CHATEAUNEUF DE MAZENC, DAY 2 (5 JULY 2010)

After a morning visit to the village and a good chunk of reading, it was clearly time to move. Needing a few more staples, and avoiding those Monday markets, we decided that after lunch we could drive to one of the nearby villages – Dieulefit – where the Super-U is. Dieulefit is a charming place, and Super-U is the Loblaws of Province. Two years ago we stopped in twice. The first time, in mid week, we arrived around 1:30 and everything was closed. The second time, arriving at noon, near the end of trading on market day, most stalls were clearing up and driving off. After we had lunch, everything was closed. Recalling that, we planned to go at about 3, when everything should have reopened. Hopefully, we wandered toward the zone pietonale, where there are many possibly-charming shops. All closed. We thought a glass of wine and a snack would be a good way to pass the time, but alas, a charming little restaurant we’d found last visit (Art-Home) had stopped serving. Staff sat around the terrace finishing their lunch. Same for the next place up the street. But we noticed signs in windows saying that post-siesta hours Monday and other weekdays began anywhere from 3:30 to 4:30. Heading past the medieval clock/sundial on the church tower (the sundial reading 2 hours earlier than the clock) we wandered up through the old town to waste some time. Around 4:30 we headed back into the commercial district and found everything closed, despite the signs in every window indicating the businesses were certainly open by that time. After a glass of wine from a “pub” whipped by winds that carried off the bill, we decided to face the fact there is a warning goes out in Dieulefit that lets them know we are coming, so the doors and windows can be properly locked and shuttered.