Day 27
After giving Avignon the once-over yesterday, checking out many historic sights and stopping at a few restaurants and very cool cafes and bars, it was time to stretch our legs out of town.
Friday had us on the bus for a 45 minute ride to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue which is enclosed by the river Sorgue (hence the obvious name). Famous for it’s Sunday antique market and waterwheels that turn on the canals that run along the main streets, it was the perfect day trip to work into our week in Provence.
Having read on a few forums how congested the city of 20,000 gets on market day we opted for a slower day of the week which turned out to be the right choice.
Even on a Friday the city center was humming with travellers in the 31C heat. Despite being off the beaten track the locals were well acquainted with hungry and thirsty mobs looking for shade and bargains in the many eclectic shops and galleries. The city core dates back to the 14th century so the narrow, short lanes twist and turn leaving surprises around every bend.
Like in many historical places the color palate in the city centers are tightly controlled. L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue had mainly natural greens and pale blues for the doors and shutters against the light brown stonework. So it was left to the brilliant foliage throughout the town and vibrant store displays to accent the ancient backdrop.
As in all of Provence these are not cookie cutter shops flogging the same merchandise side by side. Many shops had locally made artisinal goods with enticing storefronts and wonderful accent lighting. My favourite by far was a gallery called Retour de Voyage. It had marvelous displays of furniture, artwork, hats and caps, plates, bowls, and the most magnificent lighting I’ve ever seen! The owner was very approachable and despite recognizing us as window shoppers he made a point of describing many extraordinary features in his shop.
We were enthralled with the location to the point that when we went to find a place to eat we had passed the 2 pm deadline when all eating establishments close for at least two hours. The odd one still served drinks but all of the kitchens were closed. We saw this throughout Spain and made allowances for it but we were specifically told that in France there is no ‘siesta’ time. Maybe in most of France but never say never in the smaller communities.
We did manage to score some fries in the only fast food joint in town right before it closed and that laid down a base in our stomachs so we could have some drinks in a shady spot beside one of the canals and mitigate the effects.
On our bus coming out from Avignon were a young couple seated a few rows in front of us and while waiting for the bus on the return side we of course chatted them up after finding out that we were waiting on the wrong side of the street.
They were from Stockholm and were winding down a two week holiday in France and heading for the Alps after this. They mixed in their Airbnbs with a few hostel stays, which was something that we considered in our trip planning but private rooms with bathrooms in hostels were about the same price as what we were spending, so it would have been a big downgrade for us.
Our return trip dropped us off at the bus depot beside the train station. We meandered through the cobblestone lanes, stopped several times for shopping and treats, and made our way back for dinner in Agnes’ kitchen and an evening on the terrace.
Tomorrow we’re heading out just beyond the old town walls, over a couple of bridges, to spend part of our day in Villeneuve lez Avignon exploring another island town, surrounded this time by the Rhone.
Blue Delivery 