A weekend respite

Our apartment in St. Cecile les Vignes.

Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes is the hometown to Domaine Rouge-Bleu.   For our two week experience, six of us are staying in some local apartments within walking distance of the town center. 

Our kitchen looks out onto the courtyard and vineyards next door.

In addition to the daily buzz of activity as grape filled trailers transport their loads to the town co-op for processing, locals and tourists alike flock to the Saturday marché, held on the street in the center of town.

Tables and booths display a bounty of products made in the surrounding area.  Bowls brimming with colorful olives and tapenades and salts mixed with Herbs de Provence draw one in for a closer look.  Bright yellow and red painted pottery catches the eye, while the fragrance of locally grown lavender competes with the rich aroma of chickens roasting on a spit.





The natives are friendly here, easily chattering with strangers about the particular items they have for sale.   They are proud of what they produce and are quick to point out exactly where their products are raised, sometimes even pulling out photos to better detail the steps involved in their operation.

A wagonload of grapes heading for the town's co-op.

One of my roomies, Zayra, and I,  were up early this Saturday morning so that we could visit the market before the crowds gathered. We grabbed a flaky, chocolate filled croissant and wandered through the stalls, oohing and aahing over fresh seafood, stacks of cheeses and enormous pans of shrimp filled paella being made on site.

Zayra thoroughly enjoys her pain au chocolate!

The tough work of the past week has made this day off a luxury. We decide to participate in another local tradition as we make our way to a nearby café for a steaming cup of cappuccino, which will go especially well with that second pain au chocolate!