Market Day

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Sunday, June 11 2017

It was a beautifully cool morning, and as I enjoyed my usual coffee, Desmond prepared a couple of protein smoothies made with chocolate, fresh strawberries, and bananas. I love French pastries, but these tasty shakes were a great way to start the day. I had more energy and didn't feel hungry until lunchtime. 

I love waking up to this!

By the time Desmond and I were ready to walk to the Arab market, the weather had warmed considerably. I'm glad Janey had chosen not to accompany us. It would have been too much for her. We walked along the river, admiring the beautiful view while panting in the heat. 

A pretty scene on the Loire in Orleans, France.

We arrived at the busy outdoor market, where cars were streaming into the parking lot adjacent to the large area which had been cordoned off for the weekly sale. Des and I had forgotten to stop at the ATM on our way, so we decided to pool our cash when we were ready to pay for our purchases. The vendors were all very nice. A few of them offered samples of fruit as we strolled by, and we found some beautiful produce. At one large stall, a young man was slicing samples of watermelon and cantaloupe. Their juicy goodness was irresistible, and I selected a small melon and a large chunk of watermelon. We also purchased sweet potatoes, chives, cherries, and garlic. When it was our turn to pay for our items, I discovered that my wallet was gone! After a few heart-stopping moments, I remembered that just before we had left the house I had emptied my wallet of all my American coins and must have forgotten to tuck it back inside my purse!. Des explained our problem to the vendors and told them he would go back home to get our money. They said we should just go ahead and take our fruits and vegetables home, put them in the refrigerator, and then bring their money back. It was a kind offer, but we felt strange about doing that, so poor Desmond walked twenty minutes back in the heat, found the money, and then rode his bike back to the market. 

Meanwhile, I wandered around in the hot sun, looking at the various foods being offered, but soon became very warm, so stood in the shade of the the canopy near our packages of produce. The young man who had given me a taste of melon earlier was standing nearby. Every now and then, he would come over and hand me a slice of mango or melon. He would wait as I tasted it, and he seemed pleased at my reactions to those tasty tidbits. At one point he placed a plump cherry into the palm of my hand. I was thinking of something else and didn't respond. Suddenly, in a joking voice, he said "Thank You! You're Welcome!" I laughed, came to my senses, and properly thanked him. We attempted talk to each other, and actually managed to converse. He was from Morocco and had a hard time understanding my toddler-level French. When Desmond arrived, we paid for our goodies and then went to another stand for olives, red peppers, dates, figs, and plums. On the way out, I thanked my Moroccan friend for his kindness.

On the long walk back, Desmond pushed his bike, wearing a loaded backpack in the heat. Once home, we sat in front of the fan and began munching on olives and fresh fruit. Des brought out a tin of sardines, some cream cheese, and whole grain crackers. That made a great lunch, and it was funny watching Janey's reaction to a sardine sandwich!. 

We made quite a haul on market day!

Well, at least she tried a sardine sandwich!

Later that day, we talked to Craig, who was getting ready to drop the dog at Jennifer's house, go to lunch, then head to the airport. We cleaned house and did some laundry, then had snacks of beer, chips, olives, and sausage. We were simply too warm to think of cooking anything. Our day ended with a fun game of Scattergories.