It's Accordeon Festival Time in Chamberet!


This weekend in Chamberet - in fact from today - we have the 10th Accordion Festival/Festival de l'Accordeon and there are at least 70 camper vans in the village with festival goers all ready to dance and listen to accordions over the next three days!   The marquee (which at least quadruples the size of the Salle des Fetes) went up in a record two days last week, including a wooden dance floor over the whole area.  Volunteers have been back and forward since then, the festival toilets are installed in front of the Salle des Fetes, and there are huge posters on empty shop windows showing this year's timetable - a great idea and a new innovation this year.  Tonight there was a special 'pot d'amitie' - literally, a friendship drink which accompanies all sorts of events - to welcome the festivaliers to the village, and from the numbers of people streaming to the marquee next to the Mairie, I'm sure it was a success.

 Tomorrow though, Friday,  at our little supermarket G20, there'll be sampling and tasting of  local produce - meat, wine, honey etc.and music, also at Mille Saveurs which has a lovely selection of speciality foods, wines, etc. On display also in the marquee at G20 (which next week will be full of crysanthemums and artificial flowers for relatives to put on the graves of  departed loved ones at Toussaint) are winning jerseys from the 1940s onwards of cyclists in the Bol d'Or, one of the local Tour de France-type cycle races.

On Sunday it’s the  Fete de l'Automne/Autumn Festival with food and other stalls, apple pressing, a buvette (of course) and a cheap meal in the chapiteau/marquee next to the Mairie from about midday.  It’s plastic cutlery and paper plates, but at 8 euros for 4 courses, you can’t complain and its one of those events where everybody and their granny is there, all eating together (a bit squashed in a marquee next to the Mairie).  If you want to go a bit upmarket,  the other cafes/restaurants will also be open and putting on a special meal (22 euros at the Cafe des Sports).

The camper vans are from all parts of France - a sight worth seeing, and the strains of the accordeon and other music in the air from now 'til Sunday evening.  (The favourite tune we noticed in previous years is that well known Spanish tune 'Una Paloma blanca'!)

©Marie Tyler
19 October 2016

NB  Bob - if you are reading this - hope you are keeping well.