Que la vie est belle...

Today was one of those day when the whole 'living in France' thing seemed to all make sense.

We woke up to blue sky and a mild breeze and, after coffee out on the terrace, headed off to our local market. You can tell that summer is on the way, the market is bustling with stallholders and people have come out of their winter hibernation to jostle each other for the best apples, the most juicy asparagus, the last few croissants.

It isn't a huge market, but once the winter is over, a quick tour can take well over an hour as you stop to greet friends and acquaintances that you sometimes may not have seen for some time.

We stopped at the local cafe for coffee and were soon joined by various friends, all enjoying the early spring sunshine and catching up on 'important local information' - never let it be said we gossip! We commented on the basket of the French lady sitting on the next table. It was so perfect it looked like a still life. Luscious vegetables and the greenest frisee lettuce peeped out while a gorgeous looking handmade 'pain' artisinal completed the picture. My friend compared it with her sorry little plastic bag and we agreed that we haven't quite got this market look right yet!

Eventually it was time to head home for lunch. Waiting on the doorstep was a dozen eggs from my neighbour, who'd heard from my daughter that our hens have gone broody and aren't laying. They were so fresh they were practically still warm.

Fresh egg mayonnaise with the sweetest of red peppers and a warm baguette on the terrace in the sunshine.

Que la vie est belle.....