It's Wednesday so it is market day in la Flèche, and finally we see that some things have changed here and for the better. It has been a source of huge frustration that while you can sell plants (deemed essential), you cannot sell flowers (deemed non-essential) unless done by order/click and collect or some such system. So it was lovely to see my friend Brigitte out with her stand and the glorious colours of flowers and ornamental cabbages and bouquets and cyclamen. Brigitte raises her own cut flowers about 1.5km from us, but buys in some potted plants. It isn't worth her while coming to the market in the hope of selling a 2€ cactus sometime in the day, but people are always after a good bouquet, and hers are some of the best!
The fripperie stands were out as well - so much acrylic and lycra and faux leather in one place! But people were happier, even if they weren't buying much. It was enough that the extra colours and activity were a treat for the eyes and you could dream of wearing that pretty draped blouse, "enjoy" the accordion music from the CD stand and wonder who on earth dreamt up the plastic stuff on the "anything for 2€" stall. Life seemed a bit more normal.
While Radio 2 and Zoe Ball were going all mushy about the Pfizer vaccine being approved for deployment next week, the feelings about vaccines against Covid here are rather different, with nearly 60% of those questioned saying they wouldn't want it. They want to ski, to cuddle their grandchildren/grandparents, eat in restaurants and drink in bars, but they don't want to have the vaccine that will make all that possible. Weird. Even more weird was a promotion of the Miss France competition that runs later this week with all the 28 contestants (Miss Tahiti can't make it) posing in pretty cocktail dresses, open coats and face masks outside Versailles. We assume they get to remove the face masks at some point, but it will ruin their make up. Below, we have not so much Frosty the Snowman, as firewood bundle the Snowman.
Finally, walking around the wildflower meadow, I found the first hints of next spring's bee orchids. I see at least two on this photo!
I think the damage is badger looking for roots and stuff.
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