The National Pastime(s)

Sunset over the Etang de Thau at Balaruc

Tired but happy, we managed to survive yet another weekend of fun, laughter and good company and the occasional glass of the local tipple to wash it all down with.

The local red wine is well known to have strong medicinal powers. It needs to taken in moderation of course as, like all things, too much can have unpleasant side effects. When we first arrived here, our local doctor told me that all I would need was two glasses of red wine and four tablespoons of olive oil per day and I would never need to visit him. Great advice I thought. It was two years later before I discovered that, as well as being a (wonderful) doctor, he also owned 8 hectares of vineyards and a couple of thousand olive trees. Something of a conflict of interests perhaps? This did not deter me from following his prescription, I am bound to say.

A trip through the centuries old Pezenas market on Saturday (still held weekly since medieval times) was followed by a couple of hours in front of the TV to watch my beloved Manchester United (a life-long fan since 1952) win their record 19th league title and a game of petanque.

Petanque, more commonly called 'boules' is the national pastime of France and is played by throughout the country and most towns and villages will have a dedicated 'boulodrome'. This is an important venue for many local people to get together and solve the ills of the world whilst lobbing a one and a half pound steel ball ball at a defenceless 'little pig'. The 'little pig' in question is what, in petanque parlance, is called the 'cochonet' and is the small jack which, like in regular green bowls,  is the target of their bombs. 

To watch the game being played by the likes of me and my friends on a fairly rough patch of land, one would be forgiven for thinking there is little or no skill attached. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some of these guys could hit a fly from 30 feet with awesome regularity and practice for many hours into the warm, balmy summer nights to achieve this standard of excellence.

We have some very good players locally and Pezenas hosts some top class competitions during the summer, including a round of the national championships. It is a pleasant way to spend a few hours, just sitting and chewing the fat with the senior locals, picking their brains about the history of the village - both recent and more distant - and getting their views on just about everything going on in the world. They may live in a small village in the middle of 'Sleepy Hollow' but they know what is going on around the place and, being French, they not only have a firm, often unshakeable, opinion on the subject but will share it with you at the drop of a beret.

Sunday was more relaxed with a trip to the local airport to decant some parting friends and then a gentle drive to Marseillan, a lovely little harbour town from where we walked around the Etang de Thau, had a pleasant drink in a portside cafe and finished off at the Noilly Prat winery opposite to re-stock with their wonderful vermouth - having sampled it first of course to ensure the quality remains constant.

Happy days.