Les Halles - Avignon France

A wise man gave me some great advice before I ventured into the Provence Region of France. “You must read the book, “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle”. Having just about a month until I left for my journey I got the book. It took less than 4 days to read the entire book. “A Year in Provence” is filled with invaluable information on the French culture and way of life. I found myself more than once in the whole of France grinning and saying to myself that it was exactly as the book had described it. The recommendation from the aforementioned book for “Les Halles” is to arrive early. I didn’t have many other options given that my train arrived in Avignon at 5am and I wasn’t due to be picked up by my friend until the afternoon. So through the streets of Avignon I strolled. With each corner I was taken by the most amazing sights and smells. It’s the kind of town that makes you feel like you have stepped back in time.

Les Halles is a giant marketplace for many different vendors, each one with a stall featuring his or her specialty. It was thrilling to see the many rows of fresh seafood. Through the window is a man making a terrine throwing all kinds of products into the grinder. The spice vendor filled the air with amazing scents from several stalls away. Miles of cheeses, charcuterie, olives and produce lined the inside. Mushrooms, my friends, the most amazing mushrooms. Since finding the Chanterelle mushrooms in the forest, I have seen them in countless stores. But what about fresh Black trumpet mushrooms, I have seen them before, but only dried. Fresh Morrels, I have seen these too, even cooked with them in my first cooking job, but still breathtaking to see the abundance. It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach this market, I enjoyed it every step of the way! Although I am sure it has changed since Peter Mayle wrote about it so many years ago it is still a sight to see. This is also the first video I have for you! You can see my first videos all on my channel on You Tube! [Wanderingchef1] Let me know if you have difficulty viewing them!