A friend and I took our kids (2.5, 16 mos, and 9 mos) to the country fair at Caussols up in the back-country (arrière pays - sounds better in french, doesn't it?). It was small (no festival rides or fireworks) but the local farmers brought their animals which was the main attraction for us to go.
The ambience was really local - no tourists here looking for AOC olive oil tastings or fancy jams. There were a lot of soap stands though, which I found a bit strange. There were a couple of makeshift horse posts with not only horses but donkeys, llamas and lots of fowl. What is it about the french and their fowl? The coq is the national sports mascot of France, and I've never seen so many types of chickens.
There was the requisite snack stand selling 'hot dogs' (grilled sausages in baguette: your choice of mustard or ketchup) along with beer and wine. I loved that the food was being made right there on site: no premade sandwiches or bags of chips. I had a picnic-delicious hotdog with mustard and a Heineken. We found a relatively flat and shady spot and pushed and lugged 3 kids and gear while trying not to spill our drinks. Another family chose the same spot and began to setup right on top of us. They were organized, complete with table and plastic chairs and I was feeling really annoyed since trying to feed Boo messy pieces of mustardy-hotdog while he's being distracted was a challenge I could have lived without.
My friend with her two kids left for the playground and I stayed with Boo spooning yogurt as quickly as possible. I was about to make a really nasty comment as I stood up to pack up. Their table was setup with uncorked wines, 3 beautiful pies and all sorts of bowls and platters. One of the elderly men asked me if they were chasing me away and at first I gave him a nasty look and then realized that they weren't really trying to edge me out. In fact, the family's attitude was one of inclusiveness -- Boo and I could have shared in their feast. My frustration was deflated into sheepishness and I went to finish my beer on the playground with my friend.
We packed up dusty and tired, having touched the donkey, eaten french-style hot dogs and learned, once again, the rules about space are just different in France.
Oh when cultures collide! I love reminders like this, and the fair sounded adorable.
Posted by: cybill | August 02, 2008 at 02:13 PM