It’s a good thing that the first stalls of the market are full of crockery and Provencal fabrics – it’s easier to hold onto your money knowing that if you buy the blood-red earthenware dish now, you will have to carry its weight for the next hour or so. By the time you pass the hat stall and the street corner flooded with woven baskets of every hue, you will be ready for some refreshment. Take cover from the heat of the sun under the yellow canopy of the bar, and line your stomach with an espresso and a pain-au-chocolat from the patisserie across the street – the one hidden behind the stall of paintings displayed on wooden easels. It’s best not to go further on an empty stomach, for as your nose will have betrayed to you by now, a feast of local delights awaits. It would be wise to go immediately to the rotisserie trailer, where you must put your name to a poulet blanche for dinner. It will be ready for you on your return journey. The bread stall next, where the most rustic pain is arranged alongside the most delicate pastry – line your basket with ...

Only about 30kms from Marseille, the small fishing port of Cassis is one of the first stops along the coast that exude French Mediterranean charm. Cassis’s quaint and colourful old town is clustered around a compact little harbour, and some of its buildings date back to the 16th century. The village was a favourite subject of the fauvist artists, including Georges Braque (who lived here) and a bohemian, creative spirit has remained. On the first Sunday of every month (April to October only) a group of local artists set up an open-air market, with interpretations of Cassis and its famous landscape. Cassis is surrounded on one side by a pebbly beach and the glittering blue sea; to the east by Cap Canaille, a massive, ochre coloured rampart, and to the west by soaring white cliffs that plunge straight into the sea, Their limestone was an important source of income until 1990, but these days this part of the Riviera is best known for the calanques, a string of sapphire blue, isolated inlets that stretch all the way to Marseilles.The calanques were once the mouths of ancient rivers. Similar to Scandinavia’s fjords, glaciers activity forged them deeper into the earth and ...

Is there anything more charming than a French market? The colours, the bustle, the scent of herbs and pungent cheeses; if anyone region in Europe exceeds at outdoor market ambiance it would have to be Provence and

Les Baux-de-Provence is a village in Provence, South of France, and it occupies, together with the ruins of a castle, a spectacular location on top of a rocky hill with stunning views to the south. Les Baux translates as ‘the rocks’ and it is where the word bauxite derives from as in 1821, aluminium ore (which was named bauxite at the time) was first discovered here. LES BAUX DE PROVENCE EARLY HISTORYLes Baux-de-Provence has been a popular place for visitors and settlers for a very long time. Human implements and artefacts dating from 6,000 BC have been found in the village and the site has been a fort since the Celts arrived around 200 BC. In the early Middleages, Les Baux-de-Provence became the centre of power and up to 79 settlements were in the Lords of Baux’s control. Château des Baux was renowned for holding a grand court and for its ornate interior. Following the death of Princess Alice in the 15th century, the dynasty died with her and the castle became a part of the village. LES BAUX DE PROVENCE IN THE 17th CENTURYIn the 17th century, Les Baux-de-Provence defied the Pope and was a centre for rebellious Protestantism. Cardinal Richelieu ...

The city of Avignon is in Provence in the South of France and has a population of 90,000 in the central areas and a total population in excess of 300,000. Famous for its bridge and for its Palais des Papes – Palace of the Popes – Avignon is also renowned for its theatre festival which began in 1947 and is held annually. Primarily a serious theatre festival where substantial plays are performed inside the Palace of the Popes, it is also an invitation for street performers and for new plays to be shown in fringe venues and in street “theatres”. The Avignon Festival was started by Jean Vilar who established a week of dramatic art in Avignon to liven up the early post-war years. Shakespeare’s works played well in the grand setting of the main courtyard of the Palace and the success of the plays established the current festival. Jean Vilar was determined to bring theatre to the people and his natural approach to creating great theatre attracted famous actors to Avignon including Jeanne Moreau. Keeping the festival financed in the early years was always a struggle but the event rapidly grew in popularity and the theatre festival developed momentum. The Avignon ...