Summer has finally arrived, and in Southern France that means one thing: pétanque. Never heard of it? It’s a game that is like lawn darts, but instead of a beer in hand, the casual player tends to drink pastis, but, that is another story.
There are two types of pétanque: boules Lyonnaise, and the type played here: pétanque Provençal. The name comes from the Occitan language meaning “feet anchored” and players stand with two feet together, and lob a metal ball underhand across the playing field trying to get it as close as possible to a smaller ball called a cochonnet. Each team, or triplet, takes a turn, and at the end of the round of three throws, points are gained due to the proximity to the cochonnet. Players can play offensively, such as by trying to land the ball closest to the cochonnet, or they can play defensively by knocking the ball of the opponent away from the cochonnet; the winner is the first to get to 13 points.
In Marseille, there is the largest competition of pétanque in the world. It’s a round robin tournament, open to everyone. Last year there were over 13,000 worldwide competitors and tens of thousands of spectators, including the late Henri Salvador, for which a trophy is named.
If you ever tour some of the smaller towns and villages in Southern France, you will undoubtedly see a pétanque playing field somewhere in the center of the village. This is most likely surrounded by benches, filled with older people talking about the game or occasionally getting up to play it. It’s a great summer long event, and apparently enjoyed better with a glass of pastis in hand, but like I said, perhaps that is another story.
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