Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Provence Market Days
Provençal market days offer France's most colorful and tantalizing outdoor shopping. The
best markets are on Monday in Cavaillon, Tuesday in Vaison la Romaine, Wednesday in
St-Rémy,ThursdayinNyons,FridayinLourmarin,SaturdayinArles,Uzès,andApt,and,
best of all, Sunday in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Crowds and parking problems abound at these
popular events—arrive by 9:00, or, even better, sleep in the town the night before.
Le Mistral
Provence lives with its vicious mistral winds, which blow 30-60 miles per hour,
about 100 days out of the year. Locals say it blows in multiples of threes: three, six,
or nine days in a row. The mistral clears people off the streets and turns lively cities
into ghost towns. You'll likely spend a few hours or days taking refuge. The winds
are strongest between noon and 15:00.
When the mistral blows, it's everywhere, and you can't escape. Author Peter
Mayle said it could blow the ears off a donkey (I'd include the tail). According to
the natives, it ruins crops, shutters, and roofs (look for stones holding tiles in place
on many homes). They'll also tell you that this pernicious wind has driven many
people crazy (including young Vincent van Gogh). A weak version of the wind is
called a
mistralet.
The mistral starts above the Alps and Massif Central mountains and gathers
steam as it heads south, gaining momentum as it screams over the Rhône Valley
(which acts like a funnel between the Alps and the Cévennes mountains) before ex-
hausting itself when it hits the Mediterranean. And though this wind rattles shutters
everywhere in the Riviera and Provence, it's strongest over the Rhône Valley...so
Avignon, Arles, and the Côtes du Rhône villages bear its brunt. While wiping the
dust from your eyes, remember the good news: The mistral brings clear skies.
Monday:
Cavaillon, Bedoin (between Vaison la Romaine and Mont Ventoux)
Tuesday:
Vaison la Romaine, Gordes, and Lacoste
Wednesday:
St-Rémy, Arles, Uzès, Sault, and Malaucène (near Vaison la Romaine)
Thursday:
Nyons, Vacqueyras, Roussillon, and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Friday:
Lourmarin, Carpentras, Bonnieux, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Saturday:
Arles, Uzès, Apt, and Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes (near Vaison la Romaine)
Sunday:
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Coustellet
