Day 07 – Market Day

Market Day! Market day is always a blast.

Colors. People. Textures. Aromas. Reflections. Architecture. Alleys.

I could go on and on and …

We got an early-ish start so we could find parking. Our favorite spot, we discovered, wouldn’t work for our Mercedes Honker Van. There was a lovely and very unwelcoming “bridge” so that only cars could get in. Bummer! Fortunately, just a hamster stroll down the road was another parking lot, so we pulled in, unloaded, and walked toward the market.

We issued assignments, and soon, they all scattered.

Arnie and I strolled a bit, then wandered off in different directions. Arnie and I did similar-but-very-different shots, probably celebrated in a future blog. Meanwhile, my version was the one above. I really liked Arnie’s, too.

In a dark lane, an elderly woman walked towards us, the wall behind glowing, her shape just a tad more than a silhouette.

We ran into members of our group, and we would touch base, and then they would wander off again in search of the quintessential market photograph. Arnie and I found a little café where there was lots to see and photograph. Of course, it took patience. We watched the pattern and waited for the action.

In this case, Arnie was facing towards a table with a p’tit chien (little dog) who apparently was sitting with his mistress enjoying a cup of coffee. Arnie said I should turn around (he was involved getting a good shot of the cute waitress) and see what was happening. Clearly, the p’tit chien had finished his café and was looking for a second cup.

Smartphonitis universalis is a worldwide phenomenon. Instead of conversing in a restaurant, one can’t help but be privy to conversations about the latest trade, the trouble with the mother-in-law, the latest scandal, and all sorts of other items we would rather not hear. This man was sitting with an attractive woman, totally absorbed with his smart phone. Hmmm, I thought, this does not bode well for that relatioship.

We met for lunch at a riverside restaurant and they put tables together for us. Wine and tasty food made for a relaxing break. It was time, however, to head back for imaging.

For Arnie and me, it is wonderful to see the strides and improvements made each day for our participants. The critiques were thoughtful but tactful. Arnie and I push our group to the next level. We take them out of their comfort levels, and their work shows those challenges.

Everyone opted to take more time for imaging and have a somewhat more relaxing afternoon. To start, critiques were held with glasses of wine in hand.

When we were through, we played pétanque, the French game that resembles what many Americans play, bocci. Introduced to Gaul by the Romans, pétanque involves pastise. I won’t go into the intricacies, as you can look it up online. Suffice it to say, it is a lot of fun.

Dinner was another amazing experience … white fish, herbs and vegetables en papillote. Splendid! And delicious.

One of the other guests, a charming German, had the foresight to have her birthday at Mas des Capelans. Françoise, in her inimitable style, produced an amazing, layered gâteau with strawberries and who-knows-what to complete the flavors. Pierre lit the candle that came in the form of fireworks, or a sparkler on steroids. It was splendid. WOW! What a way to end the day!

Next: Lavender Fields Forever …

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