DAY 8 Saturday 8 September 2018

I could smell the peach stall metres off; stacked high in black crates, he sold nothing else and the pears on the adjacent stall added to the delicious aroma. I bought six enormous peaches and moved on to the cheese stall and bought what the Basque stall-owner described as ‘suave’ cheese, garden tomatoes and beans from a little old lady and a big bunch of grapes.

The cheese stall is owned by a Basque (this is definitely a hard cheese),  Horno Panaderia has a wood-fired oven and the fishmonger. — The cheese stall is owned by a Basque (this is definitely a hard cheese), Horno Panaderia has a wood-fired oven and the fishmonger.

Then to the fishmonger to buy mussels and sepia (cuttlefish), a loaf from the baker and a spinach pasty for breakfast - I’ll definitely get more of those. The lemon and coconut macaroons are good too.

Food isn’t so cheap here especially cheese, but you can buy a bottle of wine for 1.50 Euros. Fruit and vegetables are cheaper and more ‘authentic’ looking than in the UK and very fresh. I didn’t know pears could smell so delicious and I’ve given up buying peaches altogether in supermarkets.

A couple of small boys on bicycles stopped to warn me there was going to be rain and everyone was bracing themselves for a storm, but it didn’t amount to more than a few drops at lunchtime. On my way to the supermarket I met the couple from Bath and had a coffee in the Square.

I spend some time in the studio, several Naiads (I’m beginning to feel I should stop printing them but they keep turning up) and figs from my garden.

I’m most excited by 'Crimson Lady' and think she has a lot of potential; scale-insects are not known for their good looks.

Figs from my garden; best with yoghurt and local honey.