Toucy Travel Guide

 ATLC Says:  The boudin noir or black pudding, also known as blood sausage, is a very popular delicacy. At this stall it was made in the morning. At the end of the morning I found an enormous queue!I often buy boudin noir in France, sometimes still warm from cooking. I fry pieces of it... 

 ATLC Says:  Little dried sausages that I usually cut thin slices off with a pocket knife and munch away happily. Often made of pork or game and different spices or herbs added. Great stuff. 5 sausages (choice) for 10 euro. In 2007 (this tip was written in 2005) they were still the same... 

 ATLC Says:  French supermarkets are always just outside town and quite large compared to Dutch supermarkets. Well stocked too with fresh fish and vegetables, butchers department and delicacies (cheeses and such).I found the Intermarche (which is the name of the chain) in Toucy very... 

 ATLC Says:  Live animals are also sold. For eating, that is. Pheasants, turkeys, chickens, rabbits... they look so sweet. With our supermarkets we often forget that this is what we eat. It may seem sad but a fresh bit of poultry goes way above any chicken breast, plastic packed from a... 

 ATLC Says:  It's an absolute sin to store your cheese in the fridge. It comes out much too cold and they don't do the taste any good. Better let them ripen further in these little cheese larders covered with gaze so that the cheese is in contact with open air. Just leave the cheese in a... 

 ATLC Says:  Be early on the Saturday market in Toucy, if you want good choice of fish. It's all laid out on ice, so keeps fresh and good. Fish is not cheap but so quick to prepare and delicious and good for you! For our fish meal I bought a slice of fresh 'thon' = tuna (for a raw tuna... 

 ATLC Says:  In a little bakery in one of the streets I found these elaborate cakes, a far cry from the usual pain au chocolat or other more 'breakfasty' pastries. Look at the 3rd row from the right: little coffee cups made of nutty caramel, filled with some sort of praline... around 2... 

 ATLC Says:  Often you find stalls with only different kinds of goat's cheese (called chevre). Goat's cheese salad is great, with bits of cheese on bread, melted in the oven. Or the little 'crottins' (small goats cheeses that would fit snugly in the palm of your hand or even smaller),... 

 ATLC Says:  On Saturday mornings the little town of Toucy crams its narrow streets with maybe 100 stalls or more. The market is a meeting place and I love them!Browsing the stalls teaches you a lot about the culture of the place. As well as watching people! 

 ATLC Says:  Summer plants and flowers are quite expensive in France, compared to The Netherlands. But on the market you can buy quite cheaply. After all, with a little TLC, they grow to be big all by themselves!The French like to grow flowers, as I've noticed all up and down the... 

 ATLC Says:  The salesman at the Saturday market in Toucy uses a street statue to display his goods. Obviously, the little boy had a long day even before noon so he fell asleep. Isn't that sweet? 

 ATLC Says:  On the Saturday market in Toucy (until noon) I relished these big mountains of fresh dairy butter. French butter is so good. There are a lot of varieties from different regions. I especially like butter from Normandy and Bretagne where the butter is a bit salty and sometimes... 

 ATLC Says:  On the Saturday market in Toucy I saw these cotton like garments in 2 or 3 stalls. I don't know if they're a local way of dressing. In fact, I didn't see anyone wearing it. But it was all in one style and colour. 

 ATLC Says:  On the Saturday market in Toucy (until noon), you'll find this bread stall. Who says that the French bread is only those long thin loaves? There's a wide variety, like these giant wholemeal loaves or the lovely, almost cake-like brioche that stays fresh for a week.The reason... 

 ATLC Says:  On the Saturday market (till noon), you'll find an onion stall with an amazing variety of onions, echalottes, garlic...I couldn't imagine life without their indispensable taste given to great dishes. Especially garlic! A cheese sandwich with finely sliced echalottes will...