Fresh bread stand at Cavaillon local market taking place every Monday. Those baguettes are mouth-watering!
Next stand at Cavaillon market is devoted to olives, all locally produced, delicious.
The market takes place downtown Cavaillon, so it's obviously surrounded by typical picturesque shops. Like this one.
Narrow alley in the beautifully picturesque town of Gordes.
Grocery shop in Gordes
River crossing l'Isle sur la Sorgue, yet another lovely hamlet in the heart of the southern French province.
A very typical shop in Provence is the one selling spices and herbs, largely used in the local cuisine. This is in L'Isle sur la Sorgue.
Another typical product of Provence is soap, widely known under the name of Marseille Soap, sold in markets as well as shops. This is a picturesque display in L'Isle sur la Sorgue.
Tiny alley in Lacoste, village that houses the former castle of the Marquis de Sade, now bought by fashion designer Pierre Cardin.
Ménerbes, small village with some old buildings worth mentioning, such as this one: "Life is beautiful".
Although cities like Avignon and Marseille are always packed with tourists, I think Provence’s beauty is in its smaller towns. Here you can get under the skin of this region, live locally, taste delicacies of their culinary tradition and get lost in the maze of their narrow side streets.
I had posted before a photo of Gordes seen from the winding road that reaches it, if you wish to see more pictures of daily life in Provençal villages, check out my photo-gallery on Flickr.
I”ve been in France so many times, but never in Provence. Your photos are enticing.
France is beautiful all over, sunny Provence is magic, really
” Douce France…” chante Charles Trénet. Il a bien raison , et ces photos le témoignent magnifiquement!
Merci, merveillueuse chanson!
Chi non ha visto la Francia non sa cosa perde. In modo particolare la meravigliosa Provenza, con i suoi colori e sapori unici!
Assolutamente d’accordo, ho avuto la fortuna di andarci tre volte!
That’s a wonderfully beautiful place, looks it has been well preserved, full of old charm and quaintness.
They are VERY proud of their old charm!
Life is beautiful indeed in Provence! I’ve been dreaming about visiting here for quite some time. So picturesque.
It’s beautiful, you won’t be disappointed, Cathy!
Great photos of a beautiful region!
Thanks Andrea!
Provence is so gorgeous. I stayed in an area called Courthézon which had the cutest little shops and dusty driveways, hope to go back again very soon!
Never been there, but I hope I’ll get back to Provence soon, too!
lovely!! such colors. SUCH FOOD!!
Thanks Jessie, I had a good fun taking those photos!
Had to share some of these food photos on my Pinterest “Food” board…. make me hungry!
Thanks for sharing Michael! Food in Provence is delicious, I strongly recommend a step there during your European tour.
Beautiful!!
I love just walking around and exploring with my camera!
Provençal villages are SO photogenic!
Absolutely beautiful. I want to pack my bags and head there right now!
For slow travel, Provence is excellent, transport is seldom, but if you are not in a rush you can adapt to their timetable and totally enjoy the laid-back vibe!
LOVE that alley shot!!!
Thanks for noticing a shot different from the food ones!
I want to go to the fromagerie!
French cheeses definitely do NOT need an introduction..
I shouldn’t have read this post on an empty stomach
Lol Samuel! Don’t make me feel guilty
Beautiful photos. Loved the slow-paced rhythm of Provence and their love for quality, local products.
Well spotted, they are so proud of their local products, it’s a pleasure to discover them.
good photos..
Thanks Monica!
I plan on being in France sometime in the summer. I didn’t really have a set place to go, but these photos have motivated me to head to Provence. I heard so many good things about their food, and now I can see why. Great shots!
The only thing I found tourist-unfriendly was that public transport is quite seldom, and this is such a pity, since not everybody likes taking the car.
I’ve been to France but not Provence. These images of the architecture and the shops entice me to want to visit there.
Visit Provence, Kala, you will come up with excellent pictures!
Oh absolutely heaven, wonderful photos! I’ve been to Provence a couple of times and completely agree it’s the small villages that are the key!
Absolutely, they are colorful and manage to retain the picturesque charm of their region, much more than the cities!
This makes me really want to go to Provence and I love that grocery store!
Picturesque, isn’t it? Seems like they want everything original!
I did a bike ride through all the towns you’ve mentioned – so this post brought back many happy memories. Beautiful photos.
Thanks Leigh, glad you like them. I guess Provence is a photographer’s paradise!
Yes, but not for gourmets already
Well, not those markets, but I’ve been to pretty good restaurants in Provence!
Beautiful shots! The last one describes the whole series perfectly – La Vie Est Belle!
Exactly, that’s Provence’s philosophy
Great photos. you’ve just made me really want to take a trip to Provence. Actually, we really ought to see more of France itself for that matter. I think we would come back a few pounds heavier!
Julia
Julia, that’s the risk everybody takes when going to Provence, you can’t not taste their delicacies!
mmMMMmm hungry now!
Yeah, I know what you mean
So much good food in such a pretty setting.
That’s Provençal style, they really care about picturesque settings.
The grocery shop in Gordes looks so authentic! It’s nice how everything is exposed outside, it adds a sense of community! Rural France is simply beautiful!
True, they do have a sense of community, and they are proud of it!
ils sont très beaux Angela!
Merci ma chère
These are great pictures. Provence is very beautiful and a great place to go to when in France. The baguettes look so delicious too!
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I love Provence, its small villages are really its beauty.
Everything here looks so fresh and lip-smackingly good! That cheese! THE CHEESE! Seriously, can you get some of that cheese shipped to me here? Northern Asia isn’t so good in the whole dairy department.
I love the little blurb that you write at the end, that Provence’s heart lies in its small towns. I’ll have to get there one day as it looks simply dreamy.
Yeah, SE Asia is not really cheese-savvy, it’s the only thing I missed there, although I missed it only at the beginning, then I adapted to their eating habits and I was fine.. I’m not in Provence anymore, otherwise I would certainly ship some to you!