Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 - (Page 46)

Provence FOR THE TRAVELER Continued from page 45 sorts abound and handcrafted items made by artisans can be easily found and horded in time for the holidays. Savon de Marseille, or Marseille soap, is a traditional product of the city and has been made there since at least 1370, but the vegetable oil-based version made today dates to 1688. Often made from olive oil, these blocks of soap incorporate seawater from the Mediterranean. Although you can find Marseille soap in the U.S. (stamped with various markings and availand civic commitment. The shops are on rue Francis Davso and rue Caisserie. During the French Revolution, churches were closed to the public and nativity scenes at Christmas were banned. In order to continue their holiday tradition, people began making their own nativity scenes at home. Thus began the Provençal tradition of santons. Santon comes from the word santoun, meaning “little saint.” These are little handmade, hand-painted figurines that represent saints and biblical figures, as well as “regular” people and animals. The coules, was so unassuming, you’d miss it if you blinked. His workshop is truly that—a room with a desk, a worktable and some shelves on which to place his finished products. He told us that he is so oldschool, he doesn’t even have an e-mail address; however, he’s working with someone to build a website, so use a search engine in the near future to find him. The official Santon Fair, a tradition since 1803, starts on the last Sunday of November in the Cours d’Estienne d’Orves, a large square off the Vieux-Port. Pottery is a popular art in Marseille, and one can stroll into these shops and find the artists at work, painting their wares. I met one céramiste named Serge Moutarlier, who was hard at work on one of his many objets d’art when I entered his shop, Serge Moutarlier Céramiques, and after looking around, it was hard not to buy one of everything, from bowls and wall hangings to mirrors and adorable images of people. But my absolute favorite shop in Marseille was Place aux Huiles. Here is a foodie’s dream come true. All sorts of artisanal gourmet foods can be found, from tapenades, jams and Provençal honey to spices and local beverage favorites to infused vinegars and olive oils, which you can taste. The sweet vinegars, such as fig, cassis, vanilla and mango, were scrumptious, but there was something irresistible about the green tomato- and chili-infused versions.The olive oils were just as impressive, ranging in flavors from ginger, truffle, basil, rosemary and more. Additionally, the Provence region is known for its rosé production, as well as its almond-paste confections and colorful Provençal-style linens, adorned with drawings of olives and figs, all of which can be found throughout the Old Town. A trip to Marseille can be more than about the bouillabaisse; it can be about stepping out of chain-store mediocrity and into the world of the almost-lost art of quality HB products, made locally and with pride. Place aux Huiles in Marseille, Provence, is a foodie’s dream come true able from such purveyors as L’Occitane, which is based in Provence), why not get it right at the source? Although Marseille soap can be purchased at many stores throughout the town, there is one shop that specializes in it. La Compagnie de Provence has multiple worldwide locations, two of which are in Marseille. Its tagline is “soap, skincare & well-being,” and its focus is authentic, quality products 46 making of santons is a true art form and santon makers are called santonniers. There are shops all over Provence that sell nothing (or almost nothing) but santons, and santon fairs begin several months before Christmas so people can add to their collections in time for the season. One particular santonnier we were pleased to visit was a man on the rue des Moulins, whose shop, Le Cabanon des Ac- Home-BasedTravelAgent NOV EMBE R 2008

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Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Publisher’s Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Cultural Tourism Luxury Hotels For the Traveler: Luxury For the Agent: Luxury For the Traveler: Latin America For the Agent: Latin America Hawaii For the Traveler: Provence For the Agent: Provence For the Traveler: Florida For the Agent: Florida Home-Based Agent Expo New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008

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