VAUCLUSE DIARY

Monday 4 May

‘The virus will not hurt everyone equally.’ This, from an Economist article about car sales, has become a truism, in terms of society too, with places that are densely populated, polluted and with low income inhabitants suffering out of proportion to others. There have been days when, reading Le Monde it has seemed that everyone in rea (nimation) is called Mohammed. In addition to the nursing homes, of course, where poorly paid caregivers are likely immigrants too. France is taking this on board, at least rhetorically, and brainstorming, at least from political platforms, about the working conditions of ‘essential workers.,’ a lot of whom have to choose between going to work or going hungry.

Well, not to preach, but describe…it is a sunny day in the south of France; we have just had lunch and are going to run errands two towns away. We’ll head again for the asparagus farmer, whose crop, normally exported to Paris restaurants and even NY (but only the white asparagus, they have green over there), is not going anywhere far these days. Our next door neighbour would like 2 k of the ‘tips and stalks,’ that is the broken ones, cheaper ‘and there’s no waste.’ He boils them and eats every inch of each with olive oil from last season’s olive crop and a little salt. My sister-in-law wants strawberries, from the same place, for jam. And we’ll get strawberries and asparagus, and see what else has been picked today.

Next Monday the first stage of our confinement will end, and shops will open, and we can travel 100 km without an ‘attestation.’ Way not far enough to hug my granddaughters… but I think I might go to the coiffeur three days in a row.