Carnaval Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie Style
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 3:00PM ;)
;)
I read that there are 32 Saint Quentin municipalities in France and they had to come up with some name changes to differentiate them all for the postal service. Our Saint Quentin is one of the oldest pottery making regions so, in 1886 the 'la Poterie' was added.
Today was a big celebration in town. The kids and I walked to where we saw everyone else walking and watched. We weren't sure what was happening or why but it looked like a lot of fun. Nearly every kid and quite a few adults were in some kind of costume. I counted five Zorros a couple dozen garden variety princess, lions, tigers, (no bears) AND several cowboys and indians. It made me feel good someone was representing for the USA. A big papier-mâché guy was burned -- I'm not sure what he did to deserve but I hope I don't make the same mistake.
I ran into our across the street neighbor and asked her what we were celebrating. She said it's, Carnaval, it's supposed to be celebrated in February but it's just too cold then. Whatever the reason, it was a great excuse to put on a costume, toss confetti, and for the boys to spray shaving cream all over each other. Burning stuff in the center of town is always fun too.
;)
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Bob & Brenna Redpath | 4 Comments | Email Article | Stumble, Digg, etc. | in France | tagged Carnaval, France, Saint Quentin la Poterie
Reader Comments (4)
Lama was almost burned in effigy once. Ooph .. High School was ROUGH!
Gunga Gulunga,
...Lama...
What a wonderful scene! It's great that ya'll are already getting into the fabric of life in the village. Having visited this area last summer (though not your particular village) I can highly recommend the following as "must sees"---Avignon, a gorgeous walled city and an abundance of historical treasures; Nimes, you may want to wait until Brenna gets back for this or go more than once, fabulous shops & eateries; Arles, you can actually visit the place where Van Gogh stayed although it is now a school, it has a lovely courtyard and there is an ampitheatre which should be close to final restoration by now; and St Remy, there is the hospital where Van Gogh stayed and painted some of his most glorious canvasses, it is a former monastery and still serves as a hospital, the part where Van Gogh stayed can be visited and don't miss the only olive mill in the area outside St. Remy---they have a wonderful tasting bar and you get to see how the glorious oil is made... Not to mention all the hidden gems along the way...too numeous to count! Go to the markets---they travel from village to village and have many special offerings. I will be traveling back to Drome Sud north of Orange in June so am so excited to read about your adventures on this leg of your journey...keep on postin'!
If you have read any of Calvin Trillin's travel books, you may have come across the best thing the French ever invented: taureau piscine. It's like a game at a fair, only with bulls and kiddie pools. If you find a flyer advertising one, please go to it for me and take pictures!
Hey Bob,
Photos make me nostalgic. That guy they burned in the town square is M. Carnival. This one goes way back to pagen times I believe. We burn M. C. to signify the end of winter and celebrate the rebirth of spring.
As for Toro Piscine you'll have to wait a while til things warm up more.
Have fun in St. Quentin.
Joe