Sunset, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

We are getting ready to leave L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue after using it as our base to explore this area of  Provence for the past  three weeks. We have had a strong mistral wind blowing for the past six days - gusty - 20-30mph - dry and mostly clear. About a half hour before sunset, the clouds on the western horizon were showing potential so I headed out for another attempt to see a beautiful sunset.

More clouds start moving into view.

After the first couple images, I was cold and under-dressed, the wind was howling, so I turned and started for home.  Ten steps later I stopped and turned around and went back.  Another couple images and I did the same thing.  Eventually I stayed another half-hour until it was too dark and cold to get anything useful.

It just got better and better.

Found a slightly different vantage point nearby.

Patience is hard-earned standing in the cold and wind. Clearly, I was richly rewarded. (These images are straight out of the camera with some minimal cropping - no other Photoshop trickery.)

Here are a few random thoughts about France I have neglected to mention in previous blog posts:

1. eating outside in the world on a cool day with the sun shining down on my plate is ALWAYS a delightful experience.
2. salad is never served here with nasty iceberg lettuce but rather with fresh romaine or similar - crisp, fresh, and green.
3. the French culture does not try to protect you from your own stupidity and carelessness - the roads are narrow and twisty with steep banks and often steeper drop-offs and seldom are there guardrails - drive carefully and pay attention - it's not France's fault if you hurt yourself.
4. life and living is a good thing to be savored, not something that needs to be managed, regulated, controlled in every detail, nor rushed through.
5. I like France - a lot!

Note: two posts today, keep on scrolling.

Market Day, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue has a Sunday and a Thursday market and they attract many folks from nearby towns. Market day is also a day just to be out and about and relaxing on a bench in the town garden. I love the expressions of these folks as I flushed this pigeon into flight - the dog missed the whole action.

Want some herbs or spices? Say the name of it or point - sorry, no little glass jars on a shelf like in an American supermarket.

Radishes, the long and skinny variety.

The olive and tapenade vendor was doing a brisk business.

As I've said before, anywhere a restauranteur can set up a table he/she will do so - even on this narrow bridge over the Sorgue river.

I have observed both in Paris and here in Provence that coffee and a cigarette and a long sit nursing a tiny cup is the cafe lifestyle - watching people, chatting, not in any hurry.  Smoking, drinking, dogs at their feet - cafe life. The waiter and waitress each with way too many tables, are unflappable - as soon as a table empties, new customers sit down  - back and forth, back and forth, weaving through the Sunday market crowd of walkers, dogs, cars, vans, vendor stands to reach the table by the water across the street - ever unflappable.  Nobody yells, nobody gets in a huff - cafe life - it'll be when it'll be. Patience in full view.

By mid-afternoon, the market stalls have been disassembled until the next time but the festive atmosphere remains as a saxophonist sets up below my window and entertains the cafe patrons for most of the afternoon.

The stroller kid was fascinated by the saxophone sounds.  Every time his mother tried to push the stroller away, he became quite agitated in his two-year-old manner and insisted they stay - they stayed. 

Note:  This is the first of two posts I published today, keep scrolling down.

Random Sights, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

A mistral is defined as: a strong cold north-westerly wind that blows through the Rhône valley and southern France towards the Mediterranean, mainly in winter. We have been experiencing it for more than a week. While the relentless wind annoys some people, it clears the air and has given us some beautiful sunsets like the one above.

Wandering through town I saw this startling blending of new and old.

Fence spikes against a stucco wall.

A mannequin and a wall mural.

The Sorgue river through town.

With all the water in this town, there are many ducks who call it home........

......and none are happier about that than a little girl ......

... and her daddy who brought along some stale bread to feed the ducks.

A morning tour group caught in the rain. Like elementary school, they all stay really close together so they'll not miss getting on their bus.

Note: I published two posts today, keep scrolling down for the second post.

My Window View, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

The apartment we rented for our stay here (through online company VRBO) is right in the thick of things.  It's exciting to have a downtown life where everything is within walking distance.  The view of the world out the window is like watching a movie - constantly changing.  This image is at dawn. The tracks are from the street sweeper truck which just made a pass through town. Restauranteurs leave their tables, chairs, and umbrellas out all-night unattended.

Morning streets wet with rain.

Midday on a market day. Rugs, belts, CDs, vinyl LPs, produce, clothing, you name it and it's probably here.

Evening calm.

Late night - the shops all closed and everyone gone home. Bonsoir, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

Note: this is the first of two posts for today. Keep scrolling down for the second one.

Random Sights, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

 L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a great town to wander about.  It's full of narrow twisty lanes, the terrain is flat, and since it's surrounded by water, you can only get a little bit lost and never be far from home. Some have called it the Venice of Provence.

This stone garden table looks like a great place for lunch or dinner if you have a party of 14 people. I just wandered in - not sure if it's part of a restaurant when in season or free public access.

Fading paint and a small piccolo boy on the windowsill.

An antiques shop closed today. Google translate says it means, "My Dear Master."

Love this multi-tasker - speed walking, reading her smartphone, and reaching in her bag for something else. Furniture store is in the background and the town main square in the reflection, Whew! Way too much happening.

Once again, there's that front door color that I like. I shall call it, "Provence Blue," soon to be my front door color back home.

I think it might be odd living over a street like the blue house above - but a great vantage point to see the comings and goings of townsfolk and visitors.



Inside the town's 12th century church.



And as we've seen typically in both the Paris area and here in Provence, flowers are for sale every day, not just on market day.



I can't tell if the stucco fell off or has been chipped off but, I sure like the stone look underneath.

Yep, I think it's time for a new front door color when I get home - "Provence Blue." This house has a backyard on and steps down to the Sorgue River.



And speaking of the Sorgue, as darkness falls, the restaurants get ready to open at or after 7pm to start the dinner hours. No 5pm early bird specials here.

Market Day, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Sometimes I sit and watch the River Sorgue flow by, crystal clear all the way to the bottom, ducks swimming upstream against the stiff current, frothing white over the falls, flowing out of one of the most prolific springs in France, the source just a few miles upstream from here.  L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a varied city - rivers, gardens, markets, shops, restaurants, homes, hustle, bustle, calm, flat, walkable - all encircled with crystal clear flowing water.

Thursday and Sunday are market days when vendors erect their stands in the streets. It is such a pleasure to shop for fresh produce outside in a local market, buying from a real person who usually made it or grew it or knows who did, rather than the plastic wrapped, prepackaged environments of the modern U.S. supermarket. I think that life was meant to be lived this way, buying small amounts often instead of pre-packaged stuff with a long shelf life. Sometimes a local dog wanders by calmly, hoping for something to drop on the ground but, otherwise well-behaved.

We bought some nougat from this vendor, a friendly baker originally from Tunisia.

He had many sweets to tempt a sweet tooth........but we resisted - except for the nougat.

Lots of dried fruits and nuts including the best tasting and biggest figs I've ever eaten.

A wonderfully talented acoustic guitarist played for tips among the vendors.

As did this sax man who played a beautiful rendition of the "Basin Street Blues" - made me feel like I was in New Orleans.

And always in France, fresh flowers.

But here's the stereotype made truth, a bicycle leaning against a wall with a fresh baguette in the basket ready to go home. Not a prop - a real person's bicycle on a trip to the market - all that's missing is a small dog peering over the edge of the basket.

I have noticed the skies here to be remarkably quiet and devoid of aircraft.  That quiet was briefly broken today with this overflight of a tight formation of French fighter jets. (I added some texture to hide the fact the image was of such poor quality - nice tight formation though).

All that walking around the market meant it was time for a delicious vegan meal which included a fruit and veggie salad, roasted eggplant, fresh bread, and fresh wine. Life is good in Provence!