There is a good little shop in St Auban (open 09:00 -12:00 and 16:30-18:00 except Tuesday), which sells bread and essentials. There is also a post office and library with internet access. 

Our local farm at Hautes Beaumettes sells goats cheese, eggs and potatoes. 

You can buy sheep's cheese (delicious with fig jam) from the neighbouring hamlet of Le Defens in the mornings, telephone 04 93 60 43 15.  

Excellent organic produce is sold by Pierre Fabre at La Sagne, tel. 04 93 60 40 20.

At Logis du Pin (fifteen minutes drive) you can buy delicious fresh fruit and vegetables, local wine and local dried meat and eggs. The fruit and vegetables stall is open as follows:

May - June		Tues - Fri: 08:30 -12:30, 15:00 – 19:00 and Sat - Sun: 08:30 -19:00. Closed Monday.
July - Aug		Tues - Sun: 08:30 – 19:30. Closed Monday.
Rest of Year		Friday: 15:00 - 18:30 and Sat - Sun: 8:30 -18:00. Closed Mon - Thu.
Jan – mid Feb		Closed.

There is also a butcher's van at Logis du Pin on Saturday 10:00 – 11:15, and a fish van on Friday 15.30 – 17:00 and Saturday 09:00 – 13:00.  Tel. 06 65 36 33 78 / 06 66 57 62 62

The fruit and vegetable stall at La Garde is also very good and has an indoor delicatessen. It's open every day from 08:00 – 19:00 but closed in winter.

From March to October you can buy trout from the fish ponds in St Auban.

Other local shops:

• Vivals in Greolieres is open every day, 08:00 - 20:00.
• The shop/tabac in Brianconnet, tel. 04 93 60 40 64 is open 9.30 -12.30 and 17.30 – 19.30 every day except Wednesday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.

• The shop in Soleihas, tel 04 93 60 40 28 is open 09.30 -12.30 and 17.30 -19.30 (20.00 Friday and Saturday), every day except Thursday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.

• The shop in Thorenc, tel 04 93 60 02 73 is open 07:30-12:30 and 16:00 – 19:00 (18:00 Sunday). every day except Monday afternoon and all day Wednesday.

Castellane

Castellane which is 30 minutes drive away, has an excellent market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A trip to the market is a must for all visitors in the summer time. It can get very busy so aim to get there for 9am. 

You can buy any type of olive or olive oil you want. They also sell Tapenade made from crushed olives and Anchoide from anchovies, both of which are delicious on a slice of baguette.

Due to the dry climate here goat and sheep's cheese are the local specialities, often sold decorated with local dried herbs - winter savory, thyme or rolled in pepper corns. Tomme is also very popular.

You can buy every type of dried meat in any size of sausage you want from donkey to wild boar.

There is also a very good fish counter selling locally caught fish, (ok so some of it maybe comes from the North Sea or Spain).

You can buy lavender or thyme flavoured honey. The bee hives are placed in the middle of the lavender fields or in meadows of wild thyme so that the pollen taken from these local plants gives its flavour to the honey.

If you've got the nostrils for it, you'll enjoy doing a sniff-a-thon around the soap counter. Here you have a wonderful selection of soaps made from every local perfume from lavender to wild boar. 

You can buy any flavour of balsamic vinegar you want from truffle to candyfloss. Most of which are delicious in a salad dressing or on a crusty piece of baguette.

At the market they also sell home made pizza and flavoured bread, always handy for a picnic by the lake after visiting the market.  They also sell lots of vegetable purees made from sundried tomatoes or artichokes which on a slice of baguette with a bottle of pastis from the 'cave', by the church, are all nice to have for aperatifs at the end of the afternoon.

Castellane also has the nearest supermarkets (open 9-12.30 and 3 - 7.30).

Market days in local villages

Markets are held in nearby towns at the following times:

Gourdon

A souvenir shoppers Mecca. A beautiful perched village over looking the Mediterranean.

Click here for more information about Gourdon  or its chateau.

To see  other local villages click here.

Grasse

The area around Grasse is famous for the manufacture of essential oils, used in soaps and perfumes, several of the factories in Grasse have guided tours and factory shops on site which are great to visit on a very rainy day. For further information have a look at the Grasse Tourist Office website

Sweets, such as marzipan and crystallised fruits are also made in the region, the Florian Sweet Factory at Le Pont du Loup near Grasse is well worth a visit.

Nice

For the serious shopper Nice is one and a quarter hours drive.

The Vieux Ville at the bottom the Colline du Château, the port and the Promenade des Anglais are well worth a visit.  

Here are a few ideas of other places to visit and useful websites:

• Matisse Museum
• Musée et Site Archéologique de Nice-Cimiez
• Villa & Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild is situated between Nice and Monaco
• Parc Pheonix opposite Nice Airport

Maps and more ideas of where to visit are available on Google Maps.

Monaco

Monaco is one and a half hours drive away.

The Jardin Exotique gives a great view over Monaco.

Other places to visit are the world famous casino and harbour full of millionaires yachts. For those who want to rub shoulders with Royalty there is always the Palace. Wikipedia gives its history.

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