Abandoned Truck in the Minervois

I love the early summer.  When the mornings are getting light and just after dawn is not too un-sociable an hour – fresh but with the promise of sun and warmth in the day.  I’m often up before the house wakes up, getting work done before the phone starts, pottering around and even pulling a few weeds (OK more than a few) in our small back garden.

Early Dawn

But as May creeps on, dawn starts getting a little bit more and more unsociable and I find myself hauling myself out of bed and the house to get to a location before or soon after the sun comes up.  More often than not, though, it’s more than worth it.  Stunning clear views, perhaps the snow-capped Pyrennees in the back ground, clear crisp air.  Beautiful!

So, the other day, on the way back from one of these shoots, I found myself sitting outside the Super-Market and DIY store and everything was locked up and closed.

Why?

I started to wonder whether it was just another French Public holiday (we managed to squeeze in 5 in May – one per week for 5 weeks!) but I didn’t think it was ….

So I rang home and spoke to Gee, my wife.  Could she look at the calendar please and see if it were yet another Public Holiday today.  No (it wasn’t), she replied.  But did I realise it was only 8:15 and the shops don’t open here until 9:00!