Family · 4 min
Into the Ten-Degree Water, Shrieking with Delight
When the midday heat settles over Provence, there is one sure lifeline, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. There the Sorgue wells cold and clear from the rock, and the children wade in shrieking, as if they had just invented the sea. After a morning at the brocante in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue it is the perfect, cool finale.
The cold, clear water
The water is barely ten degrees, even in high summer. When it is forty degrees outside, ten degrees in the water is pure joy. For children it is a dare and a delight at once. First they hesitate, then one is standing in it, and there is no stopping them. Bring water shoes, the stones are slippery, and one more towel than you think.
The great water wheel
Beside the water a great, moss-green wheel turns, slowly, dripping, creaking. No child walks past it. You explain how it once drove a mill, and for a moment machinery is a toy and history something to touch.
The perfect end to the day
First browse the brocante in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, then cool off at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, that is what a good summer's day looks like for us. In the end everyone sits tired and wet on the bank, feet still in the water, and no one wants to go home. That is exactly when you know it was the right place.
Frequently asked
Is Fontaine-de-Vaucluse nice with children?
Yes, very. The children can wade into the cold, clear water by the river, and the old water wheel fascinates everyone. A lovely, cool finale on hot days.
How cold is the water?
Around ten degrees, all year round. For children a real dare. Water shoes are advisable, the stones are slippery.
Can you combine Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse?
Yes, ideal. The brocante in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in the morning, the cool-off at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in the afternoon, only a few kilometres away.