Last week the Seine river banks were once again tranformed into a narrow, long beach, called Paris Plages. L'Express went to interview the lady in charge of the pétanque courts, from 9 am till midnight. Play and loaner boules are all free, and the non-profit organization makes up for the expenses with the "buvette", i.e. the outdoor bar.
Brilliant idea.
And when Paris police officers have no urgent matters to attend, they keep busy otherwise ...
July 30, 2010
Petanque (and a pig) in Prague!
Letenský zámeček is a unique restaurant in the heart of Letná park with wonderful views over the historic centre of Prague. And with a pétanque play area.
On Sept 2nd they're holding their 8th Pétanque Party.
Here's the ad. I wish I could go.... lots of good Pilsner :-)
(Publicis is a French multinational advertising agency, one of the top 3 worldwide)
On Sept 2nd they're holding their 8th Pétanque Party.
Here's the ad. I wish I could go.... lots of good Pilsner :-)
(Publicis is a French multinational advertising agency, one of the top 3 worldwide)
Portland Bouligans on Channel 8 KGW
The Portland Bouligans - the downtown Portland, Oregon club that plays on Jamison Square- made it on the 6 o'clock news.
Good show!
July 29, 2010
Let's play 'boules'
This one is cute!
We have a lot of schools here in the US using pétanque during French classes.
Here you have the opposite: a high school in Grasse (the world's capital of perfume, 12 miles NW of Cannes) decided to make a simple movie in English to teach pétanque to foreign students!
Bravo for a job well done!
(there's one tiny error at rule # 3: should be 6 meters i.s.o. 3)
We have a lot of schools here in the US using pétanque during French classes.
Here you have the opposite: a high school in Grasse (the world's capital of perfume, 12 miles NW of Cannes) decided to make a simple movie in English to teach pétanque to foreign students!
Bravo for a job well done!
(there's one tiny error at rule # 3: should be 6 meters i.s.o. 3)
Petanque vs Boule Provençale
A bit of controversy on French TV channel LCM yesterday.
A guest came on to present the merits of the old game "Jeu Provençal" and the "Provencal 13" tournament going on right now in Marseille. That's wonderful, except that he kept stating that pétanque was the older game, and that "la longue" - as it is also known - was actually derived from pétanque. I couldn't believe my ears!
The host herself doesn't buy it either but allows him carry on. By the end of the program she relates that many people called in to the station to protest his version of history.
No analogy is perfect, but imagine a reporter on a London program claiming that rugby was in fact derived from American football :-)
Sorry, it's all in French, but some of the player action in the first minute is worth watching.
A guest came on to present the merits of the old game "Jeu Provençal" and the "Provencal 13" tournament going on right now in Marseille. That's wonderful, except that he kept stating that pétanque was the older game, and that "la longue" - as it is also known - was actually derived from pétanque. I couldn't believe my ears!
The host herself doesn't buy it either but allows him carry on. By the end of the program she relates that many people called in to the station to protest his version of history.
No analogy is perfect, but imagine a reporter on a London program claiming that rugby was in fact derived from American football :-)
Sorry, it's all in French, but some of the player action in the first minute is worth watching.
July 27, 2010
Petanque in Zanesfield, Ohio
Mike and his friends in Zanesfield, a town of 220 active souls, along the Mad River, thought pétanque would be a nice addition to the town's social activities.He must have a lot of friends - some with nice equipment, to boot - because in a matter of hours the new club had its regulation size court, with ample room for more. Play times will be Wed & Sat at 2:00 and Thu at 6:30.
Welcome to Zanesfield, another new marker on the Petanque in the USA map!
Boules are cool!
We definitely - I've said it before - owe thanks to Karl Lagerfeld whose event in St Tropez in May has attracted the attention of many journalists.
How boules got cool - Guardian - July 28
July 24, 2010
PA Open - Airfares to JAX (Jacksonville)
AirFareWatchDog A good place to start
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/cheap-flights/to-jacksonville-florida/1043/
AIRTRAN Travel by Nov 17, book by July 27
http://www.airtran.com/sale/JAX.aspx?saleID
American Airlines - Travel by Nov 17
http://www.aa.com/netsaaver/viewNetSAAverSpecialsDetails.do?fN=DOMFare.Sale.xml&locale=en_US&saleId=18
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/cheap-flights/to-jacksonville-florida/1043/
AIRTRAN Travel by Nov 17, book by July 27
http://www.airtran.com/sale/JAX.aspx?saleID
American Airlines - Travel by Nov 17
http://www.aa.com/netsaaver/viewNetSAAverSpecialsDetails.do?fN=DOMFare.Sale.xml&locale=en_US&saleId=18
Petanque league in Colorado
Well, David and friends in Lakewood (SW Denver) Colorado have been doing just that for 4 years, on two courts in his and a neighbor's backyard. Plus the public bocce courts around the corner. And more private courts are in the works.
Have a look at the website , with pictures of the courts, the players and lots of info and specific rules. Very well done!
July 22, 2010
La Boule NY on NPR
You can read ànd hear it on this link:
French Game Draws Melange To New York City Park
PS: one of the comments below the article laments that it is an "all male" game. That may be the case in France, and less so every year, but certainly not in other countries. Especially the US where the proportion ladies / men is very much 50/50.
July 21, 2010
Brooklyn Bastille Day
It's hot!! Quelle chaleur!! Que calor!!
Was the most common phrase this past Sunday in Brooklyn.
On the other hand, there was enough liquid (in all tastes & colors) available to extinguish a California brush fire ;-)
Metromix NY already put up a slide show with nice pics.
Below you see team 13 - Jeannot, Bernard & Xavier - who beat team 64 - Bruce, Saul & Peter - in the finals with a tie breaker. At that point the score was 5 / 5, but the street had to be re-opened for traffic and there were only a few minutes left. One doesn't argue with the NYPD!! Actually we are lucky that once a year they allow this unusual street party to happen.
Once again, a wonderful petanque event, enjoyed by thousands of spectators.
Was the most common phrase this past Sunday in Brooklyn.
On the other hand, there was enough liquid (in all tastes & colors) available to extinguish a California brush fire ;-)
Metromix NY already put up a slide show with nice pics.
Below you see team 13 - Jeannot, Bernard & Xavier - who beat team 64 - Bruce, Saul & Peter - in the finals with a tie breaker. At that point the score was 5 / 5, but the street had to be re-opened for traffic and there were only a few minutes left. One doesn't argue with the NYPD!! Actually we are lucky that once a year they allow this unusual street party to happen.
July 11, 2010
Petanque at Club Med
A bunch of folks from the Kiva Club at Vistancia (close to Peoria, Arizona) spent a couple of days at Club Med in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and enjoyed a petanque tourney on the (hard part of the) beach. What a dream location: palm trees, Presidente, and petanque!
Those boules look familiar!
Those boules look familiar!
July 5, 2010
Petanque in Esperance, NY
The latest new club to join FPUSA is "Boule on Kill".Don't be intimidated by the name: "kill" is an old Dutch word, meaning "creek" and is commonly used in NY state, as in Catskill or Peekskill.
Lise, her family and friends have been avid players for years.
She reports further:
We have junior and adults 7 to77 just like Tintin.Taking inspiration from Boules du Dimanche, we have a food and beverage coordinator as food and petanque has always been a good combo!
What a romantic spot!
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