Arles Marché, an apricot print, Foundation Vincent Van Gogh

This week I'm immersed painting apricots for another Provençal print .

Arles huge Saturday marché is considered one of the best in Europe

Just a short 1 1/2 hr bus ride from Aix (#18 bus from the Gare Routier 11€ one-way). My constant and best companion in Provence and the Luberon was Marjorie Williams' MARKETS OF PROVENCE. Its not just markets but historic background, monuments not to be missed, restaurants, regional specialties. My other general guidebooks got left behind. Marjorie's book is more fun. Just 4.5" by 6", its lightweight, easy to pop in your bag, though I admit to ripping pages out and marking them up with abandon. For more info on Marjorie please visit her web site. I reviewed her MARKETS OF PARIS here.

Maybe you're not a foodie? Going to a local Provencal marché reveals the essence of a culture. What people eat tells all. Almonds are an important product in Provence. They turn up in many dishes, especially the galette des rois.

The one pastry you must not miss in Arles.

The Sacristan - a 12" long twisted stick of puff pastry covered in toasted almonds + a ton of powdered sugar. I ate all the almonds, leaving the pastry and a big telltale sprinkling of powdered sugar down my front. Some pastries should come with a bib.

If you love ❤️ olives, Provence is heaven.

This post could have been entirely olives. Lucque olives are a Provençal don't miss..

A mountain of garlic revealing Provençal flavors.

Next to the much loved apricots. I just discovered there's a Fete de l'Apricot in July. Hmmm...total immersion for a weekend...very tempting.

I'm adding in some of the 31 van Gogh paintings at the Arles Fondation Vincent Van Gogh. 

Normally they only get ONE painting each summer to exhibit.

Arles is close to many borders, products are on offer from Corsica, Spain, and Italy.

Local lavender honey. I'm flirting with a visit to a fete de la lavandre..I've never been. Give me a push.

A good portion of this long marché is clothing and household items. I was tempted.

I loved the cerise and polka-dot table cloths but ending up buying another scarf for a fiver. I have no resistance in France.

I got an olive fougasse too. It's a regional specialty.

One of van Gogh's gleaners. Note the gorgeous colors of the walls at the Fondation.

The Arles marché covers a long boulevarde - Bd. Georges Clemenceau turns into Bd. des Lices (they can do this in France, change the name midway). I didn't make it the full length of the marché, though both sides are conveniently lined with cafes to stop, rest and refresh. Absinth for breakfast?

Van Gogh's famous glistening glass and bottle of Absinth at the Fondation..

In the Fondation's reading room you can catch up on past shows. No drawings in the current exhibit but this energetic print captures the mad, delicious hustle, bustle of Arles wonderful marché.

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