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Enjoying the Markets of Provence
What to expect when you visit the markets
One of the great pleasures of spending time, even for a day, in Provence is to visit a local market. Practically every town or village has a weekly market - sometimes more often - where fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese and roasted chicken, herbs and olives, t-shirts and flip-flops are sold.
These markets attract locals as well as tourists. It's true that in the summer months the stalls are much more numerous than in the winter months. During the summer months the main street and square are crammed with makeshift tables where you can find an incredible variety of goods, from artsy pottery to African bongos, from costume jewelry to Provencal tablecloths. But you also find the local farmer's wife with her display of produce pulled from the ground just that morning, or so it looks.
In the dark winter months, the pottery is nowhere to be seen, nor are the bongos. But the farmer's wife is still there together with a few diehards: the dairy truck, the pony-tailed vendor of roasted chickens and, on Wednesdays, the fishmonger where you always find a long line of villagers.
Markets in Provence are a morning affair. In general, the stand holders begin to set up their tables around 8am and start dismantling the lot at noon. Half past twelve, most vendors are packing up the last of their wares. For the best and the freshest, it's advisable to get there at the earliest time possible. In summer time, particularly with the congested roads, it's more than advisable to be there just when the market comes to life.
For the best information when a market takes place in a village near you, ask the local Tourist Office.
Markets in Provence come in a few varieties: "Marché" and "Marché Provençal" indicate a market with produce and other foods, together with local items, such as pottery, textiles, and other everyday goods. A "Brocante" means a flea market. The poshest example is that of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Vaucluse), every Sunday, which has become so popular and renowned that all the fleas have disappeared, or just been squashed. A "Foire" is a non-food market and can mean anything from a serious antiques fair to a market with priced-down, new goods, including brand knock-offs.
