As with last year (although we had forgotten), the day of the fête started with a 6am artillery salvo shot off in Mazerolles, but clearly heard 2 kilometers away in Condadeuil. An adrenalin rush at an early hour! We skipped the daytime festivities, including the first (annual?) vide grenier (jumble sale) and ate a big lunch late in the afternoon anticipating that we wouldn't be eating dinner until quite late. Since we each remembered a different time for our expected arrival, we split the difference and arrived at 18.30. And we ended up with half an hour to wander around the fair and watch the last vide grenier participant fold up shop.
The dinner was to start at 19.30. At 19.00 we were split into teams and two people were assigned to each table. Inside, there were 6 tables, each seating 38 people; there were more outside under tents, but we never heard a count for these. Kaye worked table 4 and Ed had table 5. The whole thing was a bit better organized than last year, with much of the preparation done the day before. Instead of cutting bread directly before and during the meal, this had already been done.
At 19.30, people started to come in. It's a very nice affair, with families and people of all ages, from babies in strollers to folks older than we are. At 21.00 everyone was finally seated (why does this take so long?) and service began. First there was an aperitif (of rosé wine and grapefruit juice), with fruit juice for the kids. Then we served the starter. Then we cleared the starter and served the meat (ham slices that had been marinated and barbecued on the spot) and distributed bowls of white beans (also cooked on the spot). Meanwhile we kept everyone stocked with bread and water and the bowls of beans refilled. (There are a limited number of bread baskets and bowls, so you have to keep gathering these to refill when they're empty.)
Just before the cheese was distributed, the servers slipped outside to start their dinner. Last year the servers waited to sit down to eat until after the diners had gone. This time we got to eat during the end of the service. Dash outside and have a starter. Back in to serve the cheese and bring more bread. Outside to have some ham and beans. (All accompanied by wine, of course.) Back in to serve the tarts and start the coffee going. Oops! Starting six coffee makers all at once caused an electricity failure. Only a lucky few of the diners got their coffee and the rest grumbled off home.
Monday morning, the clean-up crew started at 9am. We slept in and didn't show up until 10am. Someone had already taken all the dirty dishes over to the old salle de fêtes, so we joined in the cleanup there. There is a small dishwasher, but lots and lots of handwashing and drying happened. Ed and Kaye took care of putting everything away in the cabinets, since we're pretty experienced at packing efficiently.
When this was done, we returned to the new salle de fêtes in Mazerolles for a lunch with all the people who had helped with the fête. (The new salle de fêtes is actually an old barn, and it's not (yet) officially a salle de fêtes, but it is frequently used for gatherings. A plaque there says that during WWII, a group of Bir-hakeim resistance fighters were quartered there for a short time. This building was falling down, we learned, but the ex-mayor, who was in office when we bought our house, had it renovated and installed ping-pong tables.)
There were more than 30 people for the lunch. We started by polishing off the aperitif from the night before (rosé and grapefruit juice). Then platters with the leftover carrots from the previous night's starter (no more beets) surrounded by tomato slices were passed around. This was followed by freshly made omelettes with sautéed potatoes. At this point we were both quite full, but we were just getting started. Next there was the leftover ham and beans, then camembert, and then apple tarts. (When Kaye took her bit of camembert, the gentleman on her left asked if she were English? No, American. Ah, the English don't like camembert!) All was served with generous amounts of wine, red and rosé. At the end there were many bottles of Clairette de Die. And while we cleared up from the meal, liqueurs were served, cognac and various homemade drinks, including some firewater of plums that is dribbled onto a sugar cube to "drink".
Just before the cheese was distributed, the servers slipped outside to start their dinner. Last year the servers waited to sit down to eat until after the diners had gone. This time we got to eat during the end of the service. Dash outside and have a starter. Back in to serve the cheese and bring more bread. Outside to have some ham and beans. (All accompanied by wine, of course.) Back in to serve the tarts and start the coffee going. Oops! Starting six coffee makers all at once caused an electricity failure. Only a lucky few of the diners got their coffee and the rest grumbled off home.
Monday morning, the clean-up crew started at 9am. We slept in and didn't show up until 10am. Someone had already taken all the dirty dishes over to the old salle de fêtes, so we joined in the cleanup there. There is a small dishwasher, but lots and lots of handwashing and drying happened. Ed and Kaye took care of putting everything away in the cabinets, since we're pretty experienced at packing efficiently.
When this was done, we returned to the new salle de fêtes in Mazerolles for a lunch with all the people who had helped with the fête. (The new salle de fêtes is actually an old barn, and it's not (yet) officially a salle de fêtes, but it is frequently used for gatherings. A plaque there says that during WWII, a group of Bir-hakeim resistance fighters were quartered there for a short time. This building was falling down, we learned, but the ex-mayor, who was in office when we bought our house, had it renovated and installed ping-pong tables.)
There were more than 30 people for the lunch. We started by polishing off the aperitif from the night before (rosé and grapefruit juice). Then platters with the leftover carrots from the previous night's starter (no more beets) surrounded by tomato slices were passed around. This was followed by freshly made omelettes with sautéed potatoes. At this point we were both quite full, but we were just getting started. Next there was the leftover ham and beans, then camembert, and then apple tarts. (When Kaye took her bit of camembert, the gentleman on her left asked if she were English? No, American. Ah, the English don't like camembert!) All was served with generous amounts of wine, red and rosé. At the end there were many bottles of Clairette de Die. And while we cleared up from the meal, liqueurs were served, cognac and various homemade drinks, including some firewater of plums that is dribbled onto a sugar cube to "drink".
The atmosphere was very convivial. There were children, folks who had helped out in some way (of all ages, from teenagers to pensioners), the mayor, and the ex-ex-mayor. The ex-mayor dropped by later and was still there when we left. Lots of talk and joshing and a bit of horseplay—some people left a bit wetter than they arrived. Of course we understood only bits of what was said, but people were very nice about explaining to us. One man we sat opposite turned out to be the beekeeper who removed the bees in our bedroom shutters before we moved. This happens frequently, he said, but ours was especially bad because they had been there so long.
We enjoyed the day, but are definitely not used to so much food and wine, however good it all tasted. Not much happened at home that afternoon.
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