Day 37 - SkyLines from the French Lock-down: Provence - Market Day in Rémy de Provence!

Bonjour, les amis! (Hello friends!) Did the news just say we've had three months of rain in three days? La Vache! (Holy Cow) Actually, if you've been following this blog, you probably had already guessed that. And while we're all sheltering in place during this crisis, in our minds, you and I are in Provence. The sun is shining.

A Sunny Market Day in Saint Rémy de Provence

Day 37 - The sound of rainfall woke us again. My French partner, Y, exclaimed, "Punais!" after

Typical hillside town in Provence

looking at the clock. (This is a mild swear word. It's equivalent in English is "That stinks!") I knew it was late but I was a bit shocked when I discovered that we had slept eleven hours. Unbelievable. And then I thought, no, not unbelievable. When I was in deep grief after losing my husband to cancer,

one way of coping with the depression was to sleep. What? Are we depressed. Yep. This confinement is getting us down too. It's not a debilitating downer. It's just the barrage of bad news. The two weeks at home that have stretched into two months. But, we know this is something that is helping to save lives, especially our own!

Cute cafe sign!

And it's letting the medical services take care of those who have fallen to this viral enemy.

Here in the real world, we got up. We ate and answered emails, comments, and shared photos with friends. Then Y became my marvelous French director again and we filmed the 9 minute "Easy Core Challenge" for our friends and readers around the world. I talked about the fact that five years ago, I weighed forty pounds more than I do now. There is no secret to how I worked off the weight. I reduced my calories to a range of 1400-1600 a day and began to rebuild my body with regular exercise. 

Not by walking. I'd been doing that for years. I'm talking enough 10 minutes of work that made me breathe hard for a few minutes afterwards. Sorry. No magic wand. But it wasn't horrible. I never gave up chocolate, wine, or coffee. I still ate delicious

Olive oils and fresh cheese. Mmm!

dishes, just a lot smaller. I didn't run. And most importantly, I didn't give up or beat myself up when I ate more than I had planned. I didn't give up if I missed a day of exercise. A year later, I needed to buy a new wardrobe. That was a really wonderful moment.

But now, back to today. Boy, did this one get away from us! Y and I have just made a pact that during the last week before we are released, we will get up a little earlier every day and that way we won't miss out on seeing the smiling faces on that morning. Fingers crossed, that will be in May. Now, instead of focusing on the abysmal news that tries to frighten us with how many people are sick, how many have died, and how the economy will stall to the point of no return, come with me and play. We really need to play right now!

It's late in the afternoon. Y is watching a program on renovating cars and I finally to write to

The Mayor's office is impressive.

you. This is our moment to play - we will play in imagination. It's one of the best things you can do to help pull yourself out of the doldrums. You are helping me. I hope I can help you too. We're on the playground of our mind now. We are in our own make-believe world and we visited the Pont du Gard in Provence yesterday.  This morning, we get up and eat a wonderful breakfast of croissants and coffee on the sunny terrace of our B&B. I announce, "I want to find an outdoor market and buy some real Provencal olives. What do you think?" You smile and reply, "I'll check the listings for a town nearby."

Ooh! What did you say? There's a market today in Saint Rémy de Provence? That's not too far,  Google says we can be there in twenty minutes. let's go! We pack, pay our host, and tell

Herbes & Épices de Provence!

him that we wish we could live in his pretty part of the world. He tells us many guests have told him the same thing! I pat the big furry Labrador dog and we get in the car and drive away. The roads have a dreamlike quality and every time we see a village on a hillside, we sigh. It's green, open and rural. At last we reach Saint Rémy and it's not easy to find a spot to park. The place is busy! 

When at last we do find a spot and we walk in to the center of town. There are stalls everywhere. I love that sign on the cafe ahead! Wow, it's called "Un Été a Saint Rémy de Provence."

The market sells everything we can imagine.

Now there's something to dream about! The dream will have to remain that, as it is quite expensive these days to hang out in Provence. But there was a time when this was one of the poorest regions of France. That was what drew many artists here in the past. We both knowthat this is where Van Gogh came to be treated for his depression after the ear cutting incident. He stayed in the Saint-Paul Asylum for a year and painted nearly 150 canvases then.  Many of these are instantly recognizable to us as some of his best works. 

However, the places he painted, the olive groves, and harvest landscapes are no longer visible. The town has grown so much the countryside has disappeared. We are only momentarily disappointed, the town is so lovely that it matters not. We know from our drives that the beauty is still out there, beyond the bustle of the market. And there is so much to see! Most of the people here are locals buying their provisions for meals and the home. But we are tourists and it's pretty clear the market has stalls enough for both kinds of shoppers.

There is the olive stand!

We buy lavender in sachets and taste wine from the valleys. I can't resist a local treat - calissons. Yum! Here try one. Whatever flavor you like, they seem to have all kinds of fruit flavors. No, they sure aren't giving them away! But they are famous, especially the ones made in Aix-de-Provence. These lozenge shaped candies are made from almonds ground to a powder, lavender honey, and a fruit confit. Citrus and melon are the most popular flavor but that apricot one is delicious. Yes, they are a bit sweet. Two for each of us suffices and besides at 14 euros a pound, well, that's a rich person's treat. (Here is one lady's recipe if you are curious.) We turn the corner and there is yet another plaza filled with stalls. And then I see what I was looking for - yes olives! And so I buy an assortment and we decide to call it a day. What fun it has been to stroll through the market in Provence with you.

And so, another fun moment spent together. Playing helps us stay young and free our minds of stress. We don't always beat the blues. But that's human. It's a tough time. We know that together, we will all get through this. And tomorrow?  Well, maybe we'll find another pretty place to visit. It will be good to have you join us in imagination. Stay safe!

A demain, nos amis! (Until tomorrow, our friends!) Link to Day 38