Stories from Le Bar Marchè - Jenny

Jenny kissed Fergus as she got out of the car enjoying the thrill she always got from the scent of him. She paused  as she breathed  in and it was just as the kiss she gave him all those years ago when he had talked about fishing in champagne. The minute she set eyes on him she knew that no other man would do, anyone else would have been second best. He still set her heart on fire, as the song goes, after all these years. She had always been grateful to him that he was happy to stay in England. She was an only child and it would have broken her parent's hearts if she had moved away. She knew how much it had cost him. He had chosen her, and she did all she could to keep the Scottish traditions alive in their home. She loved going to Scotland and they had spent most of their family holidays there. This year though, she had proposed a different holiday and was surprised at how readily he had agreed. She was looking forward to seeing Italy. Her friend Gaynor had ran off with an Italian waiter when they were still at school. They had a reputation as Latin Lovers, going round pinching bottoms and whispering Ciao Bella as you walked past. It made her giggle to think of Fergus doing that.
Jenny started to walk through the market looking at all the colourful Summer dresses and bags. She knew Fergus would scoff and say it was all made in China and looked just like the stuff they had at home. She would buy only local products, soap, lavender, garlic, maybe a present for her grandsons. What she loved about the market was the variety of people, the locals mixed with the tourists, all the different languages being spoken around her. She stopped at a stall to look at some lacy shorts for her younger daughter. they looked a bit saucy, like her. Jenny thought about the conversation they had had with the French couple last night. She was surprised at how passionately they discussed Britain's role in the European Union and how interested they were in the Scottish vote. She knew that Fergus was concerned about the outcome. Many of his cousins were walking about with Yes stickers on their clothes. He couldn't vote, along with about 800,000 other Scots living in England. She had always hoped that belonging to the European Union would have broken down boundaries, made things easier and remove many of the reasons for conflicts on borders. This seemed a step backwards to her. There were so many things ordinary people like her didn't know, she just hoped that the people with the power had thought things through. Pleased with her purchases she walked towards the bar. There  was Fergus, waiting for her, looking a bit less hot and bothered and very glad to see her. She showed him her shopping and as always was delighted with his response.

Souvenirs from France

Soap from Marseille