Thursday 21 July 2011

Provence - Monday 4th July

Monday, and market day in the village again, and I STILL didn’t get to come out and play.  We trekked down there earlier this time, and to start with we got about more easily, but then it got more and more crowded with locals and tourists from every country under the sun, along with push chairs and dogs to tangle up in people’s legs too.  LT did get the camera out a few times though.
This stall was selling donkey milk soap (no, we didn’t think it sounded all that nice either, and we have no idea how you’d milk a donkey! – LT) but we made sure to take this photo for our friend Linda, the Olde Bagg:


This is looking down the market where LT’s mum stopped to buy fresh paella for her and LT’s dad’s dinner – LT is not a paella fan, so she was having nems (Vietnamese spring rolls – LT) for her dinner.  I was up for sampling both, being a multicultural sort of a bear:


And this is looking up the street from the same point:


And close up of the paella:


The market takes of the entire main street of the village, as well as the village square, and the ‘boulodrome’ and parking area at the top of the village, so cars have to detour round in order to get anywhere.  There are over a hundred stalls with everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to cheese, meat, fish, fresh pasta, bread, cakes, sweets, paella and nems to take away, sauces, vinegars, oils, truffles, jams, honeys and anything you can imagine that’s olive related!  There are also stalls with tools, kitchen utensils, household goods, tablecloths, napkins, fabric – and boy did LT love THOSE stalls, provencal soaps and other trinkets, clothes, pottery, jewellery, hats, belts, wallets, handbags, watches, sunglasses, toys, buttons and accessories, oh, and lets not forget, the donkey milk soap!  That’s all my fluffy little head could remember, and I think I may have dozed off after a while...
When we got home, we divided up the plunder... (we aren’t pirates, we paid for it all! – LT)  yes, yes, but plunder sounds better, more poetic licence you know (uh huh – LT).  Anyway, we had lunch and then LT reviewed her friend’s book ALL afternoon, so I just hung out with Becca and Bearracht.  We did a little exploring around the gite, and with a bit of wrangling and a lot of standing on shoulders, and heads and ears, we managed to haul LT’s camera up to the window in her room and took a picture of what we could see looking up the vineyard to the farmer’s house and the foothills of Mont Ventoux:


It took us so long to scramble up to the window that the sun was already a long way down, so you can’t see the sun we normally do on the vines.



4 comments:

Alan said...

You were certainly a big brave bear that day, but you can see how easy it would have been for you to get lost. All the other bear bloggers will be getting green with envy at your adventures.
Alan

The Bear's Blog said...

Hi Jack,

I have to agree with Alan. It was not the place for you. What would we all do if you got lost?

Have a fun day and know that we all at The Bear's Blog love you. Soon you will get to meet my Prudence Clearwater, she is still at Camp Good Bear.

Hugs
All of Us

Kristina said...

Never heard of donkey milk soap.... I looks crowede, but I'm sure it was great. Any handcrafted items, such as bags perhaps?

Katy Cameron said...

There were lots of bags Kristina, but not handmade, not at that market anyway. There was an artisans market on the last night that we were there where there was a lady selling hand made leather bags (one of which I treated myself to), but they don't seem to be embracing the cloth bags as much in France