The Market at Apt
One of France’s best outdoor markets has been a weekly occurrence since the 12th Century.
June 25, 2022
Every Saturday since the 1100’s, the town of Apt (20 minutes from our rental farm house) hosts the market. And what a market! Over 300 vendors converge on the town and the small cobblestone streets that snake through the village are crowded with stalls selling cheese, cured meat, seafood, bread, baskets, flowers, leather goods, linen, dresses, lavender soaps, perfumes and all sorts of bric-a-brac.
The food stalls are the stars of the show. Beautifully fresh produce from local farmers, cheese mongers selling some of France’s best, cured meats of all sorts, fresh warm bread and pastries, jams, spices, nuts, olives, tapenades and honey. At least a dozen vendors selling honey each touting that they’re the best in the region.
The Man in the White Hat.
Who is this fine looking gentleman in the white hat? Definitely a local, his European polo and Provencal hat are the trademarks of a French bon vivant, a mondain perhaps certainly a citizen of the world. A man who could blend in, in Paris, Provence, Istanbul, Berlin or Tokyo.
The Man in the White Hat – in Reality.
Who am I kidding? I stick out like a sore thumb. Everything about me shouts “Hey I’m American”. Maybe not as loud as the guy with the “I got this T-Shirt at Disneyland” shirt but every time I take pictures of interesting food or speak in my broken French the folks know where I’m from and most of them just smile. The people here are rather welcoming and glad I think to see a good chunk of the tourists back after 2 very difficult years.
I do really like the hat though.
Aunt Vicky
Nice pics! What a wonderful market. As for the chapeau, seems I saw a picture of Emmanuel Macron wearing one. He’s copying you.
Glad you guys are having a great time. Hope you also make it to the Riviera. So beautiful!
matthew.sidor
Merci. The chapeau makes the man at least here it seems to, without a nice chapeau one looks out of place.
Carol Chaplin
The market is definitely not Whole Foods. The quality is certainly better, I’m sure. I think you could spend the whole day there.
I think the white hat is an improvement over a baseball hat.
matthew.sidor
The abundance of quality food here is simply overwhelming. Everywhere I go there are more great food options. In the town of St. Remy de Provence there are 2 truffle stores.
Dianne Hartman
Looks like a lovely shopping spree – so many choices! And I hear that Americans are identified by the fact that we wear tennis shoes everywhere.
(I like the hat, too!)
matthew.sidor
A lot of tennis shoes here, I think the brand is more country specific. It’s very casual here in Provence, even the locals where sneakers and sandals everywhere.