Wow....great info. I'm back to the drawing board to give it more thought.

I saw the Tuesday market listing for Apt and thought it was perhaps a smaller version of the Saturday Market. I guess we can give that a miss and that will open the whole day Tuesday to explore something different.

Stu...I had originally thought of stopping in Pernes les Fontaines on the way back from the Dentelles. Do you think there would be enough time in that day to do Gordes justice if we skipped Pernes?

Thanks again everyone. The info here has been invaluable. My Dordogne trip last year was a resounding success due to all the generous people on Fodor's.

Far be it from me to argue with Stu as I am sure his experience in this area far exceeds mine. And his memory is likely better as well. But we do seem to have a "battle of the websites" going here. The Office du Tourisme du Pays d'Apt site says there is a farmers market on Tuesdays as well.
http://www.ot-apt.fr/us/terroir/marc...ches_hebdo.htm

Maybe there are two smaller ones, a brocante and a farmers market?

Doesn't really matter for crazytotravel since she (he?) has decided (wisely, I agree) to do something else on Tuesday.

Apt, the food market was on Saturday mornings,

I am going to jump in on this thread sorry but it is about the markets. Isle Sur la Sorgue is a town that we go to frequently since we always stay in Menerbes. This June will be the first visit for my daughter but we are arriving on Sunday from Paris and she will leaving us on Friday, which in your opinion will be the best substitute for this miss. I thought perhaps it would be St Remy...

Thanks Betty1...I think in any case we'll skip the Tuesday market in Apt since we'll have already hit the ones in Saint Remy (Wednesday) and Isle Sur La Sorgue(Sunday). I remember reading some favorable comments about the Apt market but I'm sure it was in reference to the one on Saturday.

I'm going to sit down tonight with Stu's notes and try to work out a better plan for our time in the Luberon.

Don't be too strict with your plan. You may not like a place as others did or may want to linger someplace unexpected you find along the way Those things make your trip memorable. All my trips, it is always the serindipity that remains constant.

Thanks for the kind words Tuck.

Betty - I've been to the Sat market in Apt several times - but never the Tues one because I had never heard about it. I was just going by what's on Russ Collins's site. There may very well be a food & Brocante market on the same day.

Crazy - how much you can pack into a day depends on how early you get a start, and what you do for lunch. If you have to seek out a sit-down restaurant in a town, that will kill 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. I usually get some pistachios, jambon buerre, or a pizza slice at a market and sit on a bench or even have lunch in the car. Sliced cheese works great also.

On Tuesday, you could get to Gordes at 8:30 and have an expensive cafe creme & croissants there. Then walk around the market a tad. It's small, so it won't take much time. Then do the suggested walk in my itinerary down to the lavoire. Return to the market, pick up some picnic goodies, and head out to Sault. There is a large park in the middle of Sault where you could sit on a bench & have a picnic. Sault also has several outdoor cafes that would probably be fast. There is a pizza truk there too. You might make it farther than Sault by lunch time - perhaps to Brantes, where there is a bench just outside of town where you can picnic. There is also a great small covered area in the middle of Simiane with a great view. You could picnic there if it's not reserved by the small cafe that will serve salads or sandwiches there.

On my Lavender Route, if you want to visit Brantes - after Sault, Simiane, and Montbrun - head west from Montbrun on the D72 then the D41. Drop down to Brantes, then take the D40 back to Montbrun then Sault.

Stu Dudley

Thanks Stu...we are usually early to rise and love those morning hours when it feels like you have a place to yourself.

We don't tend to do a sit down lunch unless it is something special or on a rainy day. We want to eat at La Gare near Bonnieux as we hear you dine as the locals do for very good value.

We would like to avoid market day in Gordes as I'm sure it's quite crazy.

Our new plan is shaping up something like this. Of course, we will likely only use it as a guideline as we often wander off track or linger in places that we adore.

Sunday
Market Isle Sur la Sorgue
Oppede le Vieux
Menerbes
Lacoste
Roussillon early evening prior to sunset

Monday
Gordes
Abbey Senanque
Village des Bories?..not sure
Lunch at La Gare outside of Bonnieux
Saignon

Tuesday
Joucas
Simiane la Rotande
Sault
Brantes
Montbrun les Bains

Wednesday
Full day in the Dentelles

Time permitting we may plan a dinner in Goult on one of these days

I think Vesasque will be a little out of our way since we are staying in Bonnieux and are heading back there at the end of our day.

Again, I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond.

On the Sault/Simiane/Montbrun/Brantes day, follow the latter half of my Lavender Route through the Gorges de la Nesque & then to Venaque. This is a beautiful drive and a good way to return to the Luberon. We've driven this Lavender Route may times in just a half day.


Stu Dudley

I hope you don't skip Goult.
The guide books don't give it much mention. We thought it was a special find.

Hi Stu...I'll add Gorges de la Nesque & Venaque to the list with time pending. If we run short on time, we can always take the more direct route back to Bonnieux. Hopefully if we get an early start, we can fit it all in. Thank you so much for your feedback.

We'll definately make an effort to get to Goult at some point Brit...perhaps for dinner one night.

bookmarking

crazyfortravel - how was the trip?

bookmarking,

Monica