St Just En Chevalet twinned with Appleby (?)

Date: 07 May 2011 14:23:53

Not really, but I believe that Appleby-in-Cumbria has a famous horse fair, and today was the Foire Aux Cheveaux (I had to check that my French was correct and I hadn't just told you that St Just was having a Hair Fair (hair = cheveux) It's not my favourite day as I get a little upset for the Poor Patient Ponies who stand out all day - and I fear that many may be heading for the abbatoir as well. Particularly the sweet donkeys (though I do have to admit to having eaten a delicious donkey sausage...but I did feel quite bad about it afterwards)...I am a Mass of Contradictions with my meat eating, so we won't go there!

I took my English student around the fair this morning, as he was being distracted by all the horses outside the window. He wasn't very chatty, but I did tell him the legend of the cross on the donkey's back. Friends were displaying their race horse this afternoon, but I arrived too late to see him. There are only a few horses left in the square now, but at about 9.00 this morning this was the view from our house:

and more arrived as the morning continued. Bizarrely there was also a llama:

who I think must have been very hot as he had extremely fluffy fur on his back. He was very dinky, and I would have happily bought him - except I'm not sure he'd have got on with the cats...though they might have found his back made a very comfortable bed!

There were also miniature goats for sale, and mini rabbits too. I had a conversation with a little girl, where we divvied out the rabbits. She was going to have all the white ones and I could have the ones left over. When I apologised for my French she gravely said "ce n'est pas grave. Je comprends" (TR: "It's OK, I understand you") and then wittered away in rapid fire French. I think she was divvying out the goats as well, and saying "I'll fight you for the llama", but I can't be sure!

And, of course, as at any French event there were other stalls.

This one, right outside the house, was selling fruit - I bought some delicious looking strawberries for tea - but there were also craft stalls, a Peruvian knitwear stall, tacky jewellery, quilts and artisan soap makers. I bought some plants from the local primary school stall, which I promptly planted. A lavender and four other plants which I don't know the names of but I think are pinks and marguerites of some sort. They're in pots. We'll see how they go.

I was planning on taking some more "arty" shots, but didn't, so here's one more view of the square this morning:

I do hope not too many went to make meat. :-(