Provence Market Tips For a Fairytale Shopping Day
PROVENCE MARKET TIPS
A trip through the fairy tale Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Market
Undoubtedly the food market in St.Remy-de-Provence is one of the best markets in the South of France. I say this because it’s both quaint and grandiose, providing the small French market of which you always dreamed.....
Marvelously organized – tables are often filled with alternating fruits and vegetables creating a stunning aesthetic- and endlessly abundant, this market is undeniably charming. Ensconced within the walls of the centre-ville, you’re bound to find a stunning array of saucisse that’s been expertly crafted by men whose families have created these delights for generations. It’s a joy to fill your straw market basket with bright purple fresh garlic, asparagus so knobby and beautiful that it clearly came from someone’s little farm, tiny strawberries sweet as candy, and honeys that taste of the lavender and wild thyme that grow in Provence. It holds a kind of exotic & rustic splendor…brightly colored macarons (in honey, Clementine, raspberry, pistachio, almond, and some dusted with gold,) the fragrance of flowered soaps floating in the air, glistening seafood paella held in steaming pans, the sounds of gypsy jazz – violins, guitars, and accordions.
Always a pleasure is its quiet bustle, a feeling of sweet energy that comes from the beautiful abundance there, from the knowledge that every item has been treated with care. There you are surrounded by the true “produits de terroir” (the products of the area) and are thus submerged in the plants, animals, countryside, soil, and pride of Provence.
A few tips:
1. Don’t forget to bring a couple of market baskets or bags!
2. Vendors will gladly give you tastes of their products; so don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Often at the soap stands, there are small perfumes made from herbs from the region, they are delightful & inexpensive.