The public watching yesterday's show. They were in stitches. I strongly recommend you click on the image to enlarge it, you'll see the details of all these smiling faces - sure to bring a smile on yours.
A mellow spring is in the air and mid-afternoon a raucous song makes its way up to my open windows. I look down and I see a guitarist seated on the steps across the street, playing and singing for himself. This is gypsy flamenco, a music that speaks to your soul. I listen in admiration - how blessed am I to have a concert at my window!
La ville baigne dans le souffle moëlleux du printemps. Dans l'après-midi une voix âpre et pleine de mélancolie monte jusqu'à mes fenêtres ouvertes. Je vois un guitariste assis sur les marches de l'immeuble d'en face. Il semble ne jouer et ne chanter que pour lui-même ; c'est du flamenco gitan qui parle à l'âme. Un concert à ma fenêtre ? Merci la vie.
Leaving all my previous post's doubts behind, I'm off to Place de l'Horloge in order to engage in the festive spirit but this street musician seems to have a quiet time too. Don't worry, I'm not depressed or anything but with grown up children aged 23 and 17, I don't get involved in all things Christmas as early as I used to. I am looking forward to some wonderful times with the family though. Now for something really uplifting, I suggest you click on this link to my fellow Michel's blog for a delightful go on the merry go round on Place de l'Horloge - I've featured it in photo a few times but the video is much more fun: the music and movement really generate a sense of joy !
Yesterday 8th of December was a celebration of light known as 'fête des lumières'. In Lyon it has turned to a huge event (see great photos here) but in Avignon things remain fairly quiet. Traditionally on that night people put candles on their window sills and a procession dedicated to the virgin Mary takes place, which I will show in my next post. But this year my blogging buddy Michel Benoit took a brilliant initiative by organising a wonderful candle display in what is referred to as "the wall" in rue Banasterie. Thanks Michel! (see more photos on his blog and more daylight photos of this amazing wall here)
Hier 8 décembre c'était la fête des lumières. Rien d'aussi grandiose ici qu'à Lyon où la fête des lumières est devenu un événement géant (voir photos ici) mais traditionnellement les gens ce soir-là mettent des bougies à leur fenêtres et une procession dédiée à la vierge Marie se déroule dont je montrerai des images dans mon prochain billet. Cette année mon compère blogueur Michel Benoit a eu la géniale initiative d'illuminer le mur des offrandes de la rue Banasterie. Merci Michel ! (voir d'autres images de la soirée sur son blog ici et toutes ses photos du mur d'offrandes ici).
All I have to say is she was really funny. She got everyone around her laughing within minutes.
The Avignon theatre festival is over but street performances aimed at visiting tourists continue around Popes palace square. I enjoyed watching this guy working on his clay make up in a corner of the square.
After a short while (hardly 45 seconds) he grew really annoyed with my photos and pulled a face at me. Sorry for being a nuisance sir, and thanks to you, you made my day ! (I obviously wouldn't have been so insistent with anyone else but I believe that for a street performer, being photographed is part of the job, don't you ?).
Finishing off my report on the Avignon Theatre Festival, a last batch of street portraits, focusing on Molière's 17th century characters. Face paint or not, that is the question.
Bientôt la fin du festival d'Avignon, quelques derniers portraits de rue. Sganarelle ou L'école des maris, Molière reste un grand classique. Maquillage ou non, that is the question.
Like in my post two days ago this young father was also having his portrait made. Cost : 30 euros.
No sooner has a festival ended that another starts : four days of jazz music from 4th-8th of August. It's called Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon and this year is the 18th edition. Tremplin means springboard and the aim is to help young European musicians gain more recognition through a competition and the presentation of awards. Some concerts are free, some others feature famous names in prestigious locations, see the programme here. I might try to attend a concert tonight or tomorrow... You can view a great b&w photo report on the 2008 edition of the festival here.
In Avignon we don't have artists doing tourists' portraits year round like on Place du Tertre in Paris, they only come and set up their easels on Place de l'horloge in summer. But July and August is the time when they're here and they're always a joy to watch. Some attempt faithful (or flattering?) portraits, some are more into caricature. How good do you think the portrait above is? And would you be brave enough to have your caricature made?
On Wednesday the Rue du Rateau, one of Avignon's small inner-city streets, was closed down for a children's fête called Journée Phare West, which depending on the spelling can be understood as Far west day or Western lighthouse day. Nothing to do with lighthouses but the pun implied that the connection with the American far west was loose and not to be taken too seriously. The full day event included loud music, a picnic lunch, dance show on stage, lots of games and fun activities such as totem painting workshop where I took pictures of this striking little girl. The second photo is slightly out of focus but I chose to show it nevertheless because of the interesting arm movement.
Congratulations to all participants! / Bravo à tous les participants !
Do you know this clown? I'd be surprised if you said no - he must be one of the best known characters in the whole world. I actually find that idea quite disturbing because I have no sympathy for what he represents - the spread of American junk food to the whole planet. I'll tell you tomorrow what he was doing in Villeneuve lès Avignon on Wednesday but in the meantime I must admit he was quite entertaining in showing the kids how to put a smile on your face: first you attach a string to each corner of your mouth, then pull the first string, and then the second.... eeek, here's the smile! Ooops, don't let go of the strings or the corners of your mouth will drop again!
Come on, everybody do the string-pulling smile - you too, the lady with the camera!
Evening crowd at the Christmas market.
