Jeux sans Frontiers

As mentioned in previous blogs we have been busy constructing games to be played on French National Day (Thursday) between towns visiting Chatillon from Clare on Suffolk, Germany, Belgium and Bulgaria. I use the royal 'we', as the games have been dreamt up by John and mainly constructed by him. I've just done a bit of painting and collecting of bits. As we said, the French game involves a snail on wheels, and she (it has to be a she due to the size of her eyelashes and the red lipstick!) has been sitting in our barn for the past week, scaring anyone who happens to look in. John says we are having a competition on the day of the games for children to choose the name, but I think she should be called Esmerelda (after the 'heroine' in Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame - 'the Bells, the bells!').
 

             Scary isn't she!

There are 4 other games which are well on the way to completion, all we need now are the teams to arrive from their various towns and for the weather to be fine on the day. There is a lot of stuff which wouldn't take kindly to being wet!

We've got a busy few days ahead of us as the L'Europe en Berry-Touraine event starts tomorrow night

Au programme des festivités:• Mercredi 13 juillet : Retraite aux fambeaux, feu de joie, envol de 27 montgolfères au son de l’hymne européen, folklore et musique.
• Jeudi 14 juillet : Cérémonie de la fête nationale, jeux mêlant les jeunes et les moins jeunes, dîner champêtre, feu d’artifce, suivi d’une soirée dansante avec disc jockey.
• Vendredi 15 juillet : Visites touristiques, peintres et musiciens européens envahissent la ville, table ronde des entreprises, nombreuses expositions et animations. En soirée, diner champêtre et concert de musique.
• Samedi 16 juillet : Grand marché européen regroupant les spécialités culinaires, artisanales et touristiques européennes. Restauration sur place aux recettes diverses et variées de notre continent, danses folkloriques, rencontres sportives, nombreuses expositions et animations.

By the time Sunday comes I think we'll be hiding in a darkened room for the week to recover!

We had a lovely thunderstorm this morning which gave the garden a very welcome drink. Poppy doesn't like thunder and when John opened the barn door at 7.00am, she couldn't get to the house door quick enough, then spent the next couple of hours hiding under the breakfast bar - what a softie she is!