King of the Birds Renaissance Festival

There's only one word that can describe this year's King of the Birds Festival--AWESOME.

In all the travel I have done, this was probably one of a handful of festive processions that I'd ever seen. It moved me deeply, as evidenced by my taking over 400 photos! The parade also reminded me of how grateful I was to be here in France to witness this extraordinary spectacle.

The five-day September 33-year-old event in Le Puy, the peak experience of the year, culminated in a parade of costumes down the Cathedral steps on Sunday afternoon ushered in by the King's guard in their blue and yellow uniforms.

King's banner

King's Guard

Many troops of bagpipers accompany the king. 

Crowds numbering in the thousands gathered early for a place along the parade route. Waiting for the big event to begin allowed onlookers to glimpse of what would prove to be "the Greatest Show on Earth", at least in Le Puy that day.

At the beginning of the parade, "King Francis I" and "Queen Eleanor" made an appearance....and oh they looked so royal! (see above photo)

Nobles in fine dress were also there. They certainly didn't lack in brilliant designs, colors, or royal comportment.

             

This gentleman seems to have been in many a parade--and he wasn't going to miss this one. He received an ovation from the crowd as he passed.

  

 

 

Peasants showed off their costumes and celebrated their trades.

Kids were adorable in their costumes, which also presented to them a history of their country and culture. (Earlier in the week, whole classrooms of kids attended the festival to learn about Renaissance life.)

            

The King of the Birds Festival is all about archery. There is a contest for the best archer. Meanwhile, the parade featured several companies of archers.

This one looks like Little John of Robin Hood fame.

Interesting persons in their costumes both in the parade and among the crowds added to the day's spectacle.

St. Jacques

Malapropism: peasant with a cell phone

Delicious crêpes with nutella and fruity flavors on hand

Many soldiers were on hand for the parade.

 

Flute players and other musicians offered Renaissance sounds, which complemented the exquisite costumes.

Saladin

a pirate?

Flute salesman roams the crowd

   

Executioner at the ready

Laurent Wauquiez, président de la région 'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes made an appearance in costume, too.

Toothless poor man is a hit among the crowd.

                        

               

 

 

He looks like a jaunty academic.

Another take on "flying buttresses"? 

King of the Birds Renaissance Festival -- Night Camp

A "tent city" was erected for the Renaissance Festival just outside the old city of Le Puy. Meals were prepared in cauldrons over camp fires, and people who were working the festival slept and rested in the tents. Every day during the five-day festival you could smell the camp fires burning as a low cloud of smoke hung over the city.

Here's the view of the "tent city" with the lighted background of the Cathedral.

A "Renaissance-style" meal was on offer. It consisted of sausage, lentils, pork leg, some kind of liver and bread combo, a roll, a slice of cheese, and a cake dessert. 





Some peasant women pose for a photo in "tent city."










  A couple strolls in "tent city" in "Renaissance wear." 

Festival organizers encourage everyone to dress up in Renaissance costumes whether they are volunteers or onlookers. And people do! It felt a lot like Halloween seeing people dressed like this--a far cry from the jeans, shirts, and athletic shoes that they normally wear. 

There were many events at the Renaissance Festival that took place throughout the five days, and they were well-attended. There were jousting matches, wrestling matches, demonstrations of Renaissance tools, plays, music presentations, puppet shows, and of course, the archery contests that determined who would be crowned King of the Birds. Below are the horses that participated in the jousting matches.

The city invites people to volunteer their time for the Festival. Next year I hope to do just that....and to dress in Renaissance wear!

I Finally Climbed St. Michel

Every day for the past year I have gazed upon St. Michel and thought about climbing it. However, as one both afraid of heights and worried about the strain on my knees, I put it off--until recently. That all changed when one of our visitors wanted to go, and I agreed to accompany her. Boy, was it worth it on two counts.

First of all, even though the walk upward on the 262 steps looks formidable, it really isn't so bad. That is because it lends to a magnificent view down below. Various landings provide natural stopping points from which to look around and marvel at the river, the red-tiled roof houses, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the little romanesque St. Clair Chapel, and the city of Le Puy itself. Breath-takingly marvelous! 

Then again, with each movement closer toward the top, I got a more intimate view of the chapel itself. Actually, it is smaller than it appears from the ground, probably because the mount it is built on, composed of lava that spurted out from beneath the sea that once covered this land, is solid rock about 82 meters (269 feet) high. 

The chapel is packed full of interesting details that the builders took pains to provide to those who ventured to the top back in 969 when it opened as well as to those who go there today. This is a place in Le Puy NOT to be missed!

The chapel is also replete with intricate stone work on the outside as well as the stone pillars, floors and ceilings on the inside. It has gargoyles and frescoes. Finally, the dark but inspirational chapel winds around the top of a lava mount. All these features reveal the extravagant imaginations of the builders, the influence of the Orient, and their Christian spirituality. Take a look at the photos below to see what I mean.

St. Michel kills the dragon.

Side chapel with frescoes

Frescoes on the ceiling

Back of the church

According to Wikipedia: "The church, built in volcanic stone, has a portal decorated with a lobed arch, characteristic of the Umayyad architecture of the caliphate of Cordoba 8 which spread in the French Romanesque architecture through the influence of the pilgrims along the major French pilgrimage routes of Santiago de Compostela and, in particular, along Via Podiensis through Aiguilhe.
"The door is framed by two columns, each surmounted by a capital carved with acanthus leaves and an anthropomorphic or zoomorphic motif. It is surmounted by a carved lintel decorated with two mermaids confronted, which supports a tympanum bordered by a foliage frieze. On this frieze leans the trilobed arch, adorned with foliage and anthropomorphic motifs. The interior of the lobes is decorated with carved scenes, including the paschal lamb.

"Above the arch is a mosaic of polychrome stones surmounted by arcades under which is represented the Christ surrounded by Saint John, the Virgin, Archangel Michael and Saint Peter."


Many people wonder how this chapel was built? The short answer is with wheels and pulleys that hoisted the materials upward to the top. It took a lot of work and patience over two centuries but they did it!

The second reason why this climb was worth the effort was that the church is very inspirational. I felt an eerie but enduring presence of the millions of people who have been here over the past 11 centuries. That makes the energy here very strong and prayer so much more forthcoming. 

St. Michel has been a sacred place since pre-historic times. The Romans dedicated the mount to Mercury. Then the Christians built the present-day chapel and dedicated it to Michael the Archangel. Over the centuries it was renovated.  For more information about the chapel's history and characteristics, check out this website.

Here is one final photo from my room of the morning moon in August setting near St. Michel. What an incredible gift we have here with St. Michel!

Un Voleur A Pris Mon Portable!

I’ve traveled all over the world, but this was the first time in over 30 years that I’ve ever been a victim of theft. A petty thief took my cell phone!

It happened at a restaurant in the Old City of Lyon, my first day of a much-needed four-day mini-vacation. A friend and I had spent a nice day in the city and decided to conclude our time together with an evening meal at a sidewalk café. We had just received our meal when a young man who was carrying a newspaper with the headline “sans abri” meaning homeless, stopped at our table. He had approached me for a hand-out once before while we were walking in the city but I blew him off  and he went away. Once we were seated at our table, he stopped and asked for money again. Then, a few minutes later he returned and was standing behind me. He very strangely put down his newspaper on the empty table next to me. I told him to scram and he left.

I had just shown my friend photos of our day together and put my cell phone on the empty table. I had also taken off my shoulder bag and put it on the accompanying chair. The thief obviously saw my phone, put his newspaper on top of it, and swooped it away without my seeing him do it. Three women from the shop next to the restaurant alerted me that I had just been robbed. I slung my purse over my shoulder, leaped up from the table, and headed down the street looking for the thief. Meanwhile, the waiter from the restaurant ran down the street after the thief. Unfortunately, neither of us could find him. 

The women in the shop and my server advised me to go to the police and report the incident, which I did the next day. The restaurant had cameras and recorded the incident. Since I had seen the thief three times, I knew I could identify him.  Nevertheless, the chances of getting back my cell phone were nil, said the police. Cell phones are hot property for re-sale and mine was now on the market.

"This is Lyon," said a woman at the desk of the police station. "A big tourist city attracts thieves. You have to be careful."

Actually, I was unusually calm about the theft. Of course, I wasn’t happy, but at least the thief didn’t get my purse, which had my credit cards, driver’s license, and other ID. Nor did he ever touch me or hurt me physically. So, I was very lucky. 

The next day I went to the police station to report the theft. My written report and hour-long interview with the police officer were all in French, and I was able to communicate. So that boosted my confidence in the language!

I also went to the bank/post office nearby and fortunately, the woman who speaks English was there. She looked up my account and changed the SIM card. Now my phone was locked, she said. She also checked my account and indicated that it had not been touched or hacked, which was my biggest worry.  When I returned to Le Puy I bought a new phone and cover. Now I will be more careful with it--and be less trusting of others when I am out on the street.

VE Day in France

Parisians march through the Arc de Triomphe jubilantly waving flags of the Allied Nations as they celebrate the end of World War II on May 8, 1945. German military leaders signed an unconditional surrender in Reims, France, on May 7. (AP Photo)

This is an aerial view of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on VE Day, May 7, 1945, shows thousands of French people celebrating the announcement of Germany’s unconditional surrender to the Allies. British, American and French servicemen mingled with the crowds who sang and danced throughout the night. (AP Photo/Griffin)

WWII Victory Day in France. WWII Victory Day (la fête de la victoire, le jour de la libération) is a holiday to celebrate the end of World War II and the French people's freedom. It is the anniversary of when Charles de Gaulle announced the end of World War II in France on May 8, 1945.


Victory in Europe Day is a national holiday in France, known locally as 'Victoire 1945' or 'La Fête de la Victoire'. It is the day that commemorates the end of World War II, specifically in Europe. World War II lasted from 1 September, 1939, to 8 May, 1945.

http://www.see-and-do-france.com/ve-day.html

May Day in France

For the French, May 1 is a special day where everyone gets a day off. Stores, banks, and government offices are all closed. People spend this day of leisure with their families or friends. 

Fête du Muguet (the Feast of the Lily of the Valley) all started with King Charles IX of France in 1561. He was given the flower as a lucky charm. He liked it so much that he decided to give it every year to the ladies of the court. Today, the flowers are sold in bouquets on the street, at churches, and in stores around France. People offer the flowers to friends or family members for good luck.

Of course, for the Catholic Church, May Day is St. Joseph the Worker Day. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Le Puy held a Mass in honor of St. Joseph this morning. 

Happy St. Joseph the Worker Day, especially to the Sisters of St. Joseph!!

Eluiza and I celebrated the day by going to Mass at the Cathedral, making homemade pizza, and taking a day off.

May Day is also Fête du Travail (Labor Day). Trade unions and other workers' organizations use this day for marches in the streets in favor of workers' rights. Called "International Workers Day," the tradition began in 1889 after following the lead of a Chicago workers' strike in 1886 when 35,000 workers walked off their jobs to demonstrate for the 8-hour work day. In 1941, French workers finally won the 8-hour work day, which included getting a paid day off.

This year is especially important one for transportation workers. They are in the midst of a national strike (la gréve) that began in April and is scheduled to continue until June. Fortunately, it takes place only 2-3 days a week, but it requires a lot of maneuvering for travelers.

If you are traveling in France this spring/summer, here is a schedule of rail and air strike days: 

Thursday, May 3 - Rail and Air France strike (Tuesday, May 1, is the Fête du Travail public holiday. Public transport will be very limited)

Friday, May 4 - Rail and Air France strike

Monday, May 7 - Air France strike

Tuesday, May 8 - Rail and Air France strike (also a public holiday)

Wednesday, May 9 - Rail strike (Thursday, May 10, is a public holiday)

No air strikes are yet scheduled beyond May 8, but could be called if negotiations fail. Meanwhile, further rail strikes are planned on the following days:

May 13-14
May 18-19 (May 21 is the Pentecôte public holiday)
May 23-24
May 28-29
June 2-3
June 7-8
June 12-13
June 17-18
June 22-23
June 27-28

A list of trains running will be displayed in each station. Any mainline ticket for a cancelled train will be valid on all trains running on that day along the same route. Customers who prefer to cancel their trip has the right to a full refund at the ticket office, regardless of purchase price.

The Independent, an online UK site explains why the French railway workers are on strike in its April 13, 2018, edition.

"The country's railway workers are engaged in industrial action over proposed reforms to the SNCF, the national railway, which will be opened up to competition in 2020 in line with EU requirements. 

SNCF employees currently receive automatic annual pay rises, receive 28 days of paid annual leave, are allowed to retire at 50 and are entitled to free tickets for family members. 

These perks will be lost under the contractual reforms proposed, which will mean an end to jobs-for-life for new hires. 

The SNCF is presently £40 bn in debt and operating at a loss of £5,000 a minute. 

France's rail lines are looking at 36 days of strikes in total, two days out of every five from the period beginning on 3 April and scheduled to run until 28 June. 

All four of France's main rail unions are involved. In total, 77 per cent of drivers and 34 per cent of staff are downing tools. 

Air France pilots, cabin crew and ground staff are also on strike - demanding a 6 per cent pay rise given that their wages have been frozen since 2011. The company is currently only offering a one per cent increase with added benefits and have been duly snubbed."