Carpentras revisited

We have on this trip been revisiting many spots where we have not been for a few years. Carpentras was on the list, for a visit to Jouvaud's mothership store in the town center. It is an easy 25 minute drive from our house, mostly autoroute. The last time we visited it was not enjoyable. It was on market day, Friday, and parking was impossible, the streets too crowded, and the market almost too big to grasp. I felt that it would take me a full day to walk it in its entirety and understand it and each vendor, and also that the quality of St. Remy or Apt was not there. I had, at that time, almost written the city off our list. But this visit reversed our thoughts completely. It was clean, tame, with beautiful views, and a very positive visit.

On the way in, once we arrived into the city, we immediately found a wonderful, large, health food store, Attitude Bio, as I needed canola oil for tonight's dinner. The store had every product I have found in Biocoop, as well as others, including Marius Fabre. On leaving the town I also saw a sign for the local Biocoop there in Carpentras.

We quickly found a hot spot for lunch. La Malaga is cool in the shade, but full of business people having lunch, lightning fast service, excellent food, reasonable prices, omelettes and salads were well-prepared and served well. Staff was very pleasant, especially to Avril (which is always part of how we judge a restaurant here).

We then found our way quickly to the Synagogue which is about one block away, into the small square and to the left, in a non-descript but old building with a sign in Hebrew and French. Unfortunately, we managed to arrive on a day where the building was not accepting visitors, perhaps because they are preparing for a Jewish music festival beginning Sunday.

We continued walking through to the main square, past a large, very ancient church dating from the 13th century, and I turned right, walked a little and found Jouvaud, purchasing baguettes for dinner, a few desserts to try (including the reliable cherry crumble) and enjoying the wonderful old-world ambience of the shop, of the people sitting and enjoying their coffee and sweets in the shade of the store, it was how we imagine France to be, now and always.

We then returned home to rest and relax in the afternoon breeze. Although we know the US is exceptionally hot, it is exceptionally pleasant here, in the low 80s, and perfect.