Surrealism at Gambetta

I think there's a story here

I love Carcassonne Saturday mornings.  I never know what will greet me when I am on my way to the market.  This morning's errand list involved getting only half a dozen eggs at the market--I am well stocked with everything else I need.  But I wouldn't dream of staying in on Saturday; there's too much going on.

At first I thought it was tai chi

I knew there was going to be a bicycle repair workshop this morning, but I mistakenly thought it was going to be at Gambetta.  Instead, after taking out the garbage and the recyclables, I found all these folks dressed in black performing movement to sort of New-Age-y music.  I think this is the same group I saw the last time I was here, during the Fete de St. Vincent, at the Art Museum courtyard doing some wordless tableaux with food that culminated with them smearing whipped cream in each others' faces. 

I watched for a while.  I expect their photos to be in at least two of the three local Sunday papers, because I now recognize the photographers from those newspapers.  This performance, again, without words didn't make much sense to me, but my, were the performers ever earnest.  At first I thought it might be a tai-chi demonstration, but it quickly became apparent that it was performance art.  

Very earnest--does one guy have a halo?

Actually, I love this kind of art--big installations like the umbrellas at Lourdes, or  performance art.  I think that is one of the truest missions of art--to be a part of our surroundings and to give us pause in our daily comings and goings to think about something other than getting eggs at the market.

I never did find the bicycle repair workshop--I don't have a bicycle--yet.  I was hoping to make some connections with people who could steer me in the right direction to buy a used one.  Even though it's turned a little  autumnal, there will still be nice days to ride along the Canal.  I did get to the library, excuse me--mediatheque--to renew my old library card.  I did get the eggs and listened to a fabulous guitarist at the market.  I did get into a good conversation with a guy on the street handing out leaflets urging us to stop the EU-USA transatlantic trade pact. Oh, and I did find nutmeg at the spice stand.   

Sky reflected in the swan at Gambetta's carousel

I did some housework--laundry, mostly, which is drying on the rack as I write this.  I will have a Skype video call with my sister, and then there is a J.S. Bach choral concert at 4:00 that I would like to hear.  I found the movie schedule at the library and a notice advertising a writers' workshop that meets on Thursday mornings.  How is all that for a morning well spent?