Broomstick into town

I missed the town party last night (15 euros for a sardine supper was too much), although the music was audible over here. The band sounded good.

This morning the summer brocante on the picnic area/motorcaravan park next to the little supermarket was rather quiet, as one non-local person remarked in puzzlement. I went down on Broomstick with only 7 euros so as to avoid temptation, and bought only vegetables from the smallholding's stall. Some people asked about Broomstick, especially one man using crutches; I should investigate ways of obtaining a Powertrike or similar in France.

Travelling by Broomstick means seeing much more of the hedgerows, which are full of flowers. I've noticed the middle of the road into Mirambeau town centre is a long strip of wildflower meadow, and most of the hedgerows around the village (except next to the vines) are beautiful with all the usual plants plus orchids and brightly-coloured vetches. The route into St Dizant du Gua goes past vines, wheat, and sunflowers, though only a few early ones are in flower; then barley (I love the colour of ripe barley) and maize. And I discovered a small lake in La Petite Motte.

It began to rain on the way back, so I stopped at English neighbours' and had coffee and chatted about cabbages and k^W^W^Wthings, including robberies from gardens. There haven't been many, but someone in Morisset had most of their ducks stolen, and the mayor came out to investigate. It seems there is a gang which goes round villages nicking plants and anything left out. They did this area in the spring, so we should be ok for a couple of years.