Florist Packing Up in Aix-en-Provence Rain

A florist stands beside a rain-darkened kiosk on a street corner in Aix-en-Provence, bundling wilted stems into black plastic bags. The early afternoon sun casts harsh, tropical shadows across the wet cobblestones, reflecting off puddles that pool around the vendor's boots. Humid air rests on the scene, visible as a slight haze softening the distant stone facades. The vendor wears a heavy winter coat, zipped high against the biting wind that whips loose petals across the pavement. Crates of unsold flowers sit stacked haphazardly near the kiosk's metal shutter, their colors muted by the dampness. The tension of the day lingers in the vendor's posture, shoulders hunched against the gale as they secure the final bundle. One droplet rolls down the edge of a wet cardboard box.