Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, spring is here and it’s pretty amazing. The weather has been a bit up and down in temperature, and we got some much-needed rain this week, but otherwise it’s been nothing but sunny skies.
Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, things are slowly cooling down here in the South of France after a very hot summer. The summer attitude is still here, ie. folks still feel like they’re on vacation, but the temperatures have dropped considerably – which indeed makes going to the beach and enjoying these last few …
Greetings dear readers and friends. Well, I hope it’s warm and sunny in your corner of the world, because for us… spring is on! We went from thunderstorms last week (even a hailstorm last Thursday) to summer-like temperatures and clear, blue skies. And man, it’s really nice. And the change in people’s moods is pretty …
Greetings dear readers and friends! We’re enjoying the long Pentecost weekend over here and thought it would be a nice time to share with you another great experience I had while visiting the Vaucluse a few weekends ago.
I had Sunday morning all to myself and it was quite difficult to decide how to spend my time with so many beautiful villages in the area. Then I remembered it was market day in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue which made my choice very easy – to market, and brocante, I was headed.
It had been about three years since I’d visited Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, but those pretty images of the town were still in my mind. And that Sunday morning did little to disappoint.
Thankfully, I arrived early (around 9:15am), as by the time I left (about 10:30am) there was not a parking place in sight. This is one popular market, and with good reason. Not only do you have the “fruit & veg” side of the market – which also includes house wares, tablecloths, and lovely-smelling soaps from the Luberon (which make great gifts by the way) – there is the famous Isle-sur-la-Sorgue brocante and antiques market that happens every Sunday.
The brocante has been held for close to 40 years, and, as I learned from the Isle-sur-la-Sorgue tourist office site, it has “forged the identity” of the city – giving it an international acclaim. The market “innovated” Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, leading it in a different economic direction from a town that was know for its fishermen, wool-makers, and paper craftsmen.
I don’t pretend to know anything about objects / antiques, but what I do love is admiring them in all their cool and quirky forms.
I hope you enjoy these photos of my morning spent at the Isle-sur-la-Sorgue brocante, and above all, I hope you get a chance to visit one day yourself!
Every Sunday, 8am-6pm
Avenue des 4 Otages
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Greetings dear readers and friends! Well, fall in Provence is just whipping past us… witnessed by the fact that Christmas decorations are already on sale in most stores around town. Not to mention that they’re preparing to open our local Christmas market (in Toulon) any day now. No complaints here, as Christmas in France is an equally beautiful time of year, but I thought I might share some colors or the season before we slowly slip into the winter months.
Because fall in the South is quite spectacular and a real “explosion” of color!
From the markets – which are featuring more and more “decorative” objects for the season like gourds and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes – to the muliple “foodie-themed” festivals that take place around the region, fall is a perfect time to explore the natural side of Provence and sample some of its finest regional products.
Or a chance to visit hidden-treasures like the Chartreuse de la Verne, a monastery near the village of Collobrières – which is famous for its annual chestnut festival (the biggest, and most-attended, food fête in the region).
Apart from the food festivals that highlight the products of the season, fall is a particularly nice time to visit because of the temperate weather that lasts well into November. Gone are the blistering-hot days of the end of summer – where mid-afternoon required setting yourself up in the nearest air-conditioned café. Fall days may be shorter, but they are still full of sunshine and allow for whole days spent along the seaside.
Olive festival in the village of Ollioules.
This fall season has been especially nice as far as the weather is concerned. Our town, Toulon, is quite full of retired folks, and it’s always amazing to see many of them swimming in the sea into November. I was down at the beach last Wednesday morning chatting with a women who told me I absolutely had to take a “bain”, dip, in the sea – said she’s been doing it during the holiday period (All Saints’ Day) for as long as she could remember. It was 10am!
You may not find yourself swimming in the sea in November, but you will enjoy all the beauty of Provence if you come for a visit in the fall…
Bon weekend and bon voyage!
Tuula
What a glorious time of year in Provence! I think we can say that about all of the seasons in the south of France (well, actually, winter is no picnic if truth be told…) but somehow when each season rolls around I find something new to marvel about. This year I’m really taken with all …
