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Summer was rapidly coming to an end
here in the mountains, and the weather seemed to be uncooperative.
It was probably my imagination, but it seemed to be sunny
all week and then rain on the weekends. Seeing that my brother
and his girlfriend were visiting midway through the month,
I tried to make the best of it. Still I didn't wander too
far from home and focused a little more on the immediate
area around Aix-les-Bains.
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Les pétanquers américains.
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Two points for the home team.
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My fanny.
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Travel just about anywhere in southern
France – small towns or big cities alike – and you will
see people playing pétanque. Similar to its
cousins, such as the British bowls, Italian bocce,
Flemish krulbol, or Maltese bocci, pétanque
has its origins with the Egyptians who used round stones
and a target object to play a game of accuracy and strategy.
The Greeks also used polished stones, but the Romans refined
the game by using lighter and easier-to-make wooden balls,
sometimes with a protective metal surface. The family tree
of boules is extensive. Even within France there
are variations of the game including jeu provençal,
jeu lyonnais, jeu bretonne, boule de fort,
boule nantaise, and boule de berges, mainly
differing on the size or shape of the boules, length of
the court, or use of lane borders.
The game of pétanque
is unique in that it can be played almost anywhere there
is a relative flat sand and gravel covered area. The unevenness
of the ground adds to the skill level. Another distinctive
feature of the game is that players must shoot with both
feet within a small circle. This rule actually gives the
game its name in that the Provençal expression ped
tanco means "feet together". The game can
be played as individuals or in teams, but either way, each
member has three boules in his arsenal. A game begins
by throwing out the small ball called the cochonette
(piglet), which acts as the target, to a distance of 20-30ft.
The first lanceur throws a boule as close
to the cochonette as he can. Players continue throwing
until they have either the closest boule or have
exhausted their supply. The player with the closest boule
to the cochonette gets one point for each boule
that is inside his opponent’s closest shot. The winner is
the first player to 13 points. Serious players specialize
in being either pointeurs (pointers), who try to
get a boule close to the target, or tireurs
(shooters), who try to knock an opponent’s boule
away from the cochonette.
One last aspect of the game to know
is that of “kissing fanny”. Legend has it that in a small
Savoie village following World War I, a certain waitress
took pity on pétanque players who lost without
scoring a single point by allowing them to give her a kiss.
During one particular game, the unpopular mayor of the village
was on the losing end of a 0-13 skunk and went to collect
his reward. The waitress climbed up on a chair and bared
her backside for the mayor to plant one on each cheek, which
he did. Thus was born the ritual of “kissing fanny” when
suffering a humiliating 0-13 loss, be it a statue, painting,
or even a willing onlooker. Nowadays, almost every pétanque
starter-kit comes with a fanny in the form of a measuring
tape or scoring device.
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Crémieu sprawled below Saint-Hippolyte.
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The 12th century Châteaux Delphinal.
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Still a few hours from being ready.
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The straw-strewn lanes added a touch
of charm.
Keeping an eye on the cow.
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Driving back from the Lyon airport
where I had picked up B and P, we decided to stop in Crémieu
and have a look around. As luck would have it, they were
hosting a Renaissance fair that weekend, so we were treated
to a unique look at this nicely preserved medieval city.
Crémieu enjoyed commercial success during the middle
ages as a trading center for grain among merchants from
France, Savoie, Italy, and Switzerland. Its role as religious
center began with the founding of a 12th century Benedictine
monastery on Saint-Hippolyte, a massive hill overlooking
the city. This religious influence eventually led to the
demise of the city’s affluence, as a constant stream of
Capuchin, Visitandine, Ursuline, and White Penitent monks
eventually took over administrative control of the city
and banned all commercial fairs.
We walked around for a while taking
in the atmosphere and a couple glasses of cider. It was
still early so much of the fair was still being set up.
Next to the long 15th century market hall, an entire cow
(at least I hope it was a cow) was on the spit. Organizers
added a nice touch by spreading straw along the streets
and restaurants covered their outdoor chairs in burlap.
As skies began to darken with rain clouds, we made our way
up to the château for a nice view of the town and
Saint-Hippolyte in the background. With poor weather on
the horizon we decided to head out before the crowds started
arriving and made our way toward Aix-les-Bains.
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The Bossons glacier which has been
known to extend into the valley during periods of heavy
snow.
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A view of the Arve.
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Tribute to de Saussure who crossed
the Alps 14 times and studied their geology.
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Annecy, the other must-see in Savoie is Chamonix. Located
in the shadow of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe,
it is a veritable winter sports Mecca. Its surrounding rugged
terrain and access to mountains and glaciers made it a premier
tourist attraction during the Belle Époque, culminating
in it being chosen to host the very first winter Olympic
Games in 1924. While the town has grown over the years,
the downtown still retains an Alpine charm. The emerald-green
Arve bisects this area which is filled with tourist shops,
winter sports and mountaineering stores, and restaurants
serving fondue, raclette, and pierre-chaud - a hot
rock on which you cook strips of meat. Even this time of
year, it’s easy to imagine skiers strolling along on snowy
streets.
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L'Église St. Michel.
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Glacier entrances for the last 3 years.
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La Mer de Glace.
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The Montenvers train.
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Inside the glacier.
In summer, debris covers the glacier.
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Perched
on the northern face of Mont Blanc is the Mer de Glace (Sea
of Ice), Europe’s second longest glacier at approximately
8 miles in length. It originates at the peak of Mont Blanc
and extends toward Chamonix at a rate of about 270 ft per
year under the weight of new snowfall. I was surprised at
how dirty the glacier appeared, but as it flows, the glacier
carves through the surrounding mountain resulting in a layer
of debris on its surface. I expect that fresh snow in the
winter gives it a nice white appearance once again.
Once visible from Chamonix itself,
it has since receded to a point where one must either hike
up a portion of the mountain or take the Montenvers cogwheel
train to view the glacier. We chose the latter so as to
conserve the smattering of blue sky that was not expected
to last. Once at the glacier, it’s possible to ascend to
the ice cave that is carved into the side of the ice sheet
every year. The movement of the glacier is evident from
previous entrances which can be seen further down. The bridge
to the entrance is supported by loose moorings to account
for the 100 ft or so of movement that occurs while the ice
cave is open to the public. Inside the cave or grotte
are some sculptures, an ice living room, and a Saint Bernard
that you can photograph for a fee. Aside from these cheesy
ploys to justify the 5 euro entrance fee, there is a definite
thrill to being inside such a massive force of nature.
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The Grand Port in Aix.
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The classic carnot à vapeur.
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These guys were on something.
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Every year, Aix-les-Bains hosts Navig’Aix,
a four day celebration of all things nautical. With not
much better to do, I moseyed down to the Grand Port to see
what the buzz was about. Boats, boats, and more boats. There
were motor boats, sailboats, steam boats, speed boats, paddle
boats, and model boats. There was nautical equipment, nautical
souvenirs, and nautical clothing. Frankly, it was a little
overwhelming.
Lac du Bourget is connected to the
Rhône via the Canal de Savières. This opens
a direct route to Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) from which
it seemed much of the flotilla had originated. If you’re
not a boat person, it’s not an overly exciting event; however,
there were some pretty neat things like the Barone Brothers
and their 1972 Alpha Romeo speed boats or the vintage steam-powered
canots. The highlight of the weekend seemed to be the amphibious
vehicles. There were three Swiss vessels that looked like
ordinary cars (if you didn’t look too closely) until their
owners drove them down the boat ramp and off onto the lake.
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One of the Barone Brothers.
Another speed boat did not fare so
well.
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Performance art - in case I forgot
I was in France.
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There were boats everywhere.
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An amphibious vehicle.
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