Discover Why St-Rémy-de-Provence has a Traffic Light, Part-time

St-Rémy-de-Provence has one of the best weekly markets in the region. The Wednesday morning market is very popular. The merchants love it, but it causes traffic problems because big parts of the market are on either side of the main street. Shoppers are constantly crossing from one side to the other, stopping cars and causing traffic jams.

The market dates back to the 12th century, so you’d think someone would have found a solution by now, but things move slowly in Provence. It was only last year that someone had the bright idea of installing a traffic light. And not just any traffic light, a part-time traffic light.

Photo credit: ©Keith van Sickle

You see, we don’t want to rush into things here. To have a traffic light working all the time would upset the citizenry and startle the cattle. It’s better to ease into things.

And besides, the problem is only on Wednesday mornings during the high season. So for most of the year, the traffic light is off. Not only off, but covered, so as not to upset the traditional rhythm of life in St-Rémy-de-Provence.

Imagine what would happen during the annual transhumance, when a river of sheep flows along the main street. And suddenly the light turns red? The poor border collies would have to stop thousands of sheep in their tracks!

Photo credit ©Perfectly Provence

No, it’s better to keep the traffic light off until necessary, which means when the market starts getting busy around mid-May. And even then, it’s not necessary to start early; let’s be reasonable. No, it only starts working at about 9 am and runs until a bit after noon. Then it dozes peacefully until the following Wednesday, dreaming of its long, long annual vacation.

It’s France, after all.
Keith

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St Rémy’s Wednesday Market

Are you thinking of going to the Wednesday morning market in St-Rémy? Here is what Keith has to say.

In St-Rémy, one of our favourites is the Wednesday morning market. We usually go early because the market can be crowded, plus during the summer it gets hot by midday. We’re lucky because our house is within walking distance, and we don’t have to drive, and parking can be scarce on market day. If you’d like the insider’s secret on where to park in St-Rémy, check out this article.

Our first stop is at the newsstand on Boulevard Marceau, where I like to buy a copy of Le Monde. Then we start wandering through the market to see what looks good. We usually take our dog Mica, and she loves the smells, especially when we walk past a butcher.

Photo credit: ©Keith van Sickle

The first vendors we pass are the fishmongers, and we stop by to see what’s fresh. St-Rémy is not far from the Mediterranean Sea, so there is always a good variety of seafood on display. Then we pass the paella man near the church, preparing his steaming paella in a big round pan nearly 3 feet across. Mmm, that smells good! Paella is a Spanish dish made with seasoned rice, seafood, chorizo, and sometimes chicken, and is very popular in Provençal markets. Shoppers will often pick up a batch to take home for lunch. Speaking of lunch, please keep reading here to discover the fruit vendor, cheese purveyor, and where to buy regional specialties.

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Keith Van Sickle

Keith and Val Van Sickle made their first trip to Provence decades ago, and it was love at first sight. After that, they came back every year until 2008, when they began a part-time life there, splitting their time between Provence and California.

Over the years, they’ve travelled all over Provence, seeing sights both well-known and obscure. Their French friends have introduced them to favourite restaurants and wineries and picnic spots and taught them funny local expressions (not all for polite company).

Keith now shares this local knowledge in his new book, An Insider’s Guide to Provence. Packed with the Van Sickles’ favourite things to see and do, it’s a must-have for anyone travelling to this glorious corner of France.

Keith previously published two books about the couple's experiences in Provence. One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence, and Are We French Yet?, both are available from Amazon.

You can see all of Keith’s blog posts at Life in Provence.