Chateau Market in the Southern Luberon...

The village of La Tour d'Aigues anchors a lovely and vibrant valley that runs along the southern edge of the Luberon. Far less well-known than the northern slopes of Luberon made famous by Pater Mayle, the Val d'Aigues is home to wonderful villages like La Tour d'Aigues.

The Tuesday morning market surrounds the entrance to their famous Chateau. It has long been an active market for locals in the region, but in recent years the number of vendors has increased, the variety of offerings has grown, parking has been made easier to find and use, all making the market at La Tour d'Aigues an attractive venue for shopping!

It is in this market that I learned how to find the vendor whose produce is produced locally and has been harvested within hours of the market. After a tour of the vegetable vendors, my neighbor, a local native, stopped me in front of a particular vendor. She pointed out the age and habits of the customers.
Nearly all were senior citizens, if you will; all carefully checking each item; and choosing only things in season. They knew one another and they knew the vendor, spoke of family and cooking strategies as they shopped.




At the other stalls, the vendors did most of the talking, encouraging customers to purchase certain products and hurrying from one customer to the next. Valuable lessons!




One last secret to tell about La Tour d'Aigues--the best bakery for miles around is just 1/2 block from the Chateau, on the main road with a yellow awning.

St Martin de la Brasque is a Mayle Favorite!

This small Luberon village is home to one of Peter Mayle's recommended restaurants, Restaurant de la Fontaine. Having eaten there before he made it famous, I can say they have a pleasant terrace, a wonderful kitchen, and great service! They will even help you with the menu if you do not speak french.

On Sunday mornings this village hosts a terrific market for growers and artisans of the region. The fellow who sells goat cheese (chevre) lives a few miles away, for example. Located on the southern slopes of the Luberon, St Martin sits about 5km from La Tour d'Aigues and 30 km from Aix en Provence. The vineyards that surround this village offer nice bike riding!

The man who sells the sweetest melons I have tasted will help you choose just the right one, but only if you can tell him pretty precisely when you plan to eat it! Today at lunch? In the cool of this evening after dinner? Or day after tomorrow?

In addition to the farmers, there are local artists and others selling a beautiful array of pottery, jewelry, photographs, leather goods, paper goods, linens, and the like.

On a recent morning I found a vendor who had set up a small 'fishing pond' where young shoppers could throw down a line to capture a pouch full of goodies, well supervised by mom of course.

Across the way, a nearby winery was offering samples of a sweet wine to taste together with bites of local melon...oh my, tonight's dessert!

St Martin has a post box, a good bakery, a full service salon/spa,and a small grocery. At this date, no ATM, so bring cash to the market. (Always the best idea.)Parking is easily available right along side the market; the market area is flat and wheelchair accessible.

Artisans in the Forcalquier Market of Provence!

At the Monday morning market in Forcalquier, the vendors wind through the narrow streets and fill the plazas. It feels like a small, intimate market, but in truth it is one of the larger markets in the region. What makes it a bit different?

It is a mosaic of markets: fresh vegetables and fruits on the lower levels, clothing on the side streets, fabrics, pottery, leathers, soaps fill the main plaza, sausage and olive vendors line the main road.
You will find a special treat of this market in an enclosed plaza, a bit hidden on the lower level. This is where the local artisans show their creations of leather, woven wool, silver, brass and the like. Pottery, jewelry, rugs, scarves, handbags, tabletop sculptures, watercolor on canvas. One woman shows her macrame against the ages old wall of the village church! This spot has the feel of a special ‘market within a market’ and I love to wander there.

Along one of the side street between the main plaza and the lower level is where I find one of my favorite vendors. This seller has several tables heaped high with piles of luxurious French organza! Filmy and gauzy, these fabrics come not on a bolt but in large odd-shaped pieces—1 meter here, 3 meters there. Normally, when I shop there, I find at least a few pieces that I cannot resist. Then the dreaming begins….What can I do with this lovely fabric? Will it drape over the French doors to the terrace? Maybe it will be a throw over the guest bed or a curtain in the back bathroom?
Many fabrics used for OliveBranchTraders Table Linens are found in this market.

Tuesday's market in Cucuron has lace and spices!

It's Tuesday morning in Provence, which means there are many village markets underway! One of my favorites is the one in Cucuron, which is a 10 minute drive from my house in Grambois on a lovely winding road through the countryside.

Two other Tuesday markets in the Luberon area I like are in the village of La Tour d'Aigues and the town of Aix en Provence. These markets all start around 8:30 and wrap up around 12:30.

I like the Cucuron market because a couple of my favorite vendors are there and because the setting is absolutely wonderful. In this village there is a wonderful large pond, or 'bassin' as the french call it. Towering shady sycamore trees surround the pond and the market wraps around the pond under these trees. What can be nicer than that?

Well...one thing that makes it even nicer is the small cafe that sits on the far side of the pond, where my husband can sit peacefully over espresso while I shop.

There is a vendor in this market who sells french laces by the meter and today she had a lovely one in ecru with black stitching that I can add to the bottom edge of an old cotton skirt that I am getting tired of. Perfect!

Another favorite vendor in Cucuron is the man who sells spices from colorful baskets. There is a spice vendor in almost every market, of course, but this man is especially nice; today he helped me choose the curry for tonight's lamb stew.

If you have a hiker in your family, there is a 2-hour trail that starts on top of the Luberon range just above Cucuron in the village of Auribeau and ends at this market. You can easily time things for hikers and shoppers to meet at the pond for lunch in the cafe. One last thing, there is an ATM in this village and a terrific office of tourism with schedules and maps for music, outdoor sports, etc.

See you there??

I am in Provence, France for a year!

I am just beginning a full year in Provence and I have decided to publish a blog about it: villages, fun, MARKETS, the lifestyle.........

So I am asking anyone who logs on here, "What would YOU like me to write about?" I will try to write every few days but certainly once a week. If you ask me specific questions, I will try my best to get you answers. I think I can also post photos here, so there will surely be lots of those.

I should also tell you that while I am in Provence I will be developing my online business of finding and selling wonderful Provencal items. I will likely be telling you, from time to time, about the things I find, BUT THIS WILL NOT BE AN ADVERTISEMENT PAGE! (full disclosure)

OK, Off to Provence!!
OliveBranchTrader