are making their appearance. Porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, morels, dried yellowfoot mushrooms announce the approaching autumn.
From Figatelli to Apricot Florentines!
Suddenly, the fresh scent of roses fills the air, followed by that of carnations, hibiscus, orchids… The bees, too, have spotted them. Only four or five florists present on their stand bouquets of roses, cacti, lemon trees… because Nice is no longer the floral producer it once was. But this mix of colors brightens the tourists and still justifies the name of the market.
The traditional flower market is no longer what it used to be. Today, you can also find local, regional, and even Italian products. Like this butcher who offers Corsican sausage, figatelli, or even Corsican ham. Enough to whet your appetite! But above all, you find spices, dried tomatoes, and peppers, cumin, olives… Nothing but southern specialties!
“Look, those pastries look appetizing,” assures this old lady to her neighbor. Cannoli, apricot florentine, Neapolitan croissants… Everything to satisfy the gourmets! Besides, all these smells mingle with those of the restaurants preparing food for the lunchtime service. One thing is certain, Russians, English, Germans, and also French discover with great pleasure the many regional products.
