Floating Market in Provence
On the first Sunday in August, a work of art unfolds in the village of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Provence. The village hosts a floating market, where a carnival of colors is laid out for everyone to imbibe. I like to go early to find a spot right along the bank of the clear green waters of the Sorgue river.
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There they were, the market vendors floating on their wooden ‘barques.’ Their goods were on full display as they skimmed across the water. Olives, flowers, wine, tapenade, tarines, chèvre (with a goat aboard), eggs (chickens clucking on the wooden boat), fruits and vegetables, and boats brimming with the faces of such lovely children and people.
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The people on the boats are all in traditional Provençal attire and it was easy to fall in love with a few of the women: their ruby red lips, braided hair, their straw hats framing French elegance. It was a spectacular painting.
If you can’t make it to the floating market that first Sunday in August, Sundays in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue are festive all year round. The village is famed for its many antique shops and Sunday antique market, along with a traditional open-air market with the lovely produce, baskets, cheeses and baked goods French markets offer. The traditional market has a long history - it began in the 16th century. On a trip to Provence, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is not to be missed.
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