This is such a lovely time of year here, especially when the weather is fine, as it generally has been this week. The countryside is bursting with fresh spring green, and the wild flowers are thriving, despite the lack of rain. Cuckoos, golden orioles and nightingales compete for airtime. The sun is warm but not too hot to garden or walk.

I made a little excursion into the Lot one day to visit a friend for a walk and tea. For various reasons – Covid included – this visit had been put off for some time.

“I’ve got something I’d like to show you,” she said.

Abundant orchids

We put on our walking boots and set off in her car, parking near a restored windmill. We took the path towards the windmill and immediately saw orchids growing in the verges.

This seems to be a good year for orchids, which grow abundantly in certain spots in this region. They are such delicate-looking plants but are surprisingly resilient. They come in various sizes and colours, and it’s always a delight to see them. They grow in our lawn, and I mow around them until they are finished.

My friend is good at spotting the orchids, which is just as well, otherwise I would have trampled some underfoot. Here’s a selection. I wrote a post about them a while back. If you’re interested, the link is at the foot of this post.

The orchids were not the main attraction, however. We walked down ancient paths bordered with crumbling stone walls, a feature of the landscape in the area. Pastel-hued butterflies flitted about, enjoying the fresh flowers. It was very dry underfoot, despite some prolonged rain earlier in the week.

Amazing sculptures

We turned off down a track. All of a sudden, in a field dotted with oak trees, we came across the most amazing metal sculptures mounted on plinths around the grassy area. A sign with a stern “keep out” warning barred the gate. However, my friend knows the artist and has permission to enter the “gallery”.

The sculptor is François Bagioli, who was born in Cahors. He started off working in industry, where he learned about the properties of iron and steel and about metalwork and soldering. He began creating metal sculptures in the 1960s. After a detour into theatre design, he focused on sculpture. He is completely self-taught.

Twenty or so sculptures are arranged around the field. Some are abstract, others are recognisably “something”. Some are deliberately rusted, while others are in stainless steel.

Art appreciation is, of course, a very subjective and personal thing, but I loved these sculptures. To me, they didn’t look out of place or intrusive in their rural environment. In fact, I think they were more interesting for being placed here rather than in the more anodyne setting of a conventional gallery. The natural light enhances features that you might not otherwise notice.  

I couldn’t snap them all, but here are a few of my favourites.

Attached to some of the trees are wooden plaques bearing quotations about art from various writers and philosophers.  

It’s not uncommon to come across artworks against the backdrop of our rural landscape. I like this idea. Sometimes, you stumble upon them unexpectedly, which makes them all the more delightful. There is no advertising, nothing to alert you to their presence. In fact, because these particular sculptures are located down a side track, you can easily walk close by without realising it. Perhaps the artist intended that they should be seen only by those who venture off the beaten path.

In other news

Today is 8^th May, which is the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and a public holiday in France, despite the fact that it is already a Sunday. In 1945, people said never again. The triumph of hope over experience, unfortunately..

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