FUNNY FETES

We are in full power ahead fete season now in France, every weekend there are several dotted about nearby and a hundred more a bit further away. Some are tiny little village get togethers that don't comprise of much more than the neighbours sitting down at trestle tables to enjoy a meal and a glass of wine. And then there are the big boys -  well publicised, so people from much, much further afield flood in and create havoc parking all over the place and half the actual residents will head for the hills. We have the Fete de Chataigne here in St.Pons at the end of October, when we celebrate the existence of the chestnut. In the village of Montady there is the Fete du Melon, there's not much versatility with melon stalls so they inject fun with a soap box race. Bize has the olive fete, and as it is sponsored by the large olive producing plant on the outskirts there is actually only the one olive oil stall, theirs!so a bit of false advertising there, a parachute display has been their u.s.p.

 
 
 

On Sunday we journeyed up the mountain (considered taking our fleeces, but it was a pleasant 19 degrees to start and got much better) to the town of Lacaune, famed near and not so near for it's charcuiterie; dried sausage, air dried ham, and various things containing cured pork. I've titled this 'Funny Fetes' because at a really good fete the proceedings will commence with a defile (procession) of the local worthies in the robes pertaining to the fete. And they don't really look funny, they in fact look very smart and they are immensely proud of their standing in the pork community or whatever their metier happens to be. Here follows a lot of photos of such folk ....... including invitees from the Order of the Carrot, the Order of the Violette, the Tarte Tatin crew, there were bakers, distillers but no candle stick makers.

 

I think the Carrot representative has eaten

a lot  more than carrots.

Jolly tam o'shanters

 

 

So there were masses of stalls selling hams and dried sausages a plenty, the one that was doing a roaring trade was selling sliced sausage or cured ham in little 'pokes', the other vendeurs should take note for next year, it was our lunch and many other folk too, marketing masterly. I had hoped for a bacon and egg fry up for lunch, as having watched a couple of previous editions of the fete on Youtube this seemed to figure often, but not this time around, quelle dommage, spit roasted pig, hams and even pork curry were on the menu bit not a fried egg in sight.

 

 

 

 

 

We got side tracked and missed the butchery demonstration which I think took place on a table next to these chaps, now that is cruelty to animals. And the whole affair must be a vegetarian's nightmare.

 

 

The piggy at the top was really enjoying a chew on the banner around the pen, yum.

 

Finally some more parade photos, the table of samples in the middle of the road went down very well after a hard 5 minute dander, thank goodness the sun didn't emerge until later otherwise the 'ham man' would have been cooked. It was just like the banner parade 'back home' in Bushmills, well not quite.

 

 

 

 

Complete with police protection, the star of the show.

 

And happily there was something sweet to eat too.

A grand day out, very friendly folk, had a pleasant walk too, will return soon.