As the days move closer to Thanksgiving, I am thinking of the year we were in Provence—in the charming village of Lourmarin—on that quintessential American holiday. Like most people who are drawn to travel abroad, we love to learn about the traditions of other cultures and are eager to embrace them when we are in those countries. Some, we may even take home with us and celebrate as our own. I’m thinking of the Santon village that will soon grace a corner of our living room and the wheat that, with a little luck, will grow tall in the sunny kitchen window (and bring us…

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In: Food, Markets, People

The sleepy village of Eygalières awakes with a roar on Friday mornings in the summer. Trucks, vans, station wagons, and deux-chevaux make their way into the town’s main street where the vendors hop out to unfold their tables, open their umbrellas, arrange their wares, and set up shop for about four hours, transforming Rue de la République into a vibrant market.     Soon familiar scents of lavender, spices, herbs of Provence, and paella waft through the air, inviting the crowds that will soon descend.   This is one of my favorite markets. The selection of goods is particularly interesting and their quality is quite…

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Although lavender, poppies, and leisurely lunches with rosé at poolside tables are the typical draw to Provence, Christmas Markets—Les Marchés de Noël—are another wonderful reason to visit this region. Okay, it is cold but the sun is bright, the relaxed pace prevails, and the spirit of Christmas warms your heart. The Christmas markets of Alsace are the most famous in France and probably the most authentic since that region neighbors Germany where such markets are thought to have originated way back the Middle Ages. Evidence suggests that the first Christmas Market took place in 1434 in the German town, Dresden. Today, the tradition can be…

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In: Events, History, Markets, Places

This post will be the first in a series that will feature each of the ten markets that The Modern Trobadors always visit when in Provence. (If you’d like to guess the other nine markets, you may win a cool Absinthe tote bag and a booklet on wine tasting.  See end of article for details.) The markets were selected primarily on the basis of the quality of the offerings of the vendors and the ambiance of the venue although practicality was also considered to some extent (e.g., distance from our home in Lourmarin, market options on that day of the week, convenience of parking, etc.). …

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In: Markets