Markets of Provence - 10 Helpful Hints

My first visit to a Market in Provence was in 1985, while camping with my family in the beach town of La Ciotat.  It was a hot August day ..... the stall holders were as always in great humor, under their spread out market umbrellas.  Walking around the village that day, tasting olives, marvelling at the large containers of dark green olive oil, my husband bantering with the stall holders of charcuterie whilst sampling and buying.  We left that market with great beach picnic food for lunch and wonderful fresh vegetables for dinner with our barbecue.





Since then, no vacation in Provence has been complete without a visit to at least one market. 
They are so much a part of the fabric of Provence, that whatever else your plans are .....
your local market is well worth a visit.

So....... here are some hints that I hope will help to make your Markets of Provence visit a fun experience.

1. Parking can be a challenge during the Spring and Summer. Arrive early to get a good spot, it also leaves you enough time to enjoy a café au lait and croissant at a outdoor café as the market gets into full swing.

2. Be sure to take a shopping basket with you.  If you are staying at Maison des Pèlerins or La Baume des Pèlerins, take the shopping baskets on wheels – they are the perfect thing for market visits.

3. Camera or Movie Camera is a must – the Markets of Provence have lots to look at and capture on film. 

4. Save some time to take in the sights, sounds and happenings at the markets – people watching can be fun at Provencal markets.

5. If you plan to have lunch at one of the Restaurants in the town, make a reservation before you get started with your shopping.

6. Spit roasted chickens and potatoes are prepared at  wonderful stalls in all markets. Street vendors also sell prepared Paella and Pizza.  These make a great and easy dinner or can even be part of an after market picnic lunch – be sure to stop by the stall and order yours early. The stallholder will save it until you come back for it when you are ready to leave. Markets usually finish around 1pm so be sure to go back for it before then.

  

7.     Markets in Provence sell everything.  Fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish,   poultry, cheeses (each vendor  usually has their specialty), Olives, tapenades and other prepared dips, charcuterie, breads and cookies, spices and spice mixes, soaps, art, pottery, plants, hand made soaps, linen items, fabric, music CD’s ….. The list could go on and on. Try to leave yourself enough time to take a first walk through so that you can really zero in on your areas of interest and come back to do some comparison shopping…… “now…. Which stall has the best selection of pottery?  Best prices?”

     

8. If you are buying any type of food …. Ask the stall holder for their recommendations for preparing it or ideas for serving it. They are always ready to share and have great recipes. 

   


    

9.    If you sew or have someone who can sew, the Markets of Provence have the best selection of fabric!  Fabric for clothing as well as furnishing fabric like nowhere else.  One of my favorites is the fabric stall at Carpentras Market on Friday morning that sells 10ft wide furnishing fabric. That width makes furnishing projects super easy.  The selection is also fantastic. Isle sur la Sorgue market also has one or two stalls that have great furnishing fabric – same width. These stalls are heaven for “crafty” people.

 10. When buying fresh fruit and vegetables, find the stall that you best like the look of the produce of, then tell the stall holder when you would like to use it, today, tomorrow, in two days and ask them to pick out the best for you.  The stall holders take a special pride in making sure that your produce will be at perfect pitch when you serve it.

 

I hope you enjoy some of the pictures I’ve taken 

at various markets near our village of Sablet.  

This young market visitor knows that you're never too young to be stylish!

Most of all ……. When visiting the Markets of Provence …….. Prepare to have fun!