Something old, something new....

When we entered, like we do every Saturday, Cluny's market, my eye got caught by something I did NOT see. One of the beacons of stability on this market is the market stall from Paula and Suus van der Linden, always in the same place, always with some customers being served; but yesterday we did not spot the familiar blue tarpaulin covering the stall. My first thought was that they had fallen victim to a demonstration against "Mariage pour tous", still a red hot item in France. But I abandoned this thought quickly; Burgundians are not that aggressive, certainly not just before lunch.

That's how it was...

When we had acquired our weekly dose of fresh fruits and had turned another corner of the market, we saw what was wrong: the van der Lindens had traded their trailer cum market stall in for a small truck with an open counter in the side. It looked like one of these driving pizza cars one spots often on street corners. Because we have reduced our wine, snack and hence cheese intake considerably in an attempt to lose some weight, we do not buy cheese from them so often anymore. However, we always stop a minute or so for a little chit-chat, provided there are not too many customers waiting.

And this is the future!

Suus, who is obviously the mathematical genius of the two, had calculated that this vehicle would save them x hours work per week, and hence provided them with a similar amount of extra sleep, in a word, it made their working life a lot easier. We had just finished our exchange of pleasantries when a horde of French customers turned up, of whom I could snap a picture just in time.

For those staying with us in the gîtes or on the campsite, remember: Dutch cheese makes excellent cheese for an apéro, and is very tasty on sandwiches as well. Forget about the slimy Edam or Gouda cheeses available in the supermarkets!