Lunel on Sunday

I left a long gap - sorry folks, too much to do and I kept feeling uninspired about writing. But this morning we walked into Lunel as usual on Sunday. The town is always buzzing - market day, most shops open, cafés full to bursting and friends meeting each other in the street. Mondays are by contrast almost dead.

Our regular routine is to buy vegetables at our friends Christine and Martial Vanvooren's stall (untreated produce from their market garden on the way to Marsillargues) by the Halles, then to get cheese at the magnificent stall in the Halles (maybe also fish, or duck sausage, from other stalls there), then meat at the Halal butcher Encas and bread at one of the central bakeries, after which it's time for our coffee or beer. We almost always end up at the Bar des Sports on the corner opposite the Pescalune statue (see previous post on Lunel).

This morning we met our neighbours there and 6-year-old Rémi was chattering away about his life and his friends - and rushing off to meet them - while his dad Bruno drank a coffee with us en route to their lunchtime engagement. Mum Christine was there in passing, but had already met up with friends in other cafés, so only said a quick hello in passing. And several of their friends stopped to say hi too, so we were well entertained for over half an hour before we set off back through the flower market towards home.

There we found the little drama of the morning - the pompiers (firemen) were there lights flashing rescuing a lady who'd fallen down the steps from the main market and apparently broken her ankle. In France you always call the firemen rather than ambulance first of all for an accident and it's they who are trained in first aid.

Then as we walked back down the avenue des Abrivados I remembered to take a photo of the completely blocked footpath - the Mayor here is very keen on keeping footpaths for pedestrians, but each Sunday as you can see the path by the carpark is occupied by cars to you have to walk in the road, and it's about time someone did something! And for autumn colour nothing beats the pyracantha just along the road from our house!