This year, it is cooler than usual and there is much more wind, but nothing to stop the fete so far.
The end of our road is the main focus of events with a stage for the band, a bar and various amusements. This year we have oversize baby bouncers and big balls floating on a water as well as the usual dodgems and rides. The square isn't that large, but somehow, everything fits in.
On fête day, the band usually arrives in the afternoon and set themselves up so that we hear a regular 'un, deux, un, deux' as they test the sound system. Then the singers and instrumentalists test out the sound and finally we have a short concert in the early evening as a test run. The music starts up in earnest at 10pm.
The centre of the village is closed in the evening so that local enterprise can overflow into the street. The local restaurant has a special menu and the local butcher is serving tapas and wine.
At 10pm the music starts
Last night there was one lone dancer
Some sleep through it all
On the last day of the fête there is a meal in the village square which is usually well attended. The aperitif concert starts at 7pm, then there is the meal followed by the main concert.
This year the final concert was by Paul Selmar, definitely the best band around. We had attended a winter concert in a church nearby where we learnt more about his band. The musicians are typically music teachers in schools and when school finishes for the summer, some teachers have a second life as band members. Selmer interviews many more very good musicians than he can employ in the summer, and is well aware that he is not stretching their musical talents in the big bands. The winter concerts series was a chance for them to show off their real musical skills with classical pieces. We hope to see more of them in the future.
For the now, here are some shots of last night's concert.
The Mairie is in the background.
With all the tables for the meal in the square, there was little room to dance, so eventually we retired to our terrace to watch the end of the concert and dance there.
Today, Monday, everything is being cleared away until the next celebration on July 13th, the eve of Bastille day.
Pat and John at home