Forty Euros??????

It was funny about the meaning the price of a bottle of water took on for us, and the significance of 40 Euros had!

The first Monday we went to market in Mirepoix after checking out of our auberge but before going to Ste. Colombe. It was the first market for Judy and Winn and I poked around a bit but then took a table and had a cafe au lait while they shopped. They came by now and then to drop off more goodies while I visited with some lovely Englishmen at the next table who were renting a nearby house. Finally, they were thru and we were going to the car when they began discussing some sausage they had found and bought. One was made with mushrooms and the other was with some local nut (I've forgotten which) and were saying how shocked they'd been at the cost. I'd never been shocked at a market, but then again, had never bought that particular sausage, so imagine how shocked I was when they told me that it was about as large around as a hot dog and maybe 6" long each piece! I asked what we were going to do with it and again they weren't sure. It seems that they didn't understand the pricing until it was time to pay. We used some of it for seasoning, but I believe we gave some to a new friend. It was good, but 40 E?

Then, another market, this one in Lavalanet, Judy needed a change purse to hold our 'kitty' money and we'd gotten a late start, so I dealt with the 'kitty' holder while they dashed around to other vendors. As I caught up with them, they gave me a taste of some yummy potatoes and Judy said the Chef wanted a night off, so she was buying prepared food from that vendor. She asked for a small container of the potatoes and something she thought was apples and two chicken breasts. Then the vendor (a woman with a broken arm) told her she required 40 Euros. Judy decided to refuse the food, but Winn had observed her husband had no teeth and insisted that they needed the money more than we did. I didn't get the whole story until we got back in the car which I had parked precariously and we were driving off. Then, the tale became even funnier when Judy realized that pomme meant potato not apple and that the chicken she had bought had not been tasted by Winn. Lots of red face and laughter. As far as I could tell, the food wasn't that good either! We certainly could have had a decent meal somewhere for that much money. But, Judy did have a holder for the 'kitty'! We decided not to ever go that late again or go that hungry again either!

One of them decided that there was a sign saying "Dumb tourist who has 40 Euros and can't speak French on their back. Oh, the lessons we learned and giggled over!

Pat, with such happy memories