Wednesday is Market Day

Today was market day. You can buy just about anything in the market here in St. Remy--clothing, soap, fabrics, table linens, souvenirs, and FOOD! We went to experience the sights, smells, and sounds of the market. It was a little too early in the morning, however, to eat our way through it. We also went so I (Mom) could buy the famous Provencal fabric to make tablecloths. We use them everyday and so remember our trip.

Lavender is an important agricultural product of the region. It was too late in the season to see it growing in the fields, but we saw it in the market in bunches. It is also made into soaps and oils, also for sale. We even saw it piled up in a small partially-open building along a street in St. Remy where they must have been processing that aromatic herb in some way.

Here are some of the many olive products of the region offered for sale--tapanade (the bowls of black and red pastes), and different varieties of cured olives. Tapanade is a spread and very delicious.

Lined up along the street, these very large shallow pans were filled with fresh, hot paella. Paella is a dish made of rice, chicken pieces, sausage, and seafood. Here the seafood is shrimp and mussels (yes, in the shell; it is traditional!). If we weren't shortly leaving St. Remy for a day of sightseeing elsewhere, some of that paella would have been on its way back to the house for our lunch!

And the breads. What more can you say here? A picture is worth a thousand words. I wish I could have taken home one of each. Other foods we admired were the cheeses made by farmers, the charcuterie (hard sausages and the like), and the glorious produce. While we were in Provence, we were able to buy some of the nicest fruits and vegetables we've ever eaten. We especially enjoyed the cherries, the peaches and the nectarines, and the lettuces and other salad greens.

A digression...I enjoyed doing the grocery shopping. I found I knew enough French to very comfortably ask for what I needed. And all the exposure to French cooking I had through my mom and her experience with it came in handy. What a treat to be able to be in France and experience the foods and the cooking first hand.

After the market, we headed down the road to Arles. We all agreed that this was the most beautiful of the Provencal towns we visited. There is something about it that sets it apart. I have heard it described as its luminosity. That is apparently what attracted the Impressionist painters to live and work there.

We were really here!

This is a "smart car." Cameron was fascinated by them.

Arles is an old Roman town--an important crossroads and seaport. I guess someone couldn't bear to tear this ruin down, so they built right around it.

A lovely open square in front of the beautiful church building of St. Trophime. Yes, you guessed it, that's where we headed next. Contrary to what you might think, if you have seen one church building, you have NOT seen them all.

The Church building. The door is apparantly the finest example of Provencal Romanesque architecture. It was built in the 12th century.

Shannon liked the French flag.

The cloisters of St. Trophime were all beautifully carved. It was cool and quiet and peaceful here.

More beautiful carvings; all designed and carefully planned to tell stories and illustrate biblical truth.

On the roof.

A pigeon rests contentedly between the paws of the lion guarding the fountain in the square.

Look! I was really on this trip, too!

The little house where Vincent Van gogh lived for a while.

A typical street in Arles. We are standing next to Van Gogh's house. The shadow in the foreground is from the Roman amphiteater.

part of the neighborhood surrounding the amphitheater

more delightful tromp l'oeil

Here we are in a cafe resting our feet and quenching our thirst. Vive la France!

Cameron enjoyed every minute of this trip.

The amazing roman amphitheater in Arles. It was built in the first century. Time now to head home for a long cooling dip in the pool.

(Posted by Mom)