ISLE SUR LA SORGUE

Sunday Open Air Market--Part One

I love flea markets and thrift store shopping. And even though I really don't "need" anything, I love browsing just to see what catches my fancy. Some of my favorite clothes, jewelry, and art de jardin (garden art) are flea market finds. And now with the arrival of spring, brightly colored garage and yard sale signs are popping up all over my town enticing me to come take a look. Is it any wonder then, that I was like a kid in a candy store when I visited the Sunday Open-air Market in l'Isle Sur la Sorgue last October?




First of all, a quick three words about the town itself: c'est bon, merveilleux, terrifique! In fact, it was everything this Walla Walla girl could imagine a small town in Provence could be. The town is situated along the meandering branches of the Sorgue River which explains the presence of so many antique water wheels once used in the prosperous silk and paper industry. This location combined with the narrow streets lined with small shops, restaurants and hotels, made l'Isle Sur la Sorgue a pleasant oasis after spending two previous weeks in the much larger cities of Nice and Istanbul.

We scheduled our visit to include the Sunday Market which is mentioned as a must-see in every travel guidebook in print. And I wasn't disappointed. To say it had everything from soup to nuts is not an exaggeration. But baggage and airline weight restrictions prevented me from making large-scale purchases, so instead I did a lot of virtual shopping with my camera. Allons-y!

Looking for a man's chapeau?

Or perhaps a woman's cloche or beret?

How about a pair of colorful canvas espadrilles?

Is that my stomach I hear growling? There's certainly plenty to eat.

Mmmmmm, this rotisserie poulet and
roasted pommes de terres smell good!

Cheese is always tasty especially French made frommage!

Cheese can be purchased by the full wheel or by the demi wedge.
Your choice.

Or how about a pizza, by the slice or by the pie?
No anchovies, s'il vous plait.

Don't forget dessert, to eat now or to take home for later.

These fruit crumbles look yummy!
Is the red one blackberry?

Or maybe nougat made with raspberries, violets, lemon or almonds.
I'll take a wedge of each.               

 Oh yes, don't forget the nuts.

 There's still a lot more to see. I think I'll take a break for a moment.  À tout à l'heure !