Tell me about the markets in Provence...
Feb 19th, 2007, 07:32 AM
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Tell me about the markets in Provence...
I often hear about the wonderful markets in Provence (Gordes, St. Remy, etc.) and I've scheduled them into my upcoming itinerary. Foolishly, I realize I have not idea what they're about. What do they sell at the markets? Are they, what I think of, as flea markets? Are they more like farmers' markets? Are they permanent structures which fill with local vendors on market days? Do the same vendors travel from market to market? Tell me about what's sold at these markets. The only market we've been to in Europe was in Montepulciano - I'm assuming the markets in Provence vary greatly. Thanks, in advance, for the insight.
Feb 19th, 2007, 07:36 AM
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They are great fun. Open air with tents selling everything from soap, linens, clothes, pottery whatever. I did some real damage at teh Sunday market in Isle Sur la Sorgue. That's where I bought my 40 bars of soap. Plus, they have alot of yummy food stalls.
Feb 19th, 2007, 08:16 AM
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The markets in France, and specifically in Provence, are totally different than the one in Montepulciano. My wife thinks the markets in the southern Tuscany area are more like K-Mart parking lot sales (compared to the ones in Provence)
Most tourists find the Sunday morning market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue to be the most intereting. There are:
1. Farmers market food stuff - much greater variety & quantity than Montepulciano
2. Provence Fabric
3. Provence Soap
4. Crafts
5. Fairly high quality flea market/Antiques, set up along the sidewalk. The stuff in l'Isle sur la Sorgue is much better than most other flea markets elsewhere in France.
6. High quality permanent antique stores set up just "across the street" from the weekly market. There is one inthe central square facing the Church.
Here is a web site for the permanent Antique markets
http://antiquite-islesursorgue.com/
There are two other big markets in Provence that we regularily attend. Apt, on Sat which has better Provence fabric than l'Isle sur la Sorgue, and Carpentras on Friday which also has better fabric than l'Isle sur la Sorgue and better food stuff than the two others. Aix and Arles have great markets too. Vaisonn is so-so, and I've never seen one in Avignon. There are many others - her is a web site where you can find them
http://www.livingfrance.com/lvfra/co...ault.asp?id=15
Recently, we've noticed a reduction in the number of fabric vendors, and they are getting away from the traditional Provence fabric design.
The market in Gordes is small but interesting. The one in St Remy is pretty large, for a small town., but I think it kinda hides the village & perhaps may spoil your enjoyment of St Remy if you only see St Remy on market day (Wed). There is a nice market in Bedoin on Monday.
Almost all markets that I've visited (perhaps 50) end around noon or 1pm.
Get to the market VERY early in l'Isle sur la Sorgue to avoid the huge crowds most times of the year.
Stu Dudley
Most tourists find the Sunday morning market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue to be the most intereting. There are:
1. Farmers market food stuff - much greater variety & quantity than Montepulciano
2. Provence Fabric
3. Provence Soap
4. Crafts
5. Fairly high quality flea market/Antiques, set up along the sidewalk. The stuff in l'Isle sur la Sorgue is much better than most other flea markets elsewhere in France.
6. High quality permanent antique stores set up just "across the street" from the weekly market. There is one inthe central square facing the Church.
Here is a web site for the permanent Antique markets
http://antiquite-islesursorgue.com/
There are two other big markets in Provence that we regularily attend. Apt, on Sat which has better Provence fabric than l'Isle sur la Sorgue, and Carpentras on Friday which also has better fabric than l'Isle sur la Sorgue and better food stuff than the two others. Aix and Arles have great markets too. Vaisonn is so-so, and I've never seen one in Avignon. There are many others - her is a web site where you can find them
http://www.livingfrance.com/lvfra/co...ault.asp?id=15
Recently, we've noticed a reduction in the number of fabric vendors, and they are getting away from the traditional Provence fabric design.
The market in Gordes is small but interesting. The one in St Remy is pretty large, for a small town., but I think it kinda hides the village & perhaps may spoil your enjoyment of St Remy if you only see St Remy on market day (Wed). There is a nice market in Bedoin on Monday.
Almost all markets that I've visited (perhaps 50) end around noon or 1pm.
Get to the market VERY early in l'Isle sur la Sorgue to avoid the huge crowds most times of the year.
Stu Dudley
Feb 19th, 2007, 08:18 AM
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.....more like Farmer's Markets - lots
of food exp. produce, cheese, bread.
Usually lots of linens and pottery too.
Unforunately, there is a sameness in
the markets - a moveable mall - LOL-
but still a lot of fun to visit.
Every town has its market day, and the
vendors do travel from town to town on
a regular schedule. So if you didn't
buy a 'must have after all' on Monday
you can probably find it on Tuesday
down the road a-ways!
Green Michelin guides have market day
lists. Parking can be v. trying in
these small towns so the earlier the
easier.
The Carpentras market wanders through
the whole town and takes quite a while
to see. The parking is a real challenge.
of food exp. produce, cheese, bread.
Usually lots of linens and pottery too.
Unforunately, there is a sameness in
the markets - a moveable mall - LOL-
but still a lot of fun to visit.
Every town has its market day, and the
vendors do travel from town to town on
a regular schedule. So if you didn't
buy a 'must have after all' on Monday
you can probably find it on Tuesday
down the road a-ways!
Green Michelin guides have market day
lists. Parking can be v. trying in
these small towns so the earlier the
easier.
The Carpentras market wanders through
the whole town and takes quite a while
to see. The parking is a real challenge.
Feb 19th, 2007, 08:28 AM
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"What do they sell at the markets?"
First sense of market : food, flowers (like marché aux fleurs in Nice), cattle (marché aux bestiaux)
By extension, a lot of other stuff (very often junk).
"Are they, what I think of, as flea markets"
Flea market is marché aux puces. No fruit or vegetable or meat or fish but the occasional crepe or sandwich stand and coffee bar.
"Are they more like farmers' markets?"
There are a few real farmers :most people resell the farmers' produces that they have bought at dawn in "marché de gros", i.e. the eequivalent of Rungis in Paris (scaled down to the size of the town, of course).
"Are they permanent structures which fill with local vendors on market days?"
Yes, but not always. The permanent structures tend to house the people who sell food. But there are markets where they come with their own refrigerated truck or their own tables.
"Do the same vendors travel from market to market?"
Depends, some are there everyday, especially in the main town market. Others are on Tuesday in Town A, Wed in town B, etc.
"Tell me about what's sold at these markets".
Here again it depends. In my home town there is a daily market in the center
where they sell food and flowers only.
Near my home there is a market on Wed. and Sat. where apart from food and flowers they also sell cheap clothes and cheap household linen, pots and pans, etc.
I have seen a man selling mattresses, another one repairing chairs, another one selling shoes and slippers but not on a regular basis.
There is also a brocante stand on Sat.
What happens very often is that when a shop closes down, they buy what's left of the merchandise at a very low price and resell it at the market.
There are bargains to be made, but you can't count on them or decide before hand what you want to buy. You never know what will be on sale.
While I understand the fascination of foreigners with open-air markets -
and they are lots of fun - beware.... The other day the pots and pan men was selling bottles of Mr.Clean at twice the price of the nearest supermarket !
Check if the pottery doesn't come from Taiwan and if you buy a T-shirt, look at it very closely. I bought two for my son at the hefty price of €5 the pair, to find out at home one had a hole in it. Bad luck, the woman I bought them from has not been back since the end of January.......
)
First sense of market : food, flowers (like marché aux fleurs in Nice), cattle (marché aux bestiaux)
By extension, a lot of other stuff (very often junk).
"Are they, what I think of, as flea markets"
Flea market is marché aux puces. No fruit or vegetable or meat or fish but the occasional crepe or sandwich stand and coffee bar.
"Are they more like farmers' markets?"
There are a few real farmers :most people resell the farmers' produces that they have bought at dawn in "marché de gros", i.e. the eequivalent of Rungis in Paris (scaled down to the size of the town, of course).
"Are they permanent structures which fill with local vendors on market days?"
Yes, but not always. The permanent structures tend to house the people who sell food. But there are markets where they come with their own refrigerated truck or their own tables.
"Do the same vendors travel from market to market?"
Depends, some are there everyday, especially in the main town market. Others are on Tuesday in Town A, Wed in town B, etc.
"Tell me about what's sold at these markets".
Here again it depends. In my home town there is a daily market in the center
where they sell food and flowers only.
Near my home there is a market on Wed. and Sat. where apart from food and flowers they also sell cheap clothes and cheap household linen, pots and pans, etc.
I have seen a man selling mattresses, another one repairing chairs, another one selling shoes and slippers but not on a regular basis.
There is also a brocante stand on Sat.
What happens very often is that when a shop closes down, they buy what's left of the merchandise at a very low price and resell it at the market.
There are bargains to be made, but you can't count on them or decide before hand what you want to buy. You never know what will be on sale.
While I understand the fascination of foreigners with open-air markets -
and they are lots of fun - beware.... The other day the pots and pan men was selling bottles of Mr.Clean at twice the price of the nearest supermarket !
Check if the pottery doesn't come from Taiwan and if you buy a T-shirt, look at it very closely. I bought two for my son at the hefty price of €5 the pair, to find out at home one had a hole in it. Bad luck, the woman I bought them from has not been back since the end of January.......
)
Feb 19th, 2007, 09:03 AM
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Actually, all the markets (at least all the ones I know) operate year round. It may come as a shock to some of the more cynical-types out there, but local people do actually shop at these markets - buying vegetables, cheese, fish, etc. Even in a village as tiny as ours (2500 inhabitants) the Tuesday market is on all year round. There are plenty of villagers who don't have easy access to a car and you see them week after week doing their shopping at the market.
The exception to the above is the true farmer's markets (ex: Coustellet), which close down during the winter simply because there is no local produce to sell. These marekts only offer locally grown produce sold by the producers. So when there is nothing to sell, there is no market.
-Kevin
The exception to the above is the true farmer's markets (ex: Coustellet), which close down during the winter simply because there is no local produce to sell. These marekts only offer locally grown produce sold by the producers. So when there is nothing to sell, there is no market.
-Kevin
Feb 19th, 2007, 09:05 AM
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That being said, there is no doubt that the number of vendors at the markets goes down quite a bit during the off season.
I was in Gordes on Tuesday a few weeks ago and it was dead as can be. Maybe 5 vendors at most, when during the summer, there are 50+.
-Kevin
I was in Gordes on Tuesday a few weeks ago and it was dead as can be. Maybe 5 vendors at most, when during the summer, there are 50+.
-Kevin
Feb 19th, 2007, 09:12 AM
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We've spent some very happy hours in French markets. Expect some good humour and a more personal touch during the transaction. A young man selling brebis cheese to my sister-in-law said it was "jeune et douce, comme vous," a wonderfully cheeky remark from an 18-year-old man to a 40-year-old woman, and I later heard a vendor at the same stall describe his product as "beau, comme moi."
If you go to the market in Uzès, stop part way through your shopping to have a drink under the arching plane trees. Watch the man that sells the trout: when a customer asks for a fish, he nets a live one out of a tank. He'll thwack it on the head with a wooden stick and then cut it open. He has, amazingly, a shop-vac, which he uses to suction out the guts; a quick rinse, and it's yours. I bought two of them one morning and ate them both for lunch.
Wonderful memories ...
Anselm
If you go to the market in Uzès, stop part way through your shopping to have a drink under the arching plane trees. Watch the man that sells the trout: when a customer asks for a fish, he nets a live one out of a tank. He'll thwack it on the head with a wooden stick and then cut it open. He has, amazingly, a shop-vac, which he uses to suction out the guts; a quick rinse, and it's yours. I bought two of them one morning and ate them both for lunch.
Wonderful memories ...
Anselm
Feb 19th, 2007, 09:34 AM
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As Kevin said, the markets operate year round.... it's where I do my food shopping. Our village market (Maussane-les-Alpilles on Thursdays)shrinks from about 50 some vendors to around 8 this time of year.
They all begin to get large around Easter, when the tourists start to arrive - this is when you'll see lots of vendors with fabrics and soaps, more flowers, pottery, etc.
The St. Remy market on Wednesday mornings can get enormous once summer starts (and when I stop going to it !) and covers most of the village. It even has some antique dealers (off to the side of the main parking lot).
I didn't notice anyone mentioning Arles - Saturday mornings. This is the biggest market in Provence - it could take you the entire morning to walk from one end to the other down by the river... and you could probably furnish a house from what you can buy there. LOL
Patricia
They all begin to get large around Easter, when the tourists start to arrive - this is when you'll see lots of vendors with fabrics and soaps, more flowers, pottery, etc.
The St. Remy market on Wednesday mornings can get enormous once summer starts (and when I stop going to it !) and covers most of the village. It even has some antique dealers (off to the side of the main parking lot).
I didn't notice anyone mentioning Arles - Saturday mornings. This is the biggest market in Provence - it could take you the entire morning to walk from one end to the other down by the river... and you could probably furnish a house from what you can buy there. LOL
Patricia
Feb 19th, 2007, 09:55 AM
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This is exactly the sort of info I was hoping to garner! Thanks. Quite frankly, I was underwhelmed with the market in Montepulciano, while the town itself is one of my favs. Looking forward to experiencing these special venues...
Feb 19th, 2007, 10:15 AM
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>>Quite frankly, I was underwhelmed with the market in Montepulciano<<
Like I stated earlier - the ones in that area of Tuscany are nothing like the markets in Provence - or anywhere else in France.
The market in Siena is great if you are looking for shoes to purchase. When we "did" the market in Siena, there was only 1 food vendor - selling pork sandwiches (without mayo or any other condiment). We had trouble finding much of anything to purchase at the Montepulciano, Pienza, or Montalcino markets. I think there is only 1 seafood vendor at these Tuscany markets, and he had only 3 different types of fish. In France, I've seen fish vendors selling over 50 different varieties of fish & shellfish (over 10 different types of oysters, and multiple varieties of mussels) - and there were multiple seafood vendors at most market.
We also purchase live herbs at the markets - chives, thyme, basil etc, and use them when preparing dinner at the gites we stay in. Our friends who live near Montepulciano, once asked us to purchase some tarragon in Provence & bring it down to them when we made our way to Tuscany.
Stu Dudley
Like I stated earlier - the ones in that area of Tuscany are nothing like the markets in Provence - or anywhere else in France.
The market in Siena is great if you are looking for shoes to purchase. When we "did" the market in Siena, there was only 1 food vendor - selling pork sandwiches (without mayo or any other condiment). We had trouble finding much of anything to purchase at the Montepulciano, Pienza, or Montalcino markets. I think there is only 1 seafood vendor at these Tuscany markets, and he had only 3 different types of fish. In France, I've seen fish vendors selling over 50 different varieties of fish & shellfish (over 10 different types of oysters, and multiple varieties of mussels) - and there were multiple seafood vendors at most market.
We also purchase live herbs at the markets - chives, thyme, basil etc, and use them when preparing dinner at the gites we stay in. Our friends who live near Montepulciano, once asked us to purchase some tarragon in Provence & bring it down to them when we made our way to Tuscany.
Stu Dudley
Feb 19th, 2007, 10:16 AM
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For your information, we stayed in L'Isle sur la Sorgue in August, 2002. That happened to be the first Saturday in August and that morning they held an annual traditional market on the stream that runs through the town. Vendors dressed in period constumes hawked their wares from small, flat-bottomed boats in the water. Very colorful, festive occasion. We were told that this water market is held each year on the first Saturday of August.
The regular market in town also went on as scheduled.
Jinx Hoover
The regular market in town also went on as scheduled.
Jinx Hoover
