A warm sunny day in Avignon, with a bit of a breeze. We took the short walk to the central railway station (Gare Centrale) in time to catch the scheduled 9.31am to Nimes, only to be told it had been cancelled due to ongoing strike action. So back to the nearby bus station where we jumped on the 9.40am bus for a very pleasant ride through the countryside to L’Isle-Sur-la Sorge, arriving 50 minutes later. The old village of L’Isle de la Sorgue is surrounded on all sides by a diversion of the Sorgue River, truly making it an island. There are 14 large paddlewheels (originally 66) along the course of the river, in past times powering the spinning wheels for textiles weaving and for milling grain.
After a general wander around we visited the La
Collegiale Notre Dame de Anges, originally constructed in the 13th
century but given a decidedly Baroque update in the 17th century,
making it one of the most outstanding examples of Baroque in the region. Richly decorated inside with 222 angels, huge
art works and many other statues, it also includes the remains - woodwork, paintings and statues - of the convents
of the Isle that had been removed during the Revolution. It was all a bit overwhelming, although one
particularly poignant inclusion were two plaques containing the names of more
than 300 children of the region who had been killed during World War I.
We then
went outside and had morning tea at the Café de France, the oldest café in L’Isle de la Sorgue and the centre
of the local French Resistance Movement
during World War II. John took time out
to revisit his time as head of intelligence to interrogate a stool pigeon.
We then followed the suggested tourist trail,
following the waterwheels, past the 12th century Silver Tower (now under
renovation), until we reached L’Instant Appy, a hip little garden terrace café
at the rear of a clothing shop (highly
recommended on TripAdvisor). After lunch
a bit more wandering and back on the bus for a sleepy trip back to Avignon. A very relaxing day.
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