Avignon: Les Halles

I can't resist a French food market, bursting with ripe fruit, a myriad of exotic cheeses and freshly baked breads. A picnic put together at one of these markets and then eaten by the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the seaside in Antibes would make a memorable travel experience. Alas, I’ve never done it. And when I visited Les Halles in Avignon it was too early for lunch. But along with the charcuterie and glistening seafood, I wanted to see the living green wall on this modern building on Place Pie.

A Scenic Picnic Spot, the Champ de Mars in Paris

The hydroponic garden on the north side of Les Halles was designed in 2005 by Patrick Blanc, the inventor of the Mur Végétal, Vertical Garden. Photos of other projects around the globe can be seen on Blanc’s web site. (There may be one where you live.)

Vertical Garden of Les Halles, Avignon

Getting back to the true stars of the market, the forty vendors of Les Halles present a mouth-watering array of local specialties including extra virgin olive oils, Côtes du Rhône wines and fragrant Provencal herbs. What a picnic!

Les Halles is open daily (except Monday) from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (2:00 p.m. on weekends).

Have you enjoyed a memorable picnic in your travels?

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Market Day in Antibes

Cours Saleya Market, Nice