Antiquing in L’isle de la Sorgue
📍 L’isle de la Sorgue, France
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Our adventure in the Provence region of France continues with L’isle de la Sorgue. Because the River Sorgue runs through the center of town and offers waterfront dining, it is often lovingly known as the Venice of Provence. This small town is best known for its antique stores and vintage markets that open along the river on the weekends. Even though there was limited space in my checked bag, I found it to be such a pleasure to make time for some antiquing and finding plenty of home inspiration.
A Leisure Drive to L’isle de la Sorgue
From our hotel in Gordes, we drove through the stunning Provençal countryside. It seemed like the whole world was a vibrant shade of green, with so many farms, vineyards, and a smattering of beautiful maisons. Since I wanted to get to our destination as quickly as possible and potentially beat some of the crowds, we didn’t make any stops along the way. I did make a few mental notes for our next trip. I would love to stop at the small wineries to experience the best that the region offers.
Visiting the Many Antique Stores
With the small town beginning to come to life, so too did the 300 plus antique shops that call L’isle de la Sorgue home. Because we were there at the start of the day, many stores were just beginning to open. That gave us first looks at countless treasures. An entire day can be dedicated to perusing through, and you still won’t cover everything. While my bags were already fully packed with goodies from Paris, many shops offer international shipping and create a custom quote for you on the spot. This may be the best way to ensure that all of your antique finds, large and small, make it safely home.
Croissants at Cafe de France
Hunting for antiques can create quite an appetite! After a short shopping spree and walk through town, we grabbed a table at Cafe de France on the Pl. de la Liberté. The town square was beginning to buzz, and the spot made for incredible people-watching. Sitting under the shadow of Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges, we sincerely enjoyed our coffee and second croissant of the day. Inside was a belle epoque inspired bar I wanted to spend more time at. Again, I wondered about vacationing here full time. Such is the life when you visit a place as wonderful as Provence.
Lunch at Café Fleurs
After croissants, lunch was not far behind. I had heard such wonderful things about Café Fleurs. Located right along the Sorgue River, I can’t think of a better place to dine and take in the view. You can expect perfectly made French dishes with just a bit of a global twist. The menu was entirely in French, and I had to trust my limited language skills and intuition while ordering. I made the right call! Out came an herb-encrusted steak with a delicious garlic sauce that I want to accompany every meal now. It was a big lunch, but that’s often a French mindset: light breakfast, heavy lunch, and light dinner.
Sorbet to Beat the Heat
So many great meals ended with dessert, and I wanted to grab a cool treat to help fight the warm mistral winds. On our way back to the rental car, we popped into an ice cream shop, locally known as a glacier. Even though there were a variety of flavors, I knew my choices as soon as I laid eyes on it… Strawberry-Basil and Fig. Delicious and refreshing, I felt like a kid again as I raced to eat the glace before it began to melt. I promise I shared with David, although I think he should have ordered his own cup.
So with very full stomachs and even fuller hearts, we made our way home from Antiquing in L’isle de la Sorgue to Gordes. Our day in this artistic town was, in a word, perfect! Up next, I’ll share some details on our next Provence town that
Love from France,
Katie
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