Easton Place

Travel Tuesday: French Market Finds

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Perhaps the best part of our French apartment, was its location and the fact it had grand windows which opened wide into the room. This bonus was most appreciated on Sunday and Thursday... otherwise known as the Market Days! I will admit, on the arrival of our first day experiencing the town's market, I was not completely thrilled with the noise that started at roughly 5:00 a.m. The first thing I recall was the sound of large trucks and the clanging of metal tools. When I cracked open the interior, wooden shutters to see what was making so much noise, I was shocked by how many people were already in the square at such an early hour. My husband quickly grabbed his phone and set up a time laps video to catch all the action. I've tried to include that footage here, but haven't figured it out just yet. When I do I'll add it to this post. It's great fun to watch all the action in high-speed! Until then, you'll at least get a good idea of the grandness of the market by viewing my still shots.

The red market umbrellas were just outside our apartment window! Table after table of fresh veggies. The French milled soaps were incredibly fragrant.

Flowers, flowers, flowers... and linens as far as the eye could see! So many hues of lavender and red.

We saw everything from rotisserie chicken (best I've ever eaten... for breakfast none the less!), to soaps, olives of every color, cheeses galore, the freshest of fruits and veggies, gorgeous linens, and of course stand after stand of beautiful flowers! There were antique knobs and pulls, second-hand clothes as well as new, hand-crafted wooden toys, aprons... everything imaginable was set up in tents or on tables and benches throughout the village! That first morning we had a funny breakfast of paella, rotisserie chicken, fruits, cheeses and salad. Everything was gathered just outside our apartment building. It was delicious! The rest of the morning we happily sat with full bellies on our antique daybed, watching the people, listening to the street music and feeling near giddy with this dream we were living at the moment. Around noon we decided to head out and explore all the vendors we couldn't see from our flat. What a wonderful way to spend a day. 

Not our usual breakfast, but perhaps our most delicious! Everything was found in the market. The smells were intoxicating and the flavors were heavenly!

I hope you enjoyed visiting the market with me today on Travel Tuesday! Next week we venture out to the neighboring villages of Aix-en-Provence, Lacoste, and a few other provincial towns. Au revoir!

-Patti

Instagram Spotlight no.2

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This week's Instagram Spotlight showcases one of my online friends, Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo (abcddesigns), who has impeccable taste. She shares her love of flowers, food, home decor and her very handsome American Standard Poodle, Tauren. Amy and her husband have just closed on a new stone house so I'm really looking forward to seeing what she shares of the renovations!

abcddesigns instagram feature on Easton Place Design Studio Journal

The second Instagram account showcased is another "NatGeo" site, NatGeoTravel. Their recent shot of Scotland took my breath away. I can hardly wait to visit!

natgeotravel instagram feature on Easton Place Design Studio

And this week's third feature is Ben Hole (benjaminhole). His photos show the beauty in farming via the English countryside. Cows, pigs, dogs and that gorgeous country backdrop make for dreamy images. 

benjamin hole instagram feature on Easton Place Design Studio

I hope you enjoy my recommendations and give these accounts a follow.

Cheers!


Travel Tuesday: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France

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We left Dublin, Ireland at 10:00 a.m. flying south to Nice, France. Once we'd secured our rental car, we drove north to the provincial town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. I made arrangements with the rental site Haven in Paris for a one bedroom apartment, located on the second floor of a 17th century building, facing the town's square. We were a bit worried about the village upon our 10:00 pm arrival, as all the shops were closed with pull-down metal doors covered in graffiti. The apartment's caretaker assured us there was nothing to worry about, for this was very common throughout the area. We decided to stay the night and see how things looked in the morning. The flat was large and clean, nicely appointed and located near several other towns I'd wanted to see while in France, so we gave it a go. As it turned out, we had an amazing time staying in our little French flat!

photos by Easton Place Design Studio: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France

photos by Easton Place Design Studio: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France

The town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is filled with quaint gift shops and restaurants, as well as antique shops. There is a small waterway that encircles the town proper and features large mossy waterwheels. On any given day you can watch people racing around the waterway in flat wooden boats, having to lay down in the vessels to squeeze under several low bridges! It's great fun to watch and you can be certain no one participating leaves with dry clothing! The French refer to this water-wrapped village as the Venice of Provence.

Matthew and I adored the outdoor cafes, one as tasty as the next. The food was good, most of the servers spoke English (which was most appreciated by the two of us non-French-speaking tourists). The cappuccinos were readily available and delicious. After meals, finding dessert was as easy as finding the water... there were patisseries and glacier located after nearly every cafe and restaurant. Lucky for us, there was a new shop, opening the week we arrived, which sold the most amazing macarons I've ever tasted! 

 

Beautiful skies, flowers and water outside... beautiful candied fruit inside. Photos by Easton Place Design Studio

Beautiful skies, flowers and water outside... beautiful candied fruit inside. Photos by Easton Place Design Studio

Be sure to visit next week when I'll share photos from the market days. Perhaps the most colorful and fragrant market I've ever had the chance to shop, and it was just outside our apartment window! See you next week for Travel Tuesday.

-Patti

Instagram Spotlight no.1

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One of my favorite social media sites is Instagram. I post at least one photo nearly everyday. It's a great way to share the personal side of Easton Place Design Studio. It's also a wonderful place to find inspiration. I'm starting a new weekly feature, here in my Journal, highlighting 2 or 3 Instagram accounts that I find inspiring. Accounts will range in size of followers, but I think all of them will give you a bit of inspiration with their images. If you've not already followed my Instagram account, please do! Perhaps you'll want to follow these first three accounts I'm showcasing as well. (This is not an endorsement post. I just like sharing beauty when I see it.)

-Enjoy!