fête du TRAVAIL

What a crazy day. Up at 6 and by the time we had our stall installed at 8am, we'd already sold a few things. It was looking a little bit promising. Then after a couple of hours, we'd still only sold another couple of things. We were starting to worry. When Pierre has sold muguet in Marseille in the past, he's usually sold out by lunchtime!

There was loads of traffic, but the spot we'd chosen was on the main road at a bit where the cars go really fast. We put up signs, but not professional ones, so they were hard to see from a distance. By the time people saw us and what we were selling, they were already past us!

I made up another couple of signs with cardboard and black marker, and Pierre went off to add to the arrows he'd already put up.

We spent the next few hours in the hope that business would pick up. We decided that we'd just stay out all day if we had to.....and we had to! We were there until 8 o'clock that evening and we just about broke even!

Various people we know stopped by throughout the day to see us and buy a pot or two...mum and dad, Martine, Fabrice. They all had various words of wisdom re. where we should've had the stall; that we should've had fewer things to sell so there wasn't so much at stake; that the signs were hard to read etc etc. All stuff we'd figured out ourselves by that stage.

It was a real learning experience and one which we thought we'd never like to repeat. But, by the end of the day, when we realized we'd not lost out, we were happy we'd made the effort, so satisfied with the amount of work we'd put in, and proud of our staying power and the fact we held out in the circumstances.

We'd had lovely customers all day too...people who told us we'd saved their lives as they were en route to a family dinner and if they didn't bring the traditional muguet, they'd be in deep trouble! We had a little old lady who wanted something to give to her home help. We had soppy couples who stopped to buy a little vase with a rose :) It was, in hindsight, a really satisfying day and we're so happy we did it.