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Eight great things to do in France this Easter weekend

The Local France
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Eight great things to do in France this Easter weekend
Photo: Isle sur la Sorgue Antiques Art & You/Facebook

It's Easter already. If you haven't got plans, we've got you covered.

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It's going to be a sunny long weekend for most of France (but not for those in the north east) - so here are a few ways to make the most of it. 
 
1. Have a slice of France's biggest omelette
 
The town of Bessieres in southwestern France will host a gathering of 10,000 people on Easter Monday - and about 15,000 eggs. 
 
This rather bizarre tradition is in recognition of when Napoleon Bonaparte and his army once spent the night near the town. After eating (and evidently very much enjoying) an omelette made by a local innkeeper, Napoleon ordered the townspeople to gather all the eggs in the village to make a gigantic omelette for his army to eat the next day. 
 
The town will host four days of activities for Easter, with the big omelette project beginning at 11am on Monday. 
 
 
 
2. Take a stroll on the Champs-Elysées in Paris
 
The Paris City Hall is making the world's most famous avenue car-free on Easter Sunday - the perfect chance to head down for a walk. 
 
While you're out, why not extend the stroll to include the Right Bank of the River Seine, which was recently inaugurated as a permanently car-free zone. 
 
 
3. Tackle an Easter egg hunt
 
Of course, there are Easter egg hunts all over France (just search online for "La Chasse aux oeufs" in your area)... but here's a quick look at three of the best in Paris. 
 
On Friday there'll be an outdoor egg hunt that's tied in with Velib stations across the city. Look for the hourly clues on the @Velib Twitter account. 
 
The Jardin d'Acclimation in the 16th arronidissement will be hiding 15,000 eggs on Sunday including "a big surprise". 
 
On Easter Monday there'll be a hunt at the Musée du Chocolat in the 10th arrondissement (who better to make a chocolate egg!). 
 
 
4. Check out a traditional Antiques and Art fair in Provence
 
The "Antiques Art and You" fair will run from the 13th to the 17th of April, an international fair in the Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a beautiful corner of Provence in southern France. 
 
It's the 102nd edition, so you can expect that they know what they're doing by now - and they've promised "more sellers, more international buyers, and more events". 
 
The official site promises a whole lot more than just bric-a-brac, with plans for events, concerts, and competitions.
 
Photo: Isle sur la Sorgue Antiques Art & You/Facebook
 
5. The Avignon Fair
 
Meanwhile, not too far down the road there'll be another top class fair to check out: The Foire d'Avignon. 
 
It will run from the 14th to the 17th of April at the Parc des expositions, and will see over 350 stands organized by themes like habitat, funiture, decoration, good, well being, and even cars. 
 
 
6. Pottery market on the Riviera
 
Prefer a bit of pottery? (Don't we all?)
 
Why not head to Bandol in southeastern France from April 15th to the 16th for some serious insight into ceramics, sculpture, and design at the Marché des Potiers.
 
Yes this annual fair will allow the public to head down to the harbourside to take in over 70 stalls of everything pottery-related. 
 
Prizes will be awarded at midday on Sunday if you want to see the best of the best getting recognized. 
 
 
 
 
It's a sad time of year for seafood-lovers as the scallop season comes to an end, but Brittany fishing towns Erquy, Saint-Quay-Portrieux and Paimpol ensure it goes out in style with a dedicated festival.
 
There will be a parade, street entertainment, music and obviously plenty of food. Many restaurants offer special menus for the occasion and you can even go out with the sailors on one of the final fishing trips.
 
Sure, scallops aren't a traditional Easter dish, but why not start this year?
 
Photo: Alain Quemper/ Brittany Tourism
 
 
 
It's easy to see why the ancient city of Antibes, founded centuries BC and a favourite of Monet, Picasso and Renoir to name just a few, is an appropriate venue for one of Europe's largest antiques and arts fairs. 
 
The stalls, some covered and some open-air, will showcase jewellery, artworks and furniture, and the event has become popular with international traders and collectors. 
 
Photo: Antibes art fair

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