Market Day in St Remy

While St Remy might have been a quiet little village on Tuesday night, on Wednesday morning it came to life...it's market day and the entire center of town is filled with people. The market in St Remy starts at the square in the middle of town and winds in and out of several side streets and squares in the pedestrian area. It is buzzing with activity and filled with vendors of all kinds...from linens to homemade soap to fresh bread to jewelry to underwear to fresh cheese. It is bustling...filled with locals shopping for their weekly provisions and tourists seeking the perfect Provençal souvenir. It was a pleasant assault on all senses...beautiful colors, sounds of deal-making rising above street musicians, and aromas of everything from fresh garlic to lavender lifted up from the streets and people of St Remy.
Now this is my kind of shopping! We spent the entire morning at the market, strolling the streets, sampling the food, smelling the soaps and trying on hats and scarves. (rumor has it that some of my shopping mates actually tried on shirts in a van with other local shoppers...sadly, I have no pictures to confirm that). Jennifer led us as a group to her favorite soap vendor, but after that we all went our separate ways, working our own personal shopping lists. Three hours flew by...while my shopping bag had gotten pretty full, I didn't get to see all that I had wanted...will need to come back again.
It was a beautiful, sunny morning...it had been the perfect day for enjoying the colorful and delightful St Remy market...a wonderful glimpse into the charming and lively French culture. Heavy with purchases, we loaded into our bus and headed out for an afternoon in the vineyards, each of us displaying our purchases for the rest of the group and comparing notes on favorite vendors and best bargains.