Thanks to Jane, who bought the boules for me, and some friends here in Villefranche, who drove us on this adventure, I am now the proud owner of my own set of boules for pétanque. They are not just any old boules. They are Obut boules.
To the uninitiated, the information on this box may not demonstrate what great boules I got. They are semi-hard, stainless steel, 76 mm in diameter and weigh 710 grams. They fit my hand perfectly as you can see. Notice how the line of the edge of my thumb just lines up with the tips of all my fingers.
One might think that you can just go to a boule store and pick any old one off the shelf, but no. It is important to get the diameter and the weight just right for your weight and hand size as well as your style of play. Notice the table I am standing next to with all the boules on it. I needed to try many before getting just the right one.
You also must select just the right design. Here are the boules that I purchased. They are sold in groups of three as that is the number that you need when you play a match.
I have strategically placed the boules so that you get a view from three angles. The one in the middle is the name of the manufacturer, Obut, the best there is. The one on the right shows the model "match" and the one on the left shows the serial number of my particular set of boules. In a group you need to be able to tell which boules are yours. Of course mine will now always be the closest ones to the cochonnet, nevertheless, I will remember that I am serial number A135. It is a little hard to see but notice the lines of varying lengths on either side of match and Obut. It is a great design, and I am certain it will give me just the right grip to achieve the perfect spin.
I should note again that Jane gave me these boules, and here we are leaving the store.
After securing my future as a pétanque player, we headed for Biot, a medieval town located on a hilltop above Antibes. We went there to see the Fernand Léger museum.
I did not know very much about Léger except for his large colorful murals like the ones on the outside of the museum.
I was surprised to learn about the incredible scope of his work. He was born in 1881 and died in 1955. He started as an impressionist. Unfortunately around 1905 he became disenchanted with his work and destroyed virtually all of them. This one is entitled "Le jardin de ma mère" was one of my favorites in the museum.
He felt that art should be for everybody and was a strong proponent of what we now call public art. He wanted art set outside where all could enjoy it.
One small piece that I really liked was a painting and plaster sculpture done with Mary Callery.
There was a special exhibit of works by Stéphane Couturier, a photographer who was born in 1957 just two years after Léger had died. Léger's influence on Couturier was obvious. In the photo below, the work in the middle is Léger and the ones on each side are Couturier's.
We left the museum having enjoyed it and learnt a lot.
Of course no adventure is complete without a good meal. One of the great things about going around the countryside in France is the extraordinary number of great restaurants that you find. Our friends had done some research and decided we should try this one.
It is a very casual but inviting place that seemed to serve a clientele ranging from working people, to locals to tourists. The food was great. Here is the rabbit with risotto and mushrooms. The sauce was very tasty and quite rich, but a wonderful hearty meal.
Here is the pork in thyme sauce with potatoes, a wonderful hearty meal.
As a connoisseur of profiterole, I could not resist trying their version of this wonderful dessert. In this case, they coated the pastry shell in mousse au chocolat. It was wonderful but probably had a few calories hidden in the whipped cream.
All in all we had a wonderful adventure, and now I am ready to become a pétanque star.
Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal
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