Saturday, July 10, 2004

Market day in Josselin! The fog was burning off, and it was another 24 hours until the next rain. French village markets close at noon, so we had to be away by 10 am to go back to the little chateau village. We watched a small boat lock through the Rohan locks just a quarter mile from our place. As French markets go, Josselin was small, short on fresh produce, long on third-world trinkets, but did have nice stands for cheeses, sausages and meats, and at least a FEW local products. The reason dawned on us slowly: the farms of Brittany are largely given over to corn and wheat--food for pigs and wheat for bread, so there was not much in the way of farm-fresh vegetables. In fact, we began to understand why Brittany had not seemed much like France: NO VINEYARDS. And, of course, the architecture and culture owes as much to the British Isles as it does to France. We were in Ireland (or Iowa) with good wine and cheese. We bought the superb Rocamadour goat cheese, cider, soaps, and some lamb and merguez sausages, but it was not the sort of experience we'd had in the markets of the south. The most jarring element was the (Peruvian?) group tricked out as Native Americans dancing and chanting with amplification for the puzzled French who'd come to market. Most fun of the day: candid photos of the locals.

We drove to nearby Ploërmel for an unpleasant brasserie lunch, then got a coffee in the drinkers' bar of Rohan, the Cheval Blanc. More groceries at the "8-à-Huit". We talked again about heading south and bagging our prepaid second week at the gite. Dinner was really good. Rain was forecast for next day. Maybe south....

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