Markets in Provence

To market, to market, to buy a penny bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

That was the first recorded version of this rhyme,  Then they added a pig, a hog etc...

When we plan our trips to France, one of the first things we do, is check out the market days in the villages. There is a lot of activity on market day, great food and of course, people watching!

Valensole market

I have never seen so many lavender products in my life!  Paintings that smelled of lavender, bath products, honey, soaps and even vendors with lavender hair.  By the end of the day, the lavender scent was a little overwhelming...I needed to smell some coffee beans! The last time I was smelling a variety of fragrances, they gave me coffee beans to smell.  It is like sorbet between courses and helps you distinguish between scents!

Introducing the lavender girls of Valensole!

Forcalquier Market - our home on this trip

Sisteron market

Aix-en-Provence Market

There are many market days in Aix...It is a  larger city than the villages we have been visiting.  Many stores, bars, restaurants and opera!  

Some markets are better than others and one of my favourites is the Lourmarin market.  It has a mixture of crafts, food and other local products.  Maybe it is our favourite because Lourmarin is the village where we stayed on our first trip to France.  I love it!

Isle Sur-la-Sorgue Market

He is sooo cute!

Market days are such an important part of daily life in France...you can also pick up some vintage pieces of jewellery!

A la prochain....

Penny