Lourmarin Friday Market

The markets in Provence are legendary... lots of food, items produced in the region, many beautiful things to photograph, and some incredible smells (except for those sausages, which smelled like wet dog).

I saved many lists of market days around the Luberon region and set out to match up things we could get to without too much effort. Time and again people recommend not to miss Lourmarin's famed Friday market. It was on our way to the former convent we were staying at in Apt, so we headed out early in the morning and it was very much worth it.

Lourmarin itself is a super charming tiny little village that is exactly what I envisioned Provence to be before our visit... a tree lined street leading the way to narrow cobble walkways. The market didn't disappoint. It had clothing, ceramics, and enormous array of foods. The foods were so colorful, fragrant, and fresh... just like food should be. There were musicians completing the ambiance and it felt like a scene from a movie.

Another thing I appreciated, in addition to the subtle wafts of lavender through the air, were the cicadas. We have cicadas during warm summer months in Ohio, but I haven't been to many other places which have the distinct chirping sound that reminds me of home.

If you're in the area I would agree with the others that say - don't miss it and go hungry! 

Provence

Provence certainly lives up to its reputation. There was so much we wanted to see and do, so I tried to schedule things to make sure we'd have enough time and in particular so we could see those endless rolling fields of lavender. We even managed to go to a lavender festival and see it being harvested.

The entire area is so full of color and is a bit of sensory overload with the smell of lavender, cicada's chirping, warm summer sun, cacti, goat cheese with honey and thyme, rosé, and some of the clearest nights I can recall with twinkling stars above. It's all pretty magical.

I've made a little map, which marks the cities we visited. Also, here are a few links I found helpful, if you're planning a trip yourself.
Shopping in Aix
Provence Markets by day of week
Lourmarin Market (Friday)
The Louberon
Lavender routes map

Marseille + Mama Shelter

After driving from Saint-Tropez we had dinner reservations at a quaint little place, called the Nautic Bar, a friend of ours from France recommended (merci, Jerome!). He told us it was a hidden gem that's directly at the calanques or river creeks, which are tucked away in the rocky ridges. They have crystal clear waters and so much nature surrounding them, so it's hard to believe the second largest city of France is so close.

In order to access these calanques it is essential to have reservations at one of the restaurants down below. It is a very long, dusty, and rocky drive down the mountain side, but the views are excellent. It's also a great place to go for a swim. The food left us a bit underwhelmed, but it was an experience and definitely off the beaten path.

Next time we go I'd like to visit Cassis, which we unfortunately ran out of time for. All of the wait time getting to and from Saint-Tropez made that impossible.

Marseille was a stop over point for us, so we didn't do too much exploring of the city itself. Though we'd definitely like to make it back sometime soon. I like that it's a cultural melting pot of a city with a lot of diversity. Everyone I talk to is underwhelmed when they mention it, but that piques my curiosity even more. Sometimes I really like gritty cities and find them intriguing. There's so much bubbling beneath the surface.

The perfect place to stay is hands down Mama Shelter - Marseille. I've had friends recommend the one in Paris, but we've always liked to stay more central (it's out in the 20th). Now I can whole heartedly see why they recommended it. The one in Marseille just opened earlier this year and it is downright sexy. It has a hip and trendy vibe with playful friendliness and the attention to detail is impeccable.

I may or may not have scared Stefan by wearing the superman mask as he came up to our room from parking the car.

It's the type of hotel that's a destination in its own right with free new release movies and an awesome breakfast. It's the kind of place I'd go specifically for the hotel -it's that good.

We didn't have a lot of time on Friday morning, because I wanted to get up to the market in Lourmarin. I read time and time again that the market in Lourmarin is the crown jewel of Provençal markets, so that's where we headed late in the morning.

Cannes + Saint-Tropez

From Nice we drove along the coast stopping in Cannes and Saint-Tropez.

Cannes has the allure of being known for it's famed movie festival, however it was a bit of a disappointment. My friend Julie, who is French, told me it's France's Florida - where all of the old people go.  Perhaps if we were out on a yacht or wanted to "see and be seen" it would have been different, but it was our least favorite stop during the trip.

The cars shipped over from Kuwait in front of the Carlton were a sight and the black lamborghini was beautiful even to someone like myself who's not really into cars. Maybe they were his and hers.

The beach was built up and it seemed to lack character. Even though we were only there for one afternoon it doesn't top my list of places to revisit.

On the way to Saint-Tropez we spotted a field of camels and passed some road side bamboo. Those were certainly unexpected.

Saint-Tropez was a different story. It was clear as soon as we arrived why it was/is such an inspiration for artists like Paul Signac, Matisse, and David Hockney. It is very charming, except for the traffic in and out. Since it's on its own little peninsula the only way to avoid the traffic is by helicopter or yacht. The city's charm left us enamored nonetheless. There were some definite characters at the port lounging on their yachts. Most of them were in their late teens or early 20's and absolutely loved the attention.

The pastel hues decorate the façades with lots of sea foam green and peach. It had characteristics that reminded me of Essaouira, Morocco. Quiet narrow streets and alleyways with water splashing at the edges of buildings.

We picked up some Ladurée macarons (the lemon basil was the best of the mix) and stopped for an afternoon treat while watching a group of older men play pétanque.

One shop we visited was Le Caveau de la Porcelaine Blanche, which has whiteware in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and forms. I loved it. [There are a couple more shops I've found in this area that also have a huge array of porcelaine blanche / whiteware: Antibes + Avignon.]

Next stop: Marseille... for one night.

Côte d'Azur

The south of France is compact with many beautiful places in a small area, so we decided to fly to Nice and then rent a car to explore the area with the main goal of getting to Provence and the Valensole Plateau. July is the height of lavender season and it's the perfect time of year to visit, but our first stops took us to Nice and Monaco.

One thing I observed time and time again along the coast was so much diversity. The beaches were packed from morning onwards and people who typically would feel self conscious in a swimsuit were right along side everyone else, including little old grandmas would be standing topless having a conversation. It was refreshing to see people so comfortable with their bodies.

Shortly after arriving we went to Monaco - also known as the second smallest and most densely populated country in the world. They also have one of the longest life expectancies and 0% unemployment.

It's just a short 20-30 minute drive from Nice, so it's easy to access. Since it's a tax haven with no income tax and with the highest capita of millionaires and billionaires there's quite a bit of money being splashed around. The jewelry stores were dripping with some of the biggest gems I've seen outside of a museum and the cars were from the pages of magazines. 

The big Monte Carlo casino featured in the James Bond movies had many cars parked outside the casino with Monégasque license plates although the locals aren't permitted to gamble there, (no one really appeared to check where people were from). 

Cameras weren't allowed, however besides the grandiose exterior and the main hallway, it seemed to me like any other casino in a big gambling city. We had a laugh watching a little girl pay for her ice cream with a 200€ note nearby. 

In Nice, we had to try the quintessential socca, which is a thin pancake made savory with chickpea flour. I read that Chez Pipo has the best socca in the city, so that's where we went. They are great as a light dinner with a glass of wine. Yotam Ottolenghi has a recipe for socca (also in his Plenty cookbook). Chickpeas are underrated. 

There are so many quaint litle streets to get lost in around the old town. It was nice to see another facet to France. Did you notice the statue of liberty hiding in the street lamp above? 

Other foods we sampled were salted carmel potato chips, goat cheese tarts, and of course Pierre Hermé macarons from Galleries Lafayette. I think I may have surprised the women working, because I was requesting each one by name, even though they weren't labeled. That might be an indicator that I have a macaron problem. 

Another sweet treat I was looking forward to trying was the ice cream at Fenocchio, which boasts some really unique flavors, like thyme, beer, avocado, and jasmin. I either ordered the wrong kinds or it just fell short. Stefan's ultra dark chocolate was the best of the mix. The savory flavors are too sweet. 

Next stops... Cannes + Saint Tropez. 

Isar Cookout

Munich is such a special place and I can never quite figure out my favorite season here. Summer means hanging out with friends along the river and grilling or visiting biergartens, which is the perfect way to spend a lazy weekend day.

Since we love rules here in Germany, there is a city ordinance of where grilling is permitted in Munich. They even created a great map, which is useful so you don't end up getting fined.

Son of Hibatchi - Our friend Roman introduced us to this grill and it is genius. It heats up in 15 minutes and actually gets warm enough to grill on. It's compact and portable, too. We absolutely love it. 

We use Weck jars to transport and store things, but for dish wear it's sometimes cumbersome to bring actual plates, so paper plates, biodegradable dishes made from palm leaves, or even edible dish wear are a good alternative. 

Here are some food ideas to bring:

- Insalata Caprese

- Potato Salad

- Olives

- Cheese cubes
- Bacon wrapped dates

- Crackers + dip

- Crudité

- Fruit Salad
- Chocolate chip cookies
- S'mores - My Americanness is coming through, but s'mores and cookouts go hand in hand. The best place I've found good marshmallows is actually the home goods store Butlers. As for the graham crackers we use the Vollkorn Leibniz.
(I like to add some knister/pop rocks chocolate to add something unexpected.)
- pre-made cocktails if you're feeling luxurious. The smaller weck tulip glasses are perfect for this.

One more tip: If you like Bon Appétit magazine and have an ipad, you can send a subscription to someone in the US and they can give you the digital version, which is what I did with my mom. It has plenty of great recipes and food stories at your finger tips. 

Hugo

This cocktail has Tyrolean origins, but since Munich likes to have a bit of Italian influence it's been super popular here the past several years. It's a refreshing addition to a quiet evening on the terrace.

If you have access to elderflower / holunder you can also make your own syrup. I've even seen it growing on the banks of the Isar.

cześć, Poznań!

Last year we learned about the incredible lampiony Poznań, which is a one night extravaganza of glowing paper lanterns floating through the sky during the summer solstice of Noc Kupały (also called St. John's Night). 

This looked to be too unique and wonderful to miss, so we booked our flights and hoped hotel prices would be outrageous with the UEFA Euro Cup going on - thankfully, they weren't. It was our first visit to Poland, which is also home to the Pierogi and St. Martin's Croissants or Rogale świętomarciński. 

Our favorite afternoon was spent at the courtyard of Cocorico. It looks like it should be a movie set, because it's so picturesque. I'd love to have a garden like that! We did plenty of sampling the local cuisine, which was affordable, yet delicious. 

The Rogale świętomarciński croissants have to be certified and receive a special poster or seal to authenticate it. Since they are traditionally eaten for St. Martin's Day (November 11th) they are quite heavy and more of a winter food, which may explain why they didn't seem advertised. We ended up finding them at a small pastry shop across from the Bernardyński Square market.

There were a lot of tiny markets dotting the city, which were fun to explore like the locals. 

The produce was plentiful and beautiful and it did appear potatoes are as popular as could be expected with the popularity of pierogis. 

Poland is extremely Catholic and in Poznań many of the streets are named after saints. We learned that the Poles love rules and waiting at cross walks / red lights, although cleaning up after their dogs wasn't a big priority. The UEFA fan fest was also another place we heard about rules. Since we were going to the Noc Kupały directly afterwards I had two camera lenses in my bag and had to go back to the hotel to leave one before we could enter. 

Early in the evening, before the lantern festival began, we went to purchase our lanterns. Since they were attempting to achieve a Guinness World Record things were very regimented. We were only allowed to purchase as many lanterns as we had IDs, so that was 1 each for 5 złoty (4.25 złoty = 1 €). There were 10 colors to choose from, but we both opted for the classic white and we received a wrist band that showed our lanterns were "official". 

Shortly before the main event people were selling "illegal" lanterns on the streets for 10 złoty, so I'd guess that even with the lanterns that were set off before the official time there were plenty more than official counts. 

We didn't really care if it was part of the Guinness World Record for most lanterns simultaneously, we were simply happy to experience it regardless.

There were many firemen, paramedics, and safety measures put into effect. With the exception of several people who had to stomp their lanterns out after they caught fire, things seemed to go flawlessly. 

Since it rained throughout the day before the grass and trees were wet, which probably helped. 

It was so unreal to see thousands of lanterns in the sky at once, which all happened very quickly. 

The city didn't seem accustomed to having tourists, but everyone was very friendly. The odd thing is English is more readily used than German, even though Poland borders Germany. 
Other things to do / see in Poznań:
Visit the Stary Browar mall - built on the grounds of an old brewery and at one point it was voted the best mid-sized mall in the world. It's gorgeous and the locals definitely seemed to enjoy it. 

We didn't have too much time to also visit Lake Malta or the Morasko meteorite nature reserve, because we were only there for a long weekend, although both would be at the top of my list if/when we get back. 

I'm planning to try to make the Rogale świętomarciński when they are more seasonally appropriate. Hopefully the Auer Dult or one of the spice shops will have some of the essential white poppy seeds.