Performance Enhancer

Vive le Heineken !

The Delightful Pétanque Players

I do believe that meeting and photographing strangers in Paris is my favorite pastime....among others!  It has almost become a game I play with myself, just seeing how many Parisians I can engage in a VERY brief conversation or sometimes just holding up my camera with a simple, "S'il vous plait???" (with a smile!)

Usually I photograph my pétanque players in the designated areas at the Jardin de Luxembourg, but this afternoon I found these delightful young people playing an impromptu game as the sun was setting at the Palais Royal . Come back tomorrow to see what they used to improve their game! :)

PS I think this is one of my favorite Paris portraits so far. I loved meeting them!

" Madame, la boule."

Those of you that have followed this blog for quite a while will remember my delightful adventures with the pétanque players at Luxembourg Gardens, the summer of 2009.  The foursome that befriended me couldn't have been more entertaining and accommodating.  They took such pains to show me how the game was played and all about the scoring ( and the conversations regarding the scoring!). At one point I was instructed to go down to another court for a translation.  A wonderful Paris memory.  Today, the all important boule!

Keep Your Eye on the Ball ( Balls)

I have a confession to make. I made this photograph last summer and to my knowledge, I've never really looked at it before last night. I was sifting through my photos ( as I do daily) and ran across it. Given a closer look , I am fascinated that they all have their eyes fixed on the balls. Pétanque, thanks to some of the players I got to know and who kindly shared the rules of the game with me, is a rather intense game, but one enjoyed on a daily basis by many men in Paris. Photographing the pétanque players at Luxembourg Gardens and at the Palais Royal was great fun. If you are lucky enough to visit when the weather is fine, try and find a game or two in the gardens.