When I am doing my evaluation and research work, Saturday is MY day. I enjoy the chat and the sights and smells of the market, and the afternoon is normally some form of garden or outdoor work. Today was no exception, even in times of lockdown.
First thing to be done was feeding the chickens, and in addition to sparrow city, I also run the gauntlet of the "digital" starling that sits on the roof. He is always perky and has a lot to say for himself, but has modelled his song on the sounds produced by an early Gameboy or similar and mobile phone rings. What a depressing effect modern society can have!
Then it was market time - and boy was it crowded, so a good thing it is still in the Place de l'Europe so we can socially distance! Didier the Purveyor of Yoghurt was right, in that I was at the market at the same time as last week, but he still had yoghurts (albeit only flavoured ones, not ones with pieces in) and rice puddings a plenty. Then the dry goods caravan was in so I decided to try her rolled oats for porridge (3.50 Euros a kilo). We will report back on how they are, but we are having to explore French sources for oats, as the stash in the bottom of the bureau that I bought 7 years ago won't last forever. Something that is without plastic packaging, and may well be local and/or organic has to be a good option.
It was a beautiful morning again and unseasonably warm, so I took a moment or 5 to admire the two great buildings that take up two sides of the Place de l'Europe - the Tribunal and the Chateau. The Tribunal is about 150 years old and dramatic. It was one of 18 buildings across France receiving headline support from the French Heritage Lottery this year, and got 500,000 Euros to kick start the 5 million Euro restoration plan. The building behind it used to be the prison, but was gutted and redeveloped as an art and culture centre a while back.
The chateau is rather older - about 1450 I think - and was the hunting lodge of King Renée of Anjou. It too has had a chequered past, and the exhibits inside are getting a relooking I believe. When we first arrived, it was a museum with lots of cases of old stones and bits of pottery, so not totally exciting. Then about 15 years ago they redid it, to make it more interactive and interesting, and with nice exhibition space on the ground floor. On the other side of the chateau they have made a physic garden, which is pretty and interesting in the summer, but at this time of year, is rather black and dull.
So there you go, a bit of an introduction to Baugé!
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