Provence has some of the best markets in France, and that's saying something, in a land where the weekly, sometimes daily markets are entrancing showpieces of traditional rural pride and endeavour. Top-quality, farm-fresh fruit and vegetables are spectacularly and lovingly displayed, as if vying for prizes at a horticultural show. Local goat farmers sit quietly behind their cabinets, offering the full gamut of delectable goat cheeses, from fresh, soft and creamy discs to mature and pungent little pellets. Flowers, local wines, honey, fragrant herbs, crafts; it's a dizzying experience. But will it all last? That was the question that stalked the market stalls during the recent, hotly contested presidential elections.

The Soul of France
A central issue in the election was national identity: how do the French see themselves in the modern world, and how can they protect what is quintessentially French from the forces of globalized culture? And here, food is a big issue. To the French mind, their best food is produced by traditional, family-run farms, and small, local, artisan enterprises. Yet increasingly, these appear to be under threat from European Union legislation. In the interests of consumer health and safety, the European Food Authority has recently ratcheted up its stipulations for food production ('from farm to fork'), in areas such as the inspection of premises and labelling, with associated costs and paperwork. On the ground, the market stallholders see their suppliers wither, and are convinced that the EU favours big farms, the industrialized food-processors, and hence the supermarkets. There are plenty of causes of irritation, and the EU usually gets the blame; fairly or unfairly. Cheesemakers feel under pressure to abandon unpasteurized milk; essential for flavour, according to most connoisseurs. Old vineyards are being grubbed out for failing to live up to modern economic pressures. Wine bottles now have to bear the words 'contient des sulfites' (contains sulphites) on the label, as if this was some kind of poison; but all wine naturally contains some sulphur dioxide: you can't make wine without it. Presidential candidate José Bové; sheep farmer, anti-globalization activist and national hero; made such issues a central plank of his campaign, but made little impression on the vote. The question is: will Nicholas Sarkozy, the outright winner, pin his loyalties to Europe, or to French food producers? In his honeymoon period, the jury is out.

Meanwhile, rural France battles on regardless in time-honoured fashion. Which means that this year at least, visitors to Provence should be able to enjoy the markets without sensing the icy fingers of EU bureaucracy. You'll find excellent markets across the region, at Apt, Bonnieux, Carpentras, Cavaillon, Gordes, Goult, Lourmarin, Maussane, Roussillon, Sisteron, St-Rémy-de-Provence, to name but a few. The most famous of all is at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which has a farmers' market on Thursday, and a large antiques market (plus food and crafts) on Sundays; and a massive antiques fair at Easter and on 15 August.

The Scent of Lavender
Acre upon acre of richly fragrant, mauve blooms in their long, neat, bushy ranks; the lavender fields of Provence are a ravishing and unforgettable summer spectacle. Lavender, now joined by the hybrid lavandin, has been grown commercially here since the 19th century. The flowers are made into an essential oil that is used to scent perfume, soap and shampoo, and a huge range of domestic products. The plants come into flower in June and are harvested right through the summer until September, depending on their location and altitude. A map of the lavender-growing areas shows patches across the north-western sector of Provence, and in the neighbouring département of Drôme. The biggest growing area is the Plateau de Valensole in the south of the département of Les Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Towns and villages throughout the region (Apt, Riez, Esparron-de-Verdon) celebrate the harvest in lavender festivals, with decorated floats, streets sprinkled with lavender water, concerts and folk dancing, and market stalls selling every imaginable kind of lavender product: honey, lavender-filled cushions and soft toys, floral arrangements, potpourri, incense, drinks, and even lavender-flavoured ice cream. The town of Valensole holds its Fête de la Lavande in mid July (15 July in 2007). But the biggest event is the Corso de la Lavande, held over four days in August (4?7 August in 2007) in Digne-les-Bains, a historic spa-town and the capital of Les Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; in addition, Digne holds a Foire de la Lavande in late August (23?27 August in 2007).
www.beyond.fr/themes/lavender_th.html

A Feast of Opera and Classical Music
The three-week Festival d'Aix, also known as the Festival International d'Art Lyrique, has grown since its foundation in 1948 to become one of the leading events in the world opera calendar, ranking alongside Glyndebourne and Bayreuth. Since its inception, it has always placed Mozart at the centre of the programme, but the Festival now includes operas by other composers of all epochs, plus orchestral concerts, chamber music and master classes. This year's Festival will run from 29 June to 22 July, and features six operas: Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and Die Entführung aus dem Serail; Wagner's Die Walküre, Monteverdi's L'Orfeo and Madrigals; and Janácek's From the House of the Dead. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra leads the concert programme. Perfomances take place in various spectacular venues in Aix, and at the outdoor theatre of Puyricard, just to the north.
www.festival-aix.com

Our Villas in Provence
The Villa Book has a huge selection of villas (more than seventy) to choose from in Provence, ranging from enchanting small farmhouses to the magnificent Château de Grimaldi (sleeps 18) near Aix-en-Provence. In the lavender-growing area of the Pays de Apt we have a property called, appropriately, Valensole (sleeps 7/9) and , a little to the south and a short drive from Aix, the impressive Bastide des Plaines, perfect for larger groups (sleeps 16). Close by is the Manoir Rognes (sleeps 8), an 18th-century manor house; Sousquières (sleeps 18), a former monastery dating from the 11th century, no less; and Campagne Pontes (sleeps 7), near Puyricard. None is far from a good market. In the area of Les Alpilles, named after its backdrop of a craggy limestone massif, the Maison de Maussane (sleeps 8) is in a village noted for its weekly market. Similarly, the village house Villa Maillane (sleeps 8/12) is within easy reach of the market at St-Rémy, while the elegant 18th-century Bastide des Barrattes lies almost equidistant from Cavaillon and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.