ABRIVADO FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 10th & 11th 2007 - EAST BEACH
By Richard | November 1, 2008
The Bulls Herd Owners Day on Saturday and the big Festival of Abrivado on Sunday with 11 abrivado leaving the East Beach of the locality, at Rousty, and crossing the streets of the village to arrive in the Arena(Bullring).
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Hosre Festival - July 11th to 14th 2008
By Richard | June 25, 2008
Another celebration of King Horse for four days in the village which becomes the place of meeting of the riders and their horse in any sorts of equestrian disciplines of which the French Championat of Horseball Elite on July 13th and 14th on the central square of the village.
At 10:00 pm on Friday the 11th, a free show ‘ Night dream in the Camargue ‘ road of Cacharel a few hundred meters before the entrance of the village.
The Road of the Salt 2008 which will take place from 11 till 20 July will leave Méjanes on Saturday the 12th (and will arrive, this year, in Montlaur in the Aveyron). Then, at 5:30 pm in the bullrings of Méjanes, the 5th Vaccarès Trophy.
For the aficionados, the Bullfight of the Golden Réjon at 6:00 pm on Sunday the 13th in the bullrings of Méjanes (Andy Cartagena, Diego Ventura and Leonardo Hernandez) and the Bullfight of the Golden Centaur at 6:00 pm on Monday the14th in the bullrings of the Saints Marie of the sea (P.H. of Mendoza, Alvaro Montes and 3rd rejoneadores).
An equestrian show, “El Gallo”, will be given at 10 pm on Sunday the 13th at the bullrings of the Saints Marie.
Bodegas, flamenco bands, horses parades, abrivados, bandidos and roussataïo in the streets of the village will bring a festive atmosphere. R.P.
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© Richard Palumbo
For the photos of the ‘Roussataïo’ click here: Read the rest of this entry »
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Votive Feast (village festival) - June 18th to 23th 2008
By Richard | June 6, 2008
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© Richard Palumbo
The day of the ‘Fête du Cheval’ (Horse Feast) during the Votive Feast of the village offers to its inhabitants, the tourists and the horses’ lovers some equestrian entertainments and shows in the arena (bullrings), a horses fair, a traditional parade in the main street of the village, some folk music, an abrivado, a bandido and a roussataïo. A feast where the Horse is King. R.P.
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© Richard Palumbo
Click for more photos: Read the rest of this entry »
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Gypsies Pilgrimage 2008
By Richard | April 26, 2008
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On May 24th at 10:00 am a mass will open the pilgrimage. After the ceremony of the Descent of the Reliquaries (3:30 pm), Sara’s statue, the Black Virgo and Patron Saint of the Gypsies will be brought in procession from the church to the sea. The evening of prayers will begin at 8:30 pm.
A first mass will be given on May 25th at 8:00 am, followed at 10:00 am by a solemn mass of the Saints Marie Jacobé and Salomé and at 11:00 am by the procession to the beach and the blessing in the sea. The ceremony of the Ascent (Rise) of the Reliquaries will begin at 3:30 pm. (Read page ‘Pilgrimage‘)
© Richard Palumbo
The day to the memory of the Marquis of Baroncelli, on May 26th, will begin at 11:30 am with an abrivado in the streets of the village followed at 12:00 am by the ceremony at the grave of the Marquis of Baroncelli. At 3:30 pm, in the arena (bullrings), will take place herdsmen’s games, folk dances and bulls’ races (’courses de taureaux’), then a bandido will follow this entertainment and end the day and thie week-end of celebrations. R.P.
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Road safety
By Richard | April 26, 2008
Look out on the road!!!
Tiredness, sleepiness, inattention and it is a sure bath… The road of the Saints Marie of the sea is beautiful and the civil engineering services are even re-taring a part of it at the moment but it’s when we’re expecting it the least that an accident happens… Be careful! R.P.
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To see the photos larger please click on them on the French version. © Richard Palumbo
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Don Camillo’s and Pepone’s quarrel for the money of the bell tower is going to end soon
By Richard | April 10, 2008
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© Richard Palumbo
Continuation of the article of May 15th 2005
In the conflict about the use of the roof of the church which sets the father of Vrégille against the mayor Roland Chassain, the government Commissioner asked yesterday the administrative court of Marseille to agree with the priest and to order the municipality of the Saints Marie of the sea to stop the tourist exploitation of the acces on the roof. The verdict should be returned in three weeks.
” It is only the application of the law of 1905 (on the separation of the Church and the State) which mentions that the building’s management is given to the Roman Catholic Church and that the priest, me in this case, is the person in charge ” rejoiced the father of Végrille, priest of the parish, ” the justice confirms what we have been saying for eight years, that is to say, the organization of the visit of the roof cannot be made without the opinion of the Church. It is regrettable that during all this time Mr the mayor did not want to start the dialogue we asked for. ”
” We are going to wait for the judgment “, answered Mr Roland Chassain who appointed a Parisian lawyer’s office to assert the interests of his municipality and who will be able to appeal if the judgment is in favour of the Church, the visit of the roof does not hamper the church services “, mentioning the arrangements realized for this purpose. Each visitor who wants to climb the stairs of the medieval church ’s roof rampart walk has to pay 2€ down the staircase, sum which goes to the semipublic company of the village by virtue of a delegation of public utility.
The father of Végrille has ” never been hostile to the visit of the roof ” and, as a man of forgiveness, wants ” to restart on a new ground ” by being actively involved in the organistaion of this visit. R.P.
( Source: article of La Provence, The Saints Marie: the justice hears the priest’s bell sound (version))
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Remake of Crin Blanc or Hidalgo? Crin Gris (Grey Hair) and the 90 km of Camargue
By Richard | April 6, 2008
Pascal Lamorisse and his filming crew were the only ones missing… It’s a remake of the film ‘Crin Blanc’, 56 years after its release, that a young foal, Crin Gris, acted in front of us this morning at the crossing of the road of Méjane and the road of Cacharel where some people waited for the riders, members of their family and\or their team, who had departed the endurance riding race at the Mas of the Cure half an hour earlier. He showed up, galloping behind some competitors’ horses, a little frantic but sure of himself; he was probably following his older brothers and sisters, full bred Arabic and others. Folco (the actor Alain Emery in the 1952 movie) was at this moment expecting to follow, running behind him…
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© Richard Palumbo
Some men then tried to tie him with a piece of rope to stop him crossing the road but he didn’t allow them and just went away for a while in a Camargue marshland where he dreamt for a while of wild landscapes and freedom.
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© Richard Palumbo
Taking advantage of the passage of some competitorss and the innatention of his ‘gaolers’, he escaped, crossed the road and followed the path of his elders whose riders weren’t dreaming of freedom but to do the best possible time of the 90 km equestrian long-distance race, while managing their mount. The 90 km race is a preparation and a test to know if a horse is fit for longuer distances (like 119 km yesterday in the Saints Marie of the sea, 160 km of Florac or other races in France and the around the world). Big bucks are at stake… Every year, the first ten of the best horses of endurance riding French championat are bought, for a good amont of money and if their owner is a seller, by United Arab Emirates stables for this equestrian long-distance discipline.
But wait a minute! We’ve maybe made a mistake about the film remake, we were this morning in the 2004 Joe Johnston’s movie Hidalgo, about the true story of a famous cowboy, Frank Hopkins, who ran and won, on his mustang, an historic long-distance race in the desert of Arabia. It is thus the actor Viggo Mortensen who was missing this morning, riding on Crin Gris’ back through the wild landscapes of the Camargue.
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© Richard Palumbo
The foal was now galloping through the dried up marshlands of the wild Camargue in the direction of the village of The Saints Marie of the sea. But, after reaching a ‘roubine’ (local term: canal dug out by man), he didn’t choose the good path and, instead of crossing a bridge as the competitors of the event did, he decided to go out of the marshlands and cross the main road. It’s then that the leader of the herdsmen arrived in his 4×4 and locked Crin Gris between him and a barrier. The foal threw a last nostalgic glance to two full breds which passed behind him, letting his dream go; but which dream? Running one day a long-distance race with Viggo on his back or avoiding the men and tasting freedom, with Folco on his back, swimming through the Mediterranneen Sea towards an island where children and horses live happy. The leader of the herdsmen called Crin Gris’ owner with his mobile (which he wouldn’t have been able to do at the time of Folco and Crin Blanc, without mentioning the 4×4…), who came to look for him, catch him and return him to his herd, the full bred Camargue. Soon they are going to tame him, ride him and use him to sort out a herd of bulls or as a tourists’ ride through his native Camargue for a horse riding business.
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© Richard Palumbo
With this curiosity and this thirst for freedom it seems that Crin Gris is on the path of his legendary ancestor Crin Blanc which hasn’t been forgotten and is still celebrated in our days in the the village (Read article Innauguration of the Crin Blanc crossroad’ from March 1st, 2008). Or maybe will he become, in spite of your short height, a racehorse racing against full bred Arabic in the Emirates sand deserts…
It is necessary to say that, observing this foal’s behavior in its morning adventure through the Camargue wilde landscapes gave me an idea of the context and situation in which Denys Colomb de Daunant was when he wrote Crin Blanc. He lived at the time in the Mas Cacharel, with his wife Monique, daughter of the Marquis Folco of Baroncelli (Folco… Isn’t it the name of the young boy in the book…? Boy/Man, what a coincidence!). Maybe one day, John Fusco, the scriptwriter of the film Hidalgo, riding a mustang through some North Amrica’s landscapes, has come accros an equestrian long-distance race… R.P.
Click on the following link for the photos of today 90 km event: Read the rest of this entry »
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Photos endurance horse riding event (The 130 km - 80.78 miles - of Camargue)
By Richard | April 5, 2008
The 119 km endurance riding has started this early morning at the Mas of the Cure…
For more information, read February 25th, 2008 article.
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© Richard Palumbo
Click on the link ‘Read the rest of this entry‘ to see more photos.
(Click here to see more photos of the week-end, or contact photographer : stesmaries@gmail.com)
Read the rest of this entry »
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Easter weekend in Camargue
By Richard | March 18, 2008
While the Féria of Arles, a few kilometres (37km) away from the village, will be going full swing with its bullfights and its bodégas, numerous attractions will take place this Easter weekend in the Saints Marie of the sea with three full days of animations in the arena and the street of the village. R.P.
| March 22nd | 11h30 Abrivado in the village streets 15h30 Gardians’ games in the arena |
| March 23th | 09h30 Free breakfast in the arena 11h30 Abrivado in the village streets 15h30 Aces’ Trophy des As Memory G. Mouret |
| March 24th | 11h30 Abrivado in the village streets 15h30 Protected horns bulls race in the arena |
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5th FESTIVAL OF THE CAMARGUE AND THE DELTA OF THE RHÔNE - 1st till 07 May 2008
By Richard | March 15, 2008
This 5th edition of the Festival of the Camargue and the Delta of the Rhône will take place from 1st till 7 May in Port Saint Louis du Rhône, The Saints Marie of the sea/Les Saintes Maries de la mer, Arles and Fos on sea/Fos sur mer. The program of this meeting of the bird watchers, bird lovers and of the nature includes more than one hundred discovery tours and excursions in nature with ornithologists and naturalists through the vast wilderness areas of the Delta of the Rhône.
In Port Saint Louis du Rhône, epicentre of this Festival, The Village of the Birds, with its sculptures and photos exhibitions, its meetings on the Animals Art, its conferences and projections, its animations and spectacles, will be a privileged place of meeting between the public and the know-how of the professionals of the environment during all the duration of this Festival. On Friday, May 2nd at 6:30 pm in the Cinema Gérard Philipe, a special movies evening will bring together the directors Ronan Fournier-Christol and Laurent Charbonnier.
This year, the participants and the visitors will explore the Natural Area of Doñana in the Delta of the Guadalquivir, a territory shaped by the meeting of a river and an ocean: the Guadalquivir and the Atlantic Ocean, situated in Andalusia in the South of Spain. They will discover the local traditions, the folklore demonstrations, the artistic works and the typical products (tastings and sale of gastronomic products) of Andalusia and, on Saturday, May 3rd from 17 hours, they will be invited to a conference / table-ronde on the resemblances and the differences of these two areas of marshlands, where will be present sociologists, actors of the territory and representatives of both deltae. R.P.
Contact : Anne Durget, Coordinator and PR of the Association of the Festival of the Camargue and the Delta of the Rhône. Tel / Fax :
e-mail : festival-camargue-deltadurhone@camargue.fr
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