Rolling hills blanketed with vineyards date to ancient Rome ... olive and almond groves reach into forever. Indeed, inspiration is never in short supply in this magical corner of France. We experience it for ourselves during delightful bike rides through an invigorating landscape. And we'll witness even more Provençal passion when we meet a renowned pastry chef for dinner in her home, savor picnics amidst splendid settings, and explore St. Rémy and Avignon with local historians.
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Trophée des As 2007, Course Camarguaise à Arles
Arles, France: October 14, 2007 - The Course Camarguaise is a sport in which rasateurs (the men in white) run after bulls in order to pluck off cords that are tied between their horns. They win money and points for each cord they manage to capture. The 'Finale du Trophée des As' was the championship game of Fall 2007, and Loïc Auzolle was the winner. Sabri Allouani, the defending champion (pictured in the video) won second place.
To see pictures of this event, go to:
Abrivado in Vallabrix (2011)
On the last Sunday of August, what I think is the best, most elaborate abrivado of the year took place in Vallabrix, 7 kilometers north of Uzès. A team of 6 Camargue cowboys in splendid Spanish costumes, with nice smiles on their faces and easy nice words for the crowd. A real pleasure !
An (original) abrivado used to be when cowboys (from Camargue and surrounding areas like some parts of the Gard provencal) got organized to transfer their herd of bulls from one place to another, usually from pasture to pasture - or to bull festivals during the holidays season. Because they wanted to avoid the annoyance of teenagers trying to lure some bulls away (for fun...), they were crossing villages at full galop. To do that efficiently, they had to form a V structure to guide the bulls keep the teenagers away.
Nowdays they move the bulls in trucks... But the abrivados are still a traditional part of summer village festivals in the region. However not all are as well organized and as enjoyable as that last one in Vallabrix - courtesy of Olivier Boutaud from the Doma Vaquera bull farm.
Foire de Printemps 2015
Retour en vidéo sur la Foire de Printemps de Draguignan qui s'est déroulée du 18 au 22 mars dernier.