A splash quite unnoticed*

* see: Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.

We managed to get up by 9 am, despite the late night. We tidied up what we were too tired to do last night, and I did my best to cram leftovers into the freezer. I went for a quick swim: water 26, air 26. There were only two other people there -- obviously far too cold!

Lunch was ... leftovers, including the watermelon and feta salad we forgot to bring out yesterday. We could be eating it for days. It's delicious though. Then we set out on a mission.

The official aim was our annual visit to the art exhibition in Fanjeaux. But a couple of weeks ago someone in the French sourdough group I belong to on Facebook had recommended a farmer in the Ariège who sells ridiculously cheap organic flour, grown by him and stoneground in his own mill. She raved about how good it is, and looking at a map, I found it's only about a 15-minute drive from Fanjeaux. So I ordered some last week and we went to pick it up.  A very scenic drive along 5 km of single-track road deep into the countryside; a pity the weather was still dull and overcast. The farmer was a cheerful chap and sold me 10 kg of flour for about €1.16 a kilo. Bargain!

Thence to Fanjeaux. For all that I was underwhelmed by the exhibition last year, if money was no object I could have left with half the art this time. Though not this piece -- they always choose something spectacular to hang in the three-storey stairwell. The art is as brilliantly displayed as ever, by someone with real talent in matching up different artists. Like this for example. Or this.

I could swamp you with photos. There's a small album, from which I'll highlight my favourites:

Art I would most like to take home: Elysabeth Béclier's  monotype landscapes (Véronique Matteudi's wicker figures are pretty cool too).
Perrine Rabouin's paintings of domestic objects.
Marc Giai Miniet's little boxes, inspired by concentration camps, book burning, and the grimy garage his dad worked in, are amazing. It's hard to convey the detail in a photo.
Likewise Yves Caillaud's 3D exploded houses. Silly extra by S features me and one of these.

We spent a couple of hours there, including the traditional break for mint tea and ice cream in the garden, and on the way out I bought the catalogue for the first time ever. Not just for reference, but to encourage this volunteer-run space to keep going from strength to strength.

Home for a quiet evening in ... no need for pizza tonight, we had leftovers!