The circle

The marché was in full swing. Rick had forgotten his camera so he went back to the flat.

I settled in the circle, really a semi-circle of bricks, shaded by a tree. Normally, it is filled with mamies (the older, wise women in the village who've share their lives from childhood).

Don't think they are outdated despite the house dresses and aprons. Sometimes they are using the WiFi that is free in the spot.

The stonewall behind the tree is one of the original walls going back centuries.

At one time the street wasn't open as it is today. There was a gate so villagers and those on the outskirt farms could come inside to protect themselves from either pirates marauding from the coast or whatever count was attacking.

I settled down to wait, watched stragglers heading to the marché, enjoyed the tranquility, and thought of all the lives that had been in this spot, not just after the circle had been built, but throughout time.