The Provencal Markets in the Ardeche

The Provencal Markets in the Ardeche is a place where you can enjoy the wonderful climate and local atmosphere as well as get to know the art of “taking your time.” A spectacle of colors and scents come your way, with the market stalls almost collapsing under the ripe and juicy peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and melons. And then there is our “Picodon” – a regional goat cheese that can be enjoyed cold or hot on a salad – truly blissful! Enjoy yourself to your heart’s content – there is a market somewhere almost every day; they are generally open from 9am to around 1pm.

The brocante (Fleamarket)

Do you, like me, have the brocante (flea market) bug? Here is a pleasure I gladly share:

Exploring the flea markets in the early morning in the village squares, shaded by the “platanes”  planes trees, is one of my pleasures…. almost a passion. I go with friends who come to visit and with my mother and my wonderful daughters. What could be nicer than going bargain-hunting with like-minded people? We all pile into my old Renault 4 (of which I am very proud!) and the journey can begin. This is how the pleasure of wandering around begins: looking for that one treasure among all the beautiful things, perhaps hidden in an old suitcase or in the middle of a pile of small things. The emotions from all these things – like books or furniture – bring back distant memories of scents, places, and people. The imagination has awakened! You imagine the person who used the object, but most of all you imagine the beautiful finds when you dust or lightly restore them and then find a unique place to put them at home or in one of the cottages. What a satisfying pleasure! If you want, we will start again … 🙂

The Evening Markets

Some of the markets are also open in the evening. Gather from 5pm to midnight in July and August