Marché de Provence at Velleron.

Velleron, France. Ten to six in the evening.
The people outside the gate of the municipal parking are waiting patiently.
Some of them have even found a place to sit down
and share some town gossip with a befriended neighbour while they wait.
They all carry huge shopping bags.


The people inside the gate are waiting too.
All of their goods are very neatly displayed on the improvised counters.

The gate is locked.
So the customers outside are locked out ...
and the farmers who come here to sell their produce
... are locked in!
Although I don't think any of them would want to escape?

The guy with the blue trousers holds the key.
He looks at his watch ...
no hurry ...


heads towards the gate.
There used to be a police officer blowing a whistle at exactly 6 PM,
but now he is the one responsible.

He opens the gate at the exact time, and he has to brace himself ...

as the crowd rushes in!
They all want to get in first and be the first one to pick the best products...
There is more than enough to go around
and it's the best quality you'll ever see.
People in the Provence are sometimes very strange.
They never ever rush ...
exept when it comes to food ...