Scorchio!

I have never visited Provence in August before......... my goodness it is a long way beyond hot.

The air is full of the heady scents of lavender and pine and the streets are full of antiques, well they are in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue!

There were vendors lining the banks of the canals with their waterwheels

And the shops and cafés spilled out onto the streets................

There were oodles of linens

and lots more besides

By midday metalware was painful to touch and you could hear the squeals from unwary buyers who were burned as they tried to pick things up.
But it isn't just a brocante, the whole town is dedicated to antiques, with endless courtyards and buildings where dealers have permanent displays. Weaving in and out of the warren of little streets it is easy to lose track of the time as you become absorbed in it all. It is also easy to become badly sunburned, I have the pattern of my sandals scorched onto my feet as a souvenir!
Many of the courtyards and gardens are also beautifully set out to serve delicious food under the shady branches.

Many of the dealers have created beautiful interiors that are utterly inspirational.

There were lots of huge clocks, including one that was from a village church. The entire enamelled face was badly damaged by gunshot and I imagined that perhaps it had happened in the war, but no.......................just 'La Chasse' in high spirits after a vin d'honneur' or two! Isn't that awful?

There were delicious sign written shop fronts in the square and some very inviting displays.
One shop specialised in textiles......................................

All neatly stacked and labelled. In the main shop there were several women all sitting rewinding lengths of lace, unpicking quilts to save precious fragments of textile and ironing the monogrammed linens. It felt like a scene from the last century.
Not everyone allowed photographs to be taken, especially those selling the more valuable items, but there was no shortage of subject matter.........................I had to return with my camera the following day when it was cooler and less crowded.

I just loved the way this lady mirrored the pose of the sculpture!

Life imitates art!

I also went to a huge brocante in Carpentras where it was even hotter, no leafy shade there...................
But there were some sights

Negotiating prices was a challenge, the French spoken here is totally different to that of the Auvergne. The words have a slow chewy quality, so vingt cinq becomes a lazy 'vengseng' for example. it takes a while to tune in.
I could easily have ended up bankrupt and barefoot! but in the end I bought some exceptional things. I will let you take a peek tomorrow.