One of my best friends from growing up days in Charlotte, NC has been in Uzes visiting the last two weeks. While our travels have kept me from writing on the blog,  there will be some crazy stories to share over the next few posts. Fortunately she hasn’t lost her sense of adventure and schoolgirl humor, so our time together was a riot.

Plat du Jour and wine at a favorite restaurant

Our first week together started out with my showing my guest, Pat, some of the highlights of Uzes and surrounding villages. There were also a few days filled with shopping and introducing her to some of my favorite people and places. Saturday Market, of course.

Meeting friend and bass player Gianni  with the Gig Street Band

Saturday Market

Kid’s fashions at the Saturday Market

After a few days in Uzes we took off for a little village southeast of here, L’isle Sur la Sorgue. The village is well-known for it’s Sunday antique market which starts early in the morning. We left in plenty of time to spend several hours shopping; however we failed to find our way until a couple of hours before it ended.

Little did I know that the  few wrong turns on the hour and a half trip, with Pat navigating, was to set the stage for the rest of our travels.

Canals snake through L’Isle Sur la Sorgue enhancing its charm

Cafes and market vendors lined the sides of the canal

Ducks swam peacefully up and down the stream where the water was so clear you could see the bottom and creatures below

Cafes that are tucked away from the busy sidewalks are filled on Sundays

One of several water wheels around town reminding visitors of the town’s industrial past

When we reached L’isle Sur la Sorgue we learned that Sundays are not just for the antique market. The town is filled with vendors and street merchants of all types. 

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Cuddle Fish Provence Style

Roasted pork and chickens

Barely able to pull ourselves away from the various food and trinket stands, we discovered the area of town with migrant antique dealers with their goods literally spread up and down the roadway.

Tourists shopping along the avenue of antique dealers

 In my other life this would have been paradise. The silver, the crystal, the blue and white china, the majolica … too good to be true. 

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Not to mention the antique gallery with 30 permanent shops…

… and the crazy shop on the main avenue filled with decorations for indoors and out.

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Even if we’d been a few hours earlier, we couldn’t have had a better day. L’isle Sur la Sorgue is now one of my “best favorite places”to visit and to show off to guests who want to wander through Provence. 

Highly recommend!

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