A Slow Day in the French Countryside: Provençal Home, Market day

Hello everyone and welcome back to Provence, one of my absolute favorite places in the world, for a slow summer day between beautiful markets and quiet moments at our home for the week, La Bastide de Laurence. We were staying just outside L'Isle-sur-la-Sorre in this beautifully restored 18th century Provençal home, surrounded by gardens, orchards and some of the most peaceful countryside you could imagine. Our mornings here always started outside, underneath these beautiful plain trees that have been standing here for around 200 years, creating the most perfect natural shade from the Provençal sun. Breakfast was exactly what I love during summer, fresh fruit, warm vinoiseries and orange juice, while the morning light slowly filtered through the leaves above us. After breakfast, we drove to Aix-en-Provence for one of my favorite things to do whenever I am in this part of France, spending a morning at a local Provençal market. Aix is always beautiful, but on market mornings the city feels even more alive. The streets and squares fill with stalls, locals doing their shopping, cafe terraces slowly getting busier and that unmistakable bustle that makes Provençal markets so enjoyable to wander around. Christophe Madeleine has become one of my little Aix traditions. Their madeleines are baked fresh and are absolutely delicious, but they are definitely not a secret anymore. There is very often a rather impressive queue outside, so I would recommend coming as early as you can. The markets spread across different squares and streets in the historic center and you can find a little bit of everything, from colorful summer fruit and vegetables, cheeses, olives, herbs and spices, to flowers, baskets, linen, clothes and beautiful local products. We continued walking around Aix for a little longer, taking in the warm summer atmosphere and the beautiful streets, before stopping for lunch at Café Comon, inside the Comon Centre d'Art. The café has these beautiful elegant interiors and the terrace overlooking the French gardens and on such a warm summer day, it felt like the perfect place for a quiet break. We kept lunch quite light before eventually making our way back home for the afternoon. And honestly, coming back to La Bastide de Laurence never really felt like coming back from somewhere, because the house itself was one of the places I most wanted to enjoy during this trip. The house itself has been beautifully restored, while keeping the character of an 18th century Provençal home, and is arranged around a central courtyard, with different wings, salons and quiet corners that make it feel incredibly intimate despite its size. There are 8 bedrooms in total, all with their own ensuite bathrooms, and the rooms are spread across the different parts of the house, so almost every one of them feels like its own little private retreat. But as beautiful as the interiors are, I think my favorite part of La Bastide de Laurence might actually be outside. The gardens seem to have endless little places to sit and slow down, between the old trees, fountains, courtyards and shaded dining tables. Around the property, there are also apple orchards, olive and cypress trees, lavender and beautiful views towards Mont Ventoux in the distance. Eventually, after exploring almost every corner of the house, we arrived exactly where I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon, by the pool. The swimming pool here is a magnesium pool, surrounded by gardens and, most importantly, during the warmest hours of a Provençal summer, plenty of places to simply lie down in the shade. As the afternoon slowly turned into evening, we started preparing dinner. One of the things I love the most about staying in a house like this is having evenings where there is absolutely nowhere you need to be. We prepared a simple homemade dinner together, starting with a few fresh things to share at the table, while the heat of the day finally started to disappear. I really hope you enjoyed spending this slow summer day in Provence with me and discovering a little bit more of La Bastide de Laurence. And before you go, I also want to say thank you. Every time you subscribe, leave a comment or simply take the time to tell me that you enjoyed one of these videos. It generally makes a difference and helps me continue creating and sharing these places with you. So thank you so much for watching and I will see you very soon for another slow adventure.