Just in time for the 2016 travel
season in the South of France comes Markets
of Provence: Food, Antiques, Crafts, and More by Marjorie R. Williams. This
charming guide is perfect for anyone living in Provence...traveling
here...or still dreaming of visiting "some day."
The book comes out May 3 and the
publisher, St. Martin's Press, would like to gift
two of my lucky readers with free copies.
Marjorie is a Cambridge,
Massachusetts-based travel writer who believes that exploring markets is one of
the most-rewarding ways to immerse oneself in a foreign culture. It's a passion that goes back to her very first sojurn in France around 1980...and one she has
explored extensively through the articles she writes for magazines such as Afar, France Today and House Beautiful.
"My
first French market was in Fontainebleau," she tells me.
"I bought a sundress and a blue
mesh bag which I still use...and they always take me back to memories of that trip."
Marjorie's first book was Markets of Paris, written with Dixon
Long and published (second edition) by Little Bookroom in 2012.
The new book--which I already have and love--is the result of Marjorie's many months criss-crossing Provence, learning about the villages and markets,
talking to the vendors, trying their wares, exploring surrounding areas. And while
this research trip wasn't exactly a hardship, she says it definitely had its moments. Such as?
"Well,
my rental car had GPS so I didn't think I would need
a printed map," Marjorie tells me. "I
was following the GPS and not paying
attention when, to my great surprise, it led me onto a car ferry. I had no idea
if that was mistake and, if so, where I'd end up! Everything turned out
okay--it was just a 10-minute ferry ride and indeed a good shortcut--but the
shock of it taught me to always carry a printed map.''
And then of course there were all
the typical tiny misunderstandings, which happen even to those travelers who speak terrific French. "At a fromagerie stand in the Tarascon market,"
she remembers, "a vendor kept urging me to try his 'cheap cheese.' And I
held back until I realized he was saying 'sheep cheese!'"
Popping up over and over again at
all the various markets like certain vendors do, Marjorie got her share of curious looks; they couldn't quite figure out why this woman with notepad and camera was everywhere, asking questions and tasting everything. "And then one day in Arles I had the opportunity to shop
the market with Michelin-starred chef Jean-Luc Rabanel," she recalls. "He's very
recognizable and well known among the vendors. They certainly took notice of me
then!"
The charming 300-page soft-cover
features 30 of Marjorie's favorite market finds--the very-best ones and the B list as well. She also serves up local specialties, practical
tips, interviews with popular chefs and farmers, delicious photos, maps,
restaurant recommendations and more. It's organized by the day of the week
to make itinerary planning easy...and small so it can popped easily into a handbag,
backpack or glove compartment. You can read more about it here.
Peter Mayle, author of A Year in Provence and many other books set in Provence, finds it "thorough, accurate and mouth-watering."
Luke Barr, author of Provence 1970, calls it "an
indispensable...authoritative and seductive guide."
So how to win a copy? Simply leave a
comment below, where it says "comments," and tell us why you'd love
to have it. Please be sure to leave us your email so we can reach you if you
win; signing in with your Google account is not enough. If you're not sure which way is best to sign in, choose "Name/URL." Then put your name or any name in the first field...and your website or blog in the second field. If you don't have a website or blog, you can skip that. Then type your message...but be sure to leave us an email somewhere in your message.
If you want to go ahead and buy
the book, it's on Amazon here.
And to learn more about her or connect with Marjorie online, check out her website, blog, Facebook and Twitter.
Good luck in the giveaway!
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