Floating Market - Isle sur la Sorgue

Isle sur la Sorgue Floating Market

One thing that Isle sur la Sorgue does exceptionally well is markets. They are renowned world wide for this.
The first market that we experienced was the day after we arrived when the annual floating market was held. We really lucked out to make it.
There are a lot of fish in the Sorgue River - mainly rainbow trout and river salmon.
Fishing has traditionally been an important activity and kept villages fed for centuries.
Previously there were crayfish in abundance - up to 35.000 caught daily. In 1884 they disappeared over a dry summer. No one knows why - perhaps an epidemic or pollution after the first mechanical paper mills were introduced.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to restock the river since.
The fishermen used flat bottom boats called Nego-Chin.
The families of the fishermen now dress up annually and sell wares from the same boats in homage to when the town's fishermen used to come down and sell from their boats.

The produce all looked really fresh and colourful in the boats on the shore - as did the people who were dressed in traditional costumes.

                                         It was very crowded - clearly a very popular event.

                The crowd bought produce from the boats as they moved around from shore to shore.

                                        A lovely tradition that we enjoyed watching.