aixcentric

Did you know that Marseille has France’s oldest quincaillerie, or hardware shop?

It really is a must-visit if you are interested in traditional Provencal life.  Take the magnificent big hand-graters for instance – just the sort of gadget used in café kitchens many years ago for churning out carrots and cabbage for salads.  Then there are traditional crepe pans for sale, as well as Provencal jugs for the table.

See the original fittings in France’s oldest quincaillerie

Room after room reveal sturdy blue or clear glass tableware (as seen in corner cafés across France), straw baskets and brushes, soaps, tools….it’s an Aladdin’s cave that has surprises round each corner.

They’ve been in business here since 1827 – seven generations of quincailliers – each adding to the character of the place.  You really feel the age of the building with its solid wooden beams, rough stone walls and vaulted ceilings.

There’s even a room full of patisserie moulds – for producing French classics like madeleines, croissants or financiers…..even moulds for baking a cake shaped like the Eiffel Tower, or for the true locals, Notre Dame de la Garde!  And once shopping is done, you can climb a rickety stair-case up to a top-floor café.

Now you can even sleep there!  Two floors up is a flat for rental which is also a step back in time….no lift, no wifi, but oodles of history.

Maison  Empereur is just off the Canebiere at 4 rue des Recolettes. Website: http://www.empereur.fr/

You are then just a couple of steps away from the Noailles market which is the nearest you can get to a souk round here – vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, Moroccan pottery and fabulous Tunisian street food in tiny cafes.  A terrific outing.