Day 8

Market day in Apt! Many towns and villages in France have a weekly market day.  Originally these events were just how citizens bought their groceries, and they still serve that purpose, but they’ve turned into so much more and clearly are a great way to immerse oneself in French culture.  

We started our day with a delicious breakfast at our B&B.  Today’s menu included freshly squeezed OJ, various cubes of melon, croissants, crepes with apricots, and coffee.  

Two other couples staying at Le Mas Perreal joined us at the breakfast table which was inside Kevin & Elisabeth’s kitchen since it rained very hard the night before and all the outdoor furniture was still covered in raindrops eventhough it was now very sunny.  Both couples were from New England; usually the other guests are German.

As soon as we finished breakfast we headed for Apt.  Parking is always a challenge on market day, but Kevin suggested a special route for us, so we were lucky and had no problem finding a space for our Renault.

Joni and I parted ways quickly at this market.  I did a quick browse of all the stalls and succumbed to purchasing a CD from one of the several musical acts who were performing, a stars & stripes bandanna, and a Swiss Army pocket knife, as if I needed another one, but this one has aluminum sides and only one blade.

 

I also purchased some newspapers and then camped out at what was author Peter Mayle’ favorite café, The Gaylord, and enjoyed another cup of coffee.  When Joni joined me she shared her purchases and then we quietly discussed if the man at the table next to us was in fact Peter Mayle.  Later in the evening we re-engaged in that debate, so we turned to Google to solve the question and sadly discovered he died this past January.  How sad!

Leaving the market we drove to the tiny village of Joucas for lunch at La Terrase, an outdoor café that has spectacular views of the farm lands of the Luberon.  We both enjoyed omlettes, finally trying to eat more sensibly in this culinary heaven.

From Joucas we drove to the village of Rousillon, famous for it’s ochre which is incorporated into the stucco of almost every building.  

I'm standing on the exact spot where I fell off bike last summer and dislocated by bicep tendon!

During previous visits to this area I would make daily rides to this village where I picked up the daily paper, and my first croissant and coffee.   When I made these daily visits, the village was empty except for a few locals that were just starting their day, but when you’re there at 2 pm, it’s wall to wall tourists.  Nevertheless it’s worth a visit and so we indulged, making only one purchase from the multitude of gift shops.

Since this is our 8^thday of travel, we’ve accumulated plenty of dirty clothes, so we then drove to our favorite Laundromat in Apt and did our business. The Luberon has a very dry climate, almost no humidity, so we skipped using the dryers at the laundromat, and brought all our clothes back to the B&B where we spread them out among the chairs on our terrace and in our room.

It was now about 4 pm, so we relaxed for the next two hours; Joni napped and I worked on my blog.

For dinner we drove to Pernes le Fontaines and dined at the Auberge de la Camarette, a vineyard that also operates as an inn.  Tonight in addition to a wonderful meal, they were also hosting a jazz night, so we were entertained by a five piece band and singer who featured almost entirely American jazz standards with some blues and classic rock mixed in. 

They were excellent.  After their first break, the drummer walked right past our table so we spoke to him and discovered that this is really just a pop up performance for him, and that his usual gig is with Procul Harum for whom he has been their drummer since 2006.  He couldn’t have been friendlier, turns out he’s skied at Cannon Mountain many times, and Procul Harum will be performing in Boston next winter, so we hope to see them. In the 60’s they were one of my favorites and I saw them at a sell out at the Montreal Forum where they were the headliners.  Who doesn’t love “Whiter Shade of Pale”?

Our dinner was also amazing. The menu was a five fixed courses that included all the wine, from their vineyard, you wanted, as well as a special aperitif that they make as well.  I’ve photographed the menu, so I’ll only add that it was declicous. 

For us it was a late night, we didn’t leave the Auberge until 11:30 and we would have stayed longer, but the drive back to Le Mas Perreal was 60 minutes, so it was time for us to head home.