BARGING THROUGH FRANCE PT 19 - PETANQUE

Richard Goodwin continues his adventure across France near the villages of Cliouscart and Miramande to experience the annual Petanque competition.

Cliouscart is the village of the pottery and Miramande is where Herve the man who repairs very expensive pottery comes from are about 3 kilometre apart. They live in harmony all year round except on one day when they have a competition which lasts for 24 hours and they play the game that everyone in France understands and loves. The game is called Petanque which is a game that requires two sides getting their steel balls closest to the puck. The game can be played any where there is a bit of gravel or any dusty flat surface. If your opponent is closest to the puck you have to try and knock his ball away. During the summer it is a fair bet that Frenchmen will either be fishing or playing petanque.

This film is about these two villages and their 24 hour competition and all the preparations required. Even the children play with great enthusiasm and a proper score is kept. The winner gets a trophy which is different every year and this year, well you'll have to watch the episode to see and understand it as modesty does not permit me do it justice.

This film is really about the French in France profonde or in English the stix. It is quite rare to see a group of people in France enjoying themselves with all their relations around them.
This year the hosts of the competition are Mirmande and I join in preparing the 24 hour picnic. Not a difficult task because the raw material was the best possible quality because Mirmande is right in the middle of the fruit producing part of France.

Any body at almost any age can play this game and although it all looks extremely laid back, the captains of each side make sure that only the best players play until their side has built up a good lead before they allow the children or scatty wives play. As night descends supper is served but all the while there is the click of balls in the back ground.

The game goes on, of course all through the night. Some of the young boys are extremely good and their strategies are better in many cases than the plans of the grown ups. The sausages that they eat are called merguez and are deliciously spicy.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• travel
• barging
• france
• canals
• rivers
• cliouscart
• village
• pottery
• repair
• miramande
• Playing
• Petanque
• puck
• game
• games
• picnics
• sausages
• merguez
• french
• food