Subtle

... it isn't. This stall certainly stood out from the crowd with its autumnal harvest. I bought some more ceps (in the foreground) because the ones I bought last week were so delicious. I also went on a pear and red pepper buying spree, with bottled pears and sweet pepper jam in mind.

We bumped into a few friends at the market, so we sat down for an apero, and an inspection of the demand for pension contributions M had just received -- 26,000 euros for a single year. "A l'Etat !" we proclaimed, lifting our glasses in admiration at this creative new way of reducing the state's debt.

S and I went for lunch at le Tournedos on the way home. This is a really traditional restaurant that we haven't been to for some years -- ever since we went with a fireman friend who accidentally set fire to the tablecloth while making a carajillo. It's been spruced up since then -- no more checked tablecloths and bistro chairs -- but some things never change. You still get a dish of pâté de campagne with a knife stuck in it between starter and main course. And they still grill steak over an open wood fire; mine was superb. Such a good lunch did cause a certain amount of dopiness in the afternoon though ...