Saturday, September 11, 2010

Le Festival D'Orgues de Barbarie

We were up early this morning to go to the market in Revel for food, as we are hosting a dinner party this evening at La Cascade. Dawn, Doriot and Gwen will be cooking an amazing meal and I, their chauffeur, shall be chief dish and pot washer as we entertain Ann and Peter, Glenda and Anne.

After the market, Gwen drove us into the French countryside. We had a good view of the Pyrenees to the south as we drove, some of which had snow on top. Our destination was a small village about 45 minutes away named Montesquieu Lauragais, to attend the 8th Festival D'Orgues de Barbarie. In Engligh, an Organ Grinders Festival. Can you believe it? Only in France!


The various organ grinders were stationned at different points around the small village. We wandered up and down the streets, taking photos and being charmed by the music, the singing and the costumes. (Alas, no live monkeys but a few stuffed ones and several small dogs.)

This woman was our favourite female entertainer:

and this man our favourite male entertainer:


(When he found out we spoke English, his first question was "why?")

I like this photo of the little boy curiously checking it all out:


I'll post more photos of the organs themselves at a later date, each one was a work of art.

The festival started at 11 a.m. and we arrived just about this time. We walked about for an hour and then, because this is France, after all, at twelve noon, after the church bells struck the hour, everyone closed up their instruments and went off to have lunch. We ate at the only restaurant in the village and had yet another lovely meal.

Then home for a quick nap and then to start making dinner!

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