Having visited twice in 2014, first in Midsummer for a week and then in late September for two, we did a lot in the area and used the property to the full.
The house is a very pleasant, modern house in a quiet close, ten minutes’ walk along the river to the town, and with a boulangerie even closer. Super U (and Monsieur Bric, for those of us who like looking at other culture’s ironmongery and power tools!) are also within easy walking distance, though both, of course, have large car parks for filling up with the large “shops” that holidays dictate. The town itself has a good range of shops, a brilliant Sunday market, and, of course, antiques coming out of its ears. L’Isle-sur-la-Sourgue is also well stocked with restaurants, cafes and bars, all within easy walking distance, so no worries about breathalysers. At midsummer itself, there is a great festival with lots of music in the town’s squares as the evening draws on, and people everywhere.
The house was cool in the June heat, with its tiled floors, and comfortable as the autumn arrived. We used the pool during both visits and welcomed its cooling effect in the sunshine and the briskness of exercise later in the year! The beds are comfortable and the house is well furnished with everything we needed. The garden is pleasant to sit in, and there is plenty of room for both the sun-lovers and those who need the shade. Eating out of doors was the norm.
Although you can easily get to the Town by train We flew to Marseilles and hired a car (last year, Europcar seemed to have the longest queues, but that may just have been when we went), which meant that we could explore the area – and we will be going back to do more. It is just over an hour from the airport, an easy drive. We went riding in the Carmargue, and in the Alpilles, shopping in Avignon and Salon de Provence, birdwatching near Merindol, exploring and eating in Arles and Apt, round the hairpin bends on Mont Ventoux, marvelling at the Roman ruins in Vaison-les Romaines, and to numerous other places, near and far. This property is well situated to get a real feel for this area of France, so we would recommend getting the best maps from IGN. We will be using ours when we return in June 2015 to explore from here again!