The Charm of Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Wednesday is market day in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, the birthplace of Nostradamus and only twenty minutes drive from "home". Having been a little disappointed with the tapered-down markets at Gordes yesterday, we were a little apprehensive about what to expect. Saint-Remy, however, surpassed all our expectations!

As soon as we arrived on the outskirts of town, we could see the flurry of activity and feel the liveliness of the market square. Though there were a lot of the usual clothing, cheese, olives and lavender stalls, there were so much more to explore -watercolour paintings, original crafts, linens and even steaming paella. The market stalls were set under blue skies and spilled over from the market square, past Saint-Remy's towering Saint Martin's church and through a maze of beautiful cobbled streets. I kept saying, "I think I'm in heaven!"

Once home, we savoured the delicious flavours of our market purchases for lunch - roast beef, baguettes, avocado and olives. After a brief rest, we then returned to Saint-Remy to enquire about hiring a tennis court and to look further around the town. I could easily see why Princess Diana once bought a home here and why Princess Caroline of Monaco lived here for several years with her children after the death of her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. Van Gogh also lived in the asylum here for a year and painted his famous self-portrait with bandaged ear in Saint-Remy while hospitalised. Saint-Remy just seems to have it all.

Market day in Saint-Remy-de-Provence

St. Martin Church, Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Soft blue hues of St Martin's Virgin Mary

St Martin's famous pipe organ

Beautiful stained glass of St Martin's Church

Statue of Saint Philomene, St Martin's

St Martin's splendid stained glass window

Brett, Sean, Brett Snr and Eloise outside St. Martin's Church

Brett in Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Brett, Brett Snr and Eloise enjoy Saint-Remy

Sean in Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Eloise at Nostradamus Fountain, Saint-Remy

Nostradamus....please help me win Gold Lotto!

If dreams come true - my holiday home in Saint-Remy!

I know Saint-Remy-de-Provence will always remain a special memory for me. It would be a dream to have a holiday home here.....perhaps I can channel the winning Lotto numbers from the Nostradamus statue! As for the children, they are very keen for something more active,  preferably along the lines of activities involving beaches, horses, bicycles or snow. Knowing the south of France, I'm sure we'll find something that just fits the bill!                         Tricia