It's all over social media and the news programmes - the scrum that you encounter when you go to the supermarket to get the essentials for life as we know it (well first world, middle class or aspirant, comfortable life anyway).
Here in rural France, there are the supermarkets, there are the small, specialist shops, and then there are the open air markets. It is this last, where farmers and small producers bring their goods and bypass the middle men, that makes life for me so special. In normal times, I have two different people I go to for raw milk, one on a Wednesday and one on a Saturday, a bloke for raw butter, a bloke for cheese, one bunch for salad and vegetables, another for onions and leeks, yet another for fruit, a preferred butcher for poultry and game, and preferred butcher for lamb, another for ham and sausage... The list goes on.
When lockdown started, the open air markets were told they could continue but only for food, so no flowers, plants, clothes and frippery. With the increased rules this week, the powers that be decided that in general open air markets should be closed, and only allowed on the say so of the Prefet of the Department. Wednesday's market at la Flèche was given permission to go ahead today, which was a relief.
Armed with a new attestation, I overcame all guilt and drove up. Why is it that I feel such guilt in going out, even though it is for a good and allowed reason, I have the documents with all the permissions filled in correctly, and I social distance?
Arrangements were changed for the market, but exceptionally good, with masses of space around each stall and a policeman on each entrance to the square checking attestations and numbers. So much safer than the scrum that is the local supermarket! It was such a relief to see my regular suppliers, and get my hands on good milk, good butter, fabulous cheeses, farm chicken - thank you to all those food heroes! Nothing over-processed and no profits to the big boys.
And as I left, my friendly policeman wished me a safe journey home.
No photos of the market or my purchases, but pretty pictures of plum blossom, honesty and a lovely carpet of cowslips, including some that are tending towards being red.
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