In the south of France, towns, villages, and the countryside are beautiful to see too experience. In Provence, you need a car and time to amble down the path of possibility. Provence cannot be rushed, it must be savored to get under your skin. Provence is an area that spreads out over hundreds of kilometers.
If Paris is champagne, Provence is Pastis.
Markets: Most towns in Provence have a weekly morning market. At the market, you can buy vegetables, fruit, cheese, meat, linens, small household items, souvenirs, flowers, clothes, soaps, etc. basically everything but the kitchen sink, that you will find at a brocante.
Brocante:
At a brocante in France, one can find anything. Well, anything old that is. The classic brocante finds are linens such as sheets with giant monograms, hand-made lace pillowcases, monogrammed dinner napkins large enough to be mistaken for a towel, silverware, serving pieces, dishes, pottery, books, lace, ribbons, pottery, paintings, trinkets …
The classic brocante finds are plentiful to the point that it is easy for those of us living here not to notice them anymore.
When you live in France, brocantes are as plentiful as the stars in the sky. Finding the extraordinary, the unusual, the good price, and the right vendor is the difference between the visitor and the local at the brocante. The local has every day and weekend of the year to dive into the brocante; the visitor has a handful by comparison. An excellent site to find brocantes and a must-have when coming to France is http://brocabrac.fr/
A painting I had for years then sold to a blog reader.
La Provence (Luberon, Bouches du Rhône, Var)
Favorite Places to Visit
Avignon and area: Vox de populi, Palais des Papes, Villeneuve les Avignon brocante and surrounding area, Pont du Gard
Isle sur la Sorgue: Saturday classic market and Sunday brocante market (second largest antique market in France outside Paris)
Lourmarin/Bonnieux (parallel perched hillside villages)
One of the oldest markets in France in Apt every Saturday morning.
Cassis: a charming seaside port Visite des calanques, Route de Crête: a 400 meter cliff with a hiking trail along the edge, a must-see spectacular panoramic view
Cotignac: one of the most beautiful towns of the Var with an imposing rock cliff face, the most photographed four-season fountain in the town square, Tuesday morning market
Aix-en-Provence: the Paris of the south, great Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday market, Cézanne’s studio and Mont Sainte-Victoire hiking trail (mountain featured in many of Cézanne’s paintings)
Marseille: Maison Empereur (since 1827, family-run kitchen store) Le Panier
Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume/La Sainte-Baume: In Saint-Maximin visit la Basilique de Sainte Baume where Marie Magdalene is buried in the crypt, tourist office next to the cloister/ A stunning 45-minute hiking trail to Saint Mary Magdalene’s grotto up the Sainte Baume.
Les Gorges du Verdon/Moustiers Sainte-Marie/Plateau de Valensole (lavender fields best time to view is first two weeks in July) Gorges du Verdon, Charming hillside village of Moustiers Sainte-Marie, must hike up to the chapel on right side path wearing shoes with rubber soles
Arles: Van Gogh village, Roman ruins, arena, must go to the cemetery, market on Wednesday.
Just a few tidbits to tease you to come visit.
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