Provence abounds with gourmet goodies to savor on the spot or take home for lucky friends or family. Here’s a list of some of the more popular items you can find around the region. Somehow these treats seem to disappear quickly in our home, so if you find yourself in the same situation, I’ve included a few links for boutiques selling many of these products online.
Sainte Croix Lake
We started off with the very best intentions – a « low budget » weekend at the Gorges du Verdon (one of the most spectacular natural regions in Provence… and if you believe this article, quite possibly all of France).
The off-season rates for the region are very attractive, and although you might not have an opportunity to kayak down those crystal-blue rapids, the views are guaranteed to impress.
I’m thrilled to present a guest post this week about one of the “hidden gems” of the Var department: Sanary-sur-Mer. Not only do we try to visit this picture-perfect seaside town as often as possible, we also dream of buying a cozy pied-à-terre there. Well, with an apartment to call all her own in the center of town, Sue Aitken is certainly living the “le rêve Sanary”. Please enjoy her highly informative insider’s look at Sanary “must-dos” and you can also check out her beautiful online shop: Boutique Provençale.
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Sanary-sur-Mer, on the coast between Marseille and Toulon, is a lively and picturesque fishing port. Often overlooked by visitors to this part of Provence, to my mind it’s got far more character and is much more authentic than its more glamorous and better-known neighbour Bandol. The best time to visit Sanary is in May, June or September as it gets very busy with visiting Parisians during July and August. After Bastille Day, the population swells to about twice or three times its normal size, and to my mind it all gets a bit crowded. There’s a colourful daily food market, and on Wednesday morning a larger market with a variety of stalls – everything from cutlery to cheap clothes and shoes. Don’t expect lots of local crafts at the Wednesday market – it’s mainly for the locals looking for a bargain! A couple of stalls on the food market that are worth mentioning…right at the end of the market is a stall selling Corsican specialities whose “rillettes d’oie” are to die for! And one of the cheese/olive stalls has about 20 different goat’s cheeses – from very mild through to strong.
Under the cover of a few menacing clouds, we left for an extended weekend at Isle-sur-la Sorgue last Thursday. The long holiday weekend of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day (la Toussaint) is a big travel weekend around France and, judging by all the Italiani we met on the road, in Italy as well.
