There are strange things happening - and they're happening all over France. The town and village signs are being turned upside down. Like a virus, this upside-downness is spreading to every corner of the country.
It's a sign of militants at work. Overnight my own village, a sleepy yonder in a backwater of the Dordogne, has turned revolutionary. Our village sign suddenly went upside-down, then back upright, then upside-down again. And there it has stayed, conveying a message of defiance to all who may pass.
In our social media age, where big bucks are spent to get messages across, French farmers have found a simple way to convey their displeasure towards the government. Times past they blocked the motorways; they took their baguettes, cheese and saucisson and sat in the fast lanes, at long picnic tables. They smoked their gauloises and talked about, well who knows what 21st century French revolutionaries talk about? They brought Paris to a standstill with blockades, and the city ran out of fruit and veg.
Farming fuels the French economy; the country is the largest agricultural producer in the EU. The UK gobbles their wine, cheese and bread. Farming supports the rural population, stabilising rural life and keeping the countryside healthy. It provides food security and supports a vibrant cultural heritage, which the French are justly proud of.
But the farmers are not happy and this time they're turning the village signs upside down. It's a beautiful idea - every time you pass an upside down sign, going in or out of a town or village, you're reminded of the agricultural revolution raging across the country. It's so simple, cheap and incredibly effective. And the French population supports it.
There are more blockades to come (it wouldn't be France without them), but for the moment we are continually reminded that the French farmers are revolting!
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