The biggest change to Carcassonne's outdoor market in the Place Carnot this summer was immediately obvious. Even the hardiest of stallholders was wearing far more clothes this year than I had ever seen before. This was because after a mild winter and a very hot June, July was not only cool but experienced the one natural element that strikes fear into the hearts of every grower of soft fruit: hail or la grêle.
As I walked around the market soon after we arrived, this was the most common topic of conversation between all the growers...
