Rambling and Antiquing

Friday 26 September

More blue skies and sunshine and our destination this morning was the town Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, about 40 minutes to the south of Sablet, and as the name suggests, located on an island surrounded by the clear and rushing waters of the River Sorgue.  This town is famous for its Sunday antiques market, apparently one of the largest in the whole of France.  Parking was tricky enough on a Friday so I can imagine the difficulties that could be encountered on market day.  Anyway we were fortunate enough to locate a spot in a parking area at one end of the main street and made our way to an inviting cafe for coffee and croissant.  The river flows along the middle of the main thoroughfare and is overhung with large shady trees so it is all very picturesque.

Centre of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

We spotted a number of antiques shops as we strolled along, and then ventured into the narrow side streets where there were a large array of interesting stores to browse.  We found a delightful little creperie and enjoyed a nice lunch and some fun conversation with the owner who hailed from Brittany (hence the galettes!).
Having exhausted the points of interest on one side of the street we crossed the river and discovered the entrance to an antiques emporium which was very intriguing.  We walked through the lobby of an ancient building and emerged into a huge courtyard lined with shops selling antiques of all descriptions - some very over the top and ornate, others more simply and country-style.

Entering the Antiques Gallery

 Some lovely trees shaded the courtyard making it a very pleasant place to wander and to check out the wares on offer.  At the far end of the courtyard the river appeared again and we realised that this part of the town is actually situated on an island in the middle of the Sorgue.

Beautiful courtyard lined with antiques stores

As we made our way back to the car we discovered even more shops and galleries selling antiques - the place is a real treasure trove of old stuff!  Lots of fun poking about but we didn't find anything that we wanted to purchase - at least nothing that would fit in a suitcase!

Riverside homewares store, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

It was still early afternoon when we decided to move on, so we drove a short distance to the famous Luberon village of Gordes, which is a very attractive place situated on a bluff overlooking the Luberon valley with its patchwork of olive groves, cherry trees and vines.

View of the Luberon Valley from Gordes

 Although a bit touristy it is a pleasant place to stroll and to have a cool drink on such a lovely day.

One of the many cafes in Gordes

 From Gordes it was homeward bound, although in my wish to avoid the traffic of Orange, we ended up on a rather winding and circuitous route back to Sablet - one that seemed to be favoured by rather intrepid cyclists.

Spectacular approach to Gordes

After arriving home I decided to end our week in Provence by walking to Seguret, the Plus Beaux village which clings to the hillside a couple of kilometres away.  I look across to this quaint village from my bedroom window and had discovered a signposted walking track leading through the fields which looked very inviting.

Looking towards Seguret from Sablet

  It was early evening when I set out and what a gorgeous walk it was, amongst the vines with glorious views of the Dentelles Mountains beyond.

Strolling through the vineyards with the backdrop of the Dentelles

  The path eventually ascended into some woods and finally emerged at the lower edge of Seguret.

Out of the woods and into Seguret

  I walked through the cobblestone streets enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and the delicious aromas of cooking wafting through open windows.

Cobbled streets of Seguret - and an artist at work

At the edge of the village I met the charming Dutch man from the photography shop with his poodle Simone - we had met him earlier in the week when we visited the shop (which he runs).  We walked and chatted until he reached his car and then I carried on back down the hill on the road which took me on a loop back to Sablet.

Heading back to Sablet - golden hour!

 As I made my way home the sun began setting behind the hills on the western side of the Rhone River valley, casting a gorgeous orange hue across the sky - magnificent sunsets in this part of the world!  And so it was back to our gorgeous village house to pack and make preparations to move on in the morning.  I have really been taken with this part of Provence and it is certainly a place I hope to revisit and explore further one day.

Sun set over the Rhone Valley