Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Bob Dylan and the bakery wars.




Bob Dylan morning on Radio Nostalgie. Madame Bay arrives and is soon singing along happily to ' the times they are a changin '. Madame Bay doesn't know any of the words but this doesn't in any way dampen her enjoyment or her enthusiasm.

It's going to be hot . Seven in the morning and it's 25 degrees. Madame Bay , wrapped in white chiffon and matching turban , joins me in the kitchen . It's clearly not a day for her to hoover. Or, indeed for her to do anything else around the house. While I peel the breakfast peaches; au naturel for me, with oatmeal for 'the font' , Madame Bay settles down for a 'wee blether ' . 

The battle between the local bakers continues. The proprietrice has been released from the gendarmerie with a stern warning. A teenage relation was despatched with a mop and bucket to wash the offending slogan off the other bakers window. A fragile peace has now settled over the little market town.  According to Madame Bay the proprietrice  has recently  taken to sitting outside her shop recording the names of the townfolk who frequent the opposition.  '' Serves her right " says Madame Bay without proffering any further explanation.

The phone rings. It's the old farmer. '' I'm in Strasbourg. I'll be away for another four days. Will you look after the house ? ". With that he abruptly rings off.  Angus wonders how the old fellows ended up in Strasbourg when he said he was going off to see his sister in Brittany. '' It'll be the ladies " says Madame Bay enigmatically.

A sunny Tuesday morning in France Profonde.

9 comments:

  1. So the old farmer's navigation is more erratic than the 'font's?

    At my new workplace, I was diverted to learn that every Wednesday at 1 pm, there is a meeting officially known as the 'Subsurface Team Blether'.

    Cheers,
    Gail.

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  2. I always wondered why the old farmer was spending so much time "fixing up" his vehicle, now I have a better understanding of his tactics....he always meant to travel far and wide.....Strasbourg is quite a way off....I guess he must have another sister there too...wink, wink.
    The bakery proprietrice is being rather vindictive, she may end up losing all of her customers at the rate that she is going.

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  3. I wondered how the Bakery War was going!...such a pity to have hostilities in a small tightly knit village. What's next Croissants at Dawn?!

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  4. That explains why the old farmer drives an RV, I suppose!

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  5. At this point I would be worried to purchase any baked goods from the proprietrice, especially if my name was on her list. What a gadabout the old farmer is; will the RV be sporting the name "The Love Machine"?

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  6. Sounds like everything is par for the course...:-p First picture...Fruit Tart on the right...officially drooling...oh my. Stay cool...

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  7. So this is what the old farmer's restoration of the ancient motor home was all about. A personal tour d'amour.
    That lovely fruit tart in the photo will help erase the ugh factor.

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  8. Go Farmer!

    We'd go to the bakery with the fruit flan....(like everyone else)

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  9. Those fruit tarts look wonderful. Whichever bakery doesn't have those need to take note and make them even better, add some blueberries!

    I hope the RV doesn't have a sign on the back like the one belonging to a long haired, leather clad young guy in the village I grew up in. It read PASSION WAGON and in smaller letters, Don't laugh, your daughter may be in the back. Somehow string vests and open toed sandals don't seem to be quite such a siren song, mind you, and perhaps the women of Britanny agreed.

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