I hope this posts correctly, as I have been having trouble with it all morning. I'll try it again... As the screen name implies, I am a lucky expat. My time here in Paris will come to an end in the summer. I am not a shopping guru! Many of the treasures I have been looking for I have not found. I have been looking in the wrong places. I will be travelling to Provence in April and am unsure of which small towns to base myself in for the most success. I am looking for paintings of lavender fields, olive trees, and vinyards as well as bakers racks (hutches), small accent tables and provencal tiles. I know this is a tall order, but Fodorites seem to be experts in the area! Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

For paintings, you'll find those sorts of subjects just about all over - but St. Remy, Roussillon and Gordes are good places to look (though not necessarily for any bargains).

For tiles, there is the famed village of Salernes in the Var - and my personal favorites the Carreau d'Apt at Chez Vernin in the Luberon.

Can't really help you with the bakers rack - not exactly sure I know what you mean.

Anyway, happy shopping...

-Kevin

Go to the week-end flea market in Isle sur le Sorgue for all you want. Be prepared for sticker shock for any furniture. And I take it you will be coming back to the US. Shipping back to the US will be expensive. But it's fun to look.
Arles has a good market the first Wednesday of the month. Other than the large markets try to find a listing of brocantes in the area you will be.

Everything you have mentioned is available at all the places people have posted here, plus in Arles and Uzès and Les Baux and Maussane. In fact, I can't think of many towns in the entire Bouche-du-Rhône where those kinds of things wouldn't really be all over.

Lourmarin is a village with an number of artists' shops and galleries.

Anselm

As Kevin mentioned, Salernes is a "tile town". It also has a very nice Sunday market. The road between the Cavaillon freeway exit and St Remy has lots of Antique shops - and, of course, so does l'Isle sur la Sorgue on Sunday. If you're travelling in that area, stay at Kevin's B&B in the beautiful Luberon Valley and he can perhaps help you even more.

Stu Dudley

Thank you all so much for the much needed help!!! StuDudley, please tell me m ore about Kevin's B&B! Where is it specifically and what price range? You are all very helpful! Luckyexpat

I am sorry! I just did a search for Kevin's B&B and realized he has very helpfully replied on this thread. I found the website and will check it out asap! Thanks again all! luckyexpat

Kevin's place is in St Saturnin les Apt - in the Luberon. Here is his web site.

http://masperreal.com/index.html

You can e-mail him from the site or just ckick on his e-mail on the post below your original post. The place is lovely - surrounded by vineyards.

Stu Dudley