See part 1.
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...