31 October Friday – Market day

Rain is forecast for today, but by 10am the sky is brightening up. I dress up warm and head off towards town 5 minutes later I am in the main market square and the sun is shining in a clear blue sky.
The food section of the market it packed with shoppers. Most of them are women.

There are a few children. This one carries a large bag. But she also sports an important message.

"This is my sun"

There are queues at many of the vans and stalls. I wish that I knew what some of the foodstuffs were.
I have brought my camera along today just in case. So here are a few of the photos that I took.

Fancy some bread made with rat corn flour?

I bought a BD for 9 euros, but did not see a Oui-Oui book to check out the names of Noddy’s French friends.
I wandered to and fro along the aisles of stalls. Then I wandered fro and to just for a change.
The main difference between last week and this week is that France celebrates Toussaint at this time of year and there are many more flowers for sale. The flowers even spread to the pavement around the war memorial across the road.



Here you can see the castle, the war memorial, the children's playground and the Halle au Grains and of course the blue sky.





At this time of year i.e. All Saints, I believe that families visit the graves of their relatives and leave flowers and sometimes little grave plaques with messages to the departed on them.

Halloween is just visible as a calendar event, with shops selling costumes and big conical bags of sweets, but Madam tells me that children no longer go around the houses asking for sweets etc. That sort of thing stopped about 7 years ago she says.
I was looking for a pair of soft soled suede slipper/booties to wear in the apartment, but the man who is usually there selling such hand made items, is not there today. Pity as they would have kept my feet toasty and enabled me to move as stealthily as a cat around the apartment, instead of squeaking.
There are boxes and boxes of ordinary slippers for sale, but I do not want a pair of commom slippers thank you..
There are many unusual items for sale. Two that especially stand out are the set for cutting up carcasses and a new welder’s mask, The latter is marked 10 euros.










After visiting Casino to top up the tea and breakfast cereal, I head for the other market in the abbey square and wander briefly round there before meandering back home in the sunshine.
I kept seeing post vans, post trolleys, post persons on my route today, so I know that my Carte Vitale is probably in my metal post box at the end of the garden. I unlock my box and sure enough there is an envelope from the Assurance Maladie.
When I open the envelope, my card complete with my photo and microchip is inside. However for some reason it is only valid until the end of July 2009, not until the end of 2009 like the E10 (or whatever it is called) covers me for.
I decide to finish off the bedroom with another coat of emulsion to the utility area alcove, so I duly drag out the ladders and equipment.
I am on a roll, so I continue with the DIY and complete touch up work required to the bathroom and kitchen paintwork.
The downside to this is that when I go to bed at night, parts of the room walls are still wet with paint and there is a cloying, sickly sweet smell in the room as a result.
Not ideal for a good night’s sleep.