It's not been the best week for the weath
- er. Rain every afternoon with at least two layers of clothing needed when not occupied. It had snowed again on the tops as well but the new layer didn't last long, though the hard core snow is still hanging on. Shopping wise there are 2 major deficits not found here or in Spain. Squash.. you know that stuff that makes water taste better, and drinking chocolate. They do have forms of fruit juice for diluting, lime they reckon should be diluted 1:3, and there is a syrup of grenadine, mint or forest fruits, that looks like it should go on ice cream, even dilutuing that twice the recommended still seems like syrup. Hot chocolate is also sickly sweet, being of the nesquick type, or even just nesquick. No good cadburys bournville to be had. But I'm surviving without- probably just get fatter.....but saying that no sweets yet eaten . Now they seem really expensive. The place is a veggies dream though, with veggies of all shapes and sizes, about 10 different types of tomatoes, unwaxed oranges with their leaves still on, and almost too juicy to peel. Even asparagus comes in blanched or unblanched, and of course the cherries are now in high season, but they are picked right up until July. All the normal traders were kicked off the town square in Ceret today for the cherry festival , their places wete taken with stall after stall of cherries and some derivatives, can fridge magents and cherry shaped jewelry count? One clever woman had her car covered in fridge magnets , with ladybirds climbing up the edges of the windscreen. There was obvious collusion on the price as every where it was 4 €/kg unless the packaging was fancy. More crafts as well in the market itself and of course all the galleries ans artisan places were open and enticing you in wiyhh a help yourself bowl of cherries. I am afraid I did not wait around for the cherry stoning, and cherry stone spitting contests so cannot comment on their value as spectator sports! All in all I think Perpignan and it flea market offers better entertainment as a weekend trip, as well as better weather.
