Late Harvest

While the Midwest was being pounded with violent storms, we had an unseasonably warm weekend, and I took advantage of it to bike up to the Jean-Talon market, late on Saturday afternoon, as a break from work that has been occupying us pretty much every day. Lots of other Montrealers were there too, soaking up the precious rays of sunlight and enjoying the colors and flavors of the late harvest. We all know what's coming!

A maison de torrefaction is a cafe that roasts their own coffee. As I've mentioned before, street photography is not really legal under French privacy laws; I'm not sure if this fellow resented having his photo taken, or was just giving me the eye. Most people don't care, especially at a place like the marché, where lots of people are taking pictures. Nevertheless, on to the inanimate objects of interest:

The outdoor parts of the market were pretty much shut down, but there were cabbages and peppers...

more apples than anyone could count...

artichokes...

choux de Bruxelles, $5 for a huge stalk...

all manner of cauliflower and cabbages...

...and of course, potatoes. These are tiny new ones, which I would have bought if I weren't on my bike and trying to keep the carrying weight down.

Everyone was in a good mood. This fellow is dressed in a typical Quebeçois way, with his short jacket, scarf, and knitted toque. He reminded me of a man I like very much, the father of my friend Eric D. (A toque, by the way, is a knitted watch cap in Quebec. The word comes from the Arabic words for "Round" and "Hat" [taquia, which originally meant something round with an opening.] It's been known in English since 1505, but came through the Medieval French toque (15th century), probably from the Spanish toca "woman's headdress", also via the Arabic.) Like a lot of Quebeçois French, the word is a holdover from terms used by the early explorers and colonists of New France.)

This artisanal product was something new to me: gingras, "very old (aged) cider vinegar."

This musician is a market regular, accompanied by his fine chat.

After her long day I think she deserves some of this, don't you?

That's duck foie gras, and I didn't buy any of that either, though I'm sure it's delicious! Tomorrow I'll show you what I did buy, and some more photos from the interior of the market.

Comments

[Marja-Leena]

Ah, this brings back memories, Beth! Looking forward to more photos...

[Rachel Barenblat]

Beautiful glimpses, Beth. Thank you.

[Jan]

You are making me hungry.

[mike]

Was about to pounce on the foie gras, but have enough feel for French to be soothed by the fine print.

[mary]

So when are you going back to the chocolate place?

[Hattie]

People really do look as if they are bracing for winter! One thing I would love to have here is some of those apples. But apples have lost most of their goodness by the time they get to us out here. We can't grow them.

[ET]

I'm curious why if "street photography is not really legal" and you're not sure if one of your subjects wanted to be photographed why you chose to post the pictures on a public blog?

[Clive Hicks-Jenkins]

Street photography not legal under French law? I had no idea. What strangeness! I watched a friend taking photographs with her phone at a circus performance recently. It was clearly not allowed, but she did it so discreetly that no-one saw, and the results were extremely good. I think that cameras have become so tiny, and so capable of working in low lights, that any 'rules' about the use of them will eventually become redundant. We are in the world of the internet, and images are the currency of the day. I think it marvellous too, that in so many public galleries these days, the rules on taking photographs have been swept aside... as long as flash isn't used. I wrote at the Artlog recently of a Jan Svankmajer exhibition in Brighton where photography was allowed, and what a pleasure it was to make images of work I so admire.

I love that cat. What gravitas!