She has 40 years of experience and you can tell! It is with incredible dexterity and precision that Maryse Grenade makes her baskets in front of the passers-by at the Craft market in Caudan Waterfront. It is a family story. My mother used to make baskets and I learned from her. Now, my daughter works with me.

Maryse has been in the profession since she was eight. With eight brothers and sisters, she had to help her mother earn a living and has thus never been to school.

But this lady seems always to look on the bright side of life. She is a professional who enjoys doing her job. Before the opening of Caudan Waterfront, she used to make her baskets at home where a merchant would come and buy them from her.

But she admits that she prefers to be at the Craft market. ?People can see my work and they are more interested in buying, tourists especially.? Distance is not an obstacle for her and she is there from 9a.m to 3p.m everyday except on Sundays.

The preparation is done at home at Le Bouchon where the Vacoas leaves are dried in the sun for about three days. Then it takes two to three days to make the various shapes and sizes of baskets as well as the place-mats.

Maryse Grenade confesses that she does not sell as many baskets as she would like but, on the whole, she cannot complain. This lively 59 year-old woman definitely enjoys life.