Isabel received the Friedberg Memorial Travel Fellowship to expand her study abroad experience at CUPA Paris with research on “open-air markets as an expression of both regionalism and internationalism in France.”
“I spent the year living in Paris, where I took a variety of courses on art, film, politics and history with a focus on Middle Eastern Studies. Paris was amazing not only as a vibrant place of culture, but also as a hub for travel within Europe. It was not until the very end of my experience that I was able to travel, thanks to the Friedberg Fellowship, to Toulouse, Montpelier, Avignon and Marseille. I chose to travel in the late spring to allow produce to become in season and to take advantage of the long two-week spring break. Open-air markets were a perfect focus for understanding the differences between Southern and Northern France.”
… “As a lover of seafood (and because Paris has very few of this kind of market), the Marseille fish market was by far my favorite that I visited. The Old Port of Marseille is lined with restaurants serving fresh fish directly from the Mediterranean, many of which offer famous Marseille bouillabaisse. In the mornings, fishermen set up stalls in front of the very boats they use to catch the fish. These stalls offer a range of seafood, from octopus to shrimp to a variety of fish, and the smell carries throughout the plaza. I also walked to the Theater of Marseille, which sits on the site of an old fish market, which used to be called the “criée” in reference to the shouts of the fish sellers. Fish is inescapable in Marseille, and there is a clear pride in their seafood.”
“Visiting the open-air markets of France gave me a sense not only of regional identities, but also of the greater identity of France within Europe. This is not something I had expected to encounter, but after taking a class on the formation of the European Union I became keenly aware of how various member countries are trying to retain a strong individual identity in an increasingly connected European Union. Open-air markets exist throughout Europe, but in France they are truly integral to life.”
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