This article is part of a series about our ten favorite markets in Provence. Thus far, we have written about Aix-en-Provence, Apt, Cadenet, Cucuron, Gordes, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and Lourmarin. When we chose our top ten markets, we considered the quality and variety of the offerings, the friendliness of the vendors, and the ambience of the venue. Practical issues (e.g., traffic and parking) were also weighed, but, in the end, it was the market itself that mattered most. Get there early and avoid the inevitable traffic and parking challenges! These are the markets we visit again and again when we are in Lourmarin.  Saint Rémy comes alive…

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Sixty kilometers (38 miles) from Lourmarin, in the French department Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, lies Forcalquier where, every Monday morning, a lively market transforms the sleepy city. It is well worth the hour-or-so drive from Lourmarin to go to the market as well as to see a different side of Provence. So different that, in fact, some would not even consider this area Provence. Technically, Forcalquier is part of Provence. The administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azure (PACA) certainly includes the departments of Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-Maritimes, parts of Hautes-Alpes, as well as Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Ask most people what departments define Provence and most will include at least the Vaucluse, the Bouches-du-Rhone,…

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If you love markets, now there is one more reason to love Tuesdays in the Luberon. I have already written about Tuesday markets in Aix-en-Provence, Cucuron, and Gordes and haven’t even had the chance to cover two other favorite markets that take place on Tuesdays in Tour d’Aigues and Vaison-la-Romaine. And now, I just found out about another Tuesday market—at least this new addition won’t put pressure on the vacationer to decide which one to visit! The latest addition to the Tuesday line up is an evening market: On May 1, Lourmarin inaugurated an evening farmers’ market. My mouth waters when I picture the beautiful…

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Gordes, the village, has never been one of my favorite places. Just a little too trendy for my tastes. From a distance, it is a picturesque hilltop village. It is a simply stunning sight as the sun sets and a golden hue is cast on the ancient stone dwellings that climb the hill. (As you approach the village on D15, pull over and get your camera out—it is a picture perfect shot of Provence.) So quintessential, it beckons you to visit. My visits, however, have always been disappointing. Even though it is listed as “One of the Most Beautiful Villages of Provence,” Gordes has always…

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This post is the second in a series that will feature each of the ten markets that The Modern Trobadors always visit when in Provence. 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.). Bottom line is that these are the markets we visit when we are in Provence. Again and again…and again. Cucuron, population hovering around 2,000, swells to capacity every Tuesday morning during…

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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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