Thursday, May 19, 2011

Jardin des Tuileries - Pétanque


Pétanque, or boules (balls), a game that was once forbidden to commoners...


Do you play?



Jardin des Tuileries

along Rue de Rivoli



41 comments:

  1. La pétanque est un jeu particulièrement populaire dans le midi de la France...
    Enjoy your day,

    Pierre

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  2. Maybe. Is it the same as Bocce balls (SP?)? (you use the bocce balls to try to get the closest to the target ball) If so, then yes!

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  3. I would love to play..especially in Jardin des Tuileries :) Very nice photo also!

    xx Kristin

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  4. A Antibes, la pétanque est le sport national. Il permet les rencontres et les conversations sans retenue. Moi-même, j'ai participé à plusieurs concours.
    Viens dans le sud, Genie, je t'apprendrai.

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  5. Bonjour Genie, no, I don´t play but I like take photos of the players...
    Hana de Prague

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  6. Yes, occasionally, during holidays in the south. Here in Paris, it feels a little bit too much as a play for retired men only. Am I one? :-)

    Sorry, I have been too busy to comment regularly lately (and still am), but now looking at your last posts, I just want to say how I feel that with a single photo and a few words, you definitely know how to give a fantastic Paris feeling, the one all (most) of us like!

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  7. I have played Bocce. If not it's not the same as petanque it must use similar skills. I was pretty bad at Bocce so I guess my chances at winning petanque would be slim. I would have a laugh though.

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  8. We try to play at our place in Provence, but as the land slopes, everywhere, we often have a call a truce in the aftermath of unpredictable boule-roll...!

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  9. I have a set reclining in the cupboard. We've clinked them around in a lazy fashion after family lunches a few times. I think it's a wonderfully elegant past-time, one that requires careful consideration of one's playing wardrobe as well!

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  10. Yes, I play! In the Dordogne between the Wild Orchids, with friends.
    Thanks for your nice comments Genie and your photo is gorgious, so keep playing;)

    have a nice day and weekend!

    Best wishes,

    Henk

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  11. Oh yes, when we visited our friends in Chinon we played the game in their (huge) garden. It is so typical french to hear the balls ticking.

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  12. Unfortunately I cannot understand this game,but looks cool!
    Léia

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  13. Starman -- But it is fun to watch the intensity of some as they play, n'est-ce pas?

    Pierre -- Pétanque se joue dans les grands jardins comme Tuileries et Luxembourg et aussi dans les petits parcs de quartiers dans toute la France.. Merci, et à toi aussi

    Shelley -- Yes, there may be some fine differences but essentially the same game... anyone want to offer more detail and distinction?

    Kristin -- I would also, with friends in Tuileries or Jardin des Plantes, or Jardin du Luxembourg, or... Merci!

    Richard -- J'ai vu beaucoup de jeux de pétanque et je voudrais l'essayer... Merci, Richard, tu es gentil

    Hana -- I like taking their pictures also... Merci, mon amie

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  14. Il y a une partie sur l'esplanade des Invalides
    Avec un joli cadre vous pourrez y faire de jolies photos
    Bien vues les lignes
    Bravo

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  15. Yes believe it or not we do play here in Perth, or at least we do as a family, usually when we all get together for Christmas, it usually goes, swimming first then petanque! It's great fun, especially when you win!!

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  16. I have played with French friends while visiting them in Lyon. Didn't do very well, but I was fascinated with the players' serious concentration. More than just a little game.

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  17. Forbidden?! I had no idea. Thank you for teaching me that little bit of historical trivia.

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  18. I do play occasionally- even have a set at home for playing backyard games with the family. It's a fun game. I really love the sound that the balls make when they knock, it's a lovely tapping. I like the long shadows in the late afternoon light you've captured here.

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  19. Was it really forbidden?! I had no idea. Thanks Genie!

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  20. HA, a game for retired men... and Peter is hesitant! :)
    I love photographing the pétanque players but have never seen them at Tuileries, only Luxembourg and once a pickup game at Palais Royal. What fun they have!

    The light is perfect here.
    V

    PS We played in the countryside. It's great fun. Melissa found a kid's set somewhere.

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  21. Fun shot for the day, Genie! I played ball once, but at my age and with my knees today I'm doing good to walk around the block! But, hey, I can still take photos!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

    Sylvia

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  22. Quite common in the countryside. Never played and never seen it being played here. Lovely shot, Genie.

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  23. I do! I love it, and I'm really good at it. Been doing it for the last 45 years or so.

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  24. I've played bocce, which I gather is closely related.

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  25. how simple it looks and yet how beautiful it is ; the picture and the game !

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  26. No I don't. The old men play a similar game here.

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  27. Oui, il est amusant à regarder.

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  28. Love the light in this picture! Have played in France a looong time ago (and also bocce with my Sicilian father-in-law).

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  29. Très belle photo, belle composition et belle lumière! I use to play this game with my grandma a long time ago...
    Have a nice day!

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  30. I haven't, but I often see intense old Italian men playing bocce.

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  31. Peter -- Oh, I think that you are a long way from that position -- You are too busy with volunteer work and photography to be considered as "retired" -- Thank you for your very kind comments about the "Paris feeling"

    Joe -- Some of the players are serious but I saw many in April who were just enjoying the comraderie and fine weather

    Deborah -- Too funny, and I had not thought about the effect of slopes on the game

    Shell -- Well, perhaps it would be an opportunity to make a fashion statement?

    henk -- I think that I would like to play a game or two... how nice that you get to play with friends in the Dordogne... have a wonderful weekend!

    Julie -- Merci... (I thought the photographer might notice the reflection of the fence in the boules - hehe)

    Leia -- I think that the game has simple rules so it would not be hard to catch on...

    autourdupuis -- Merci... je le connais, avec des allees?

    Grace -- Sounds like fun!

    Gringo -- Merci, mon ami

    Kate -- It is indeed serious based on some of the people I have seen

    AA -- It does seem odd, but very true... Merci

    Louise -- I do love that "clink" when they hit another boule and the general "thud" when a boule hits the ground. It was quite late in the day and an excellent opportunity to capture the long shadows... merci!

    Brittany -- Mais oui! Merci, mon amie

    Virginia -- Many thanks... we saw all ages playing on this recent trip with mixed groups of 20-somethings.

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  32. biebkriebels -- I like the sound of the balls "ticking" -- a great description of the sound... Sounds like fun playing with friends in a large private garden

    Sylvie -- How fun that you played... Even better that you take photos!

    JM -- Very interesting... merci

    Rob -- How can that be? You surely are not more than a teenager yourself!

    Clueless -- Almost identical and may be just a different name for the same game

    Anni -- I did not realize that the balls are matched to the person with different sizes and perhaps weights

    Loree -- Those must the older gentlement that Peter was referring to - hah!

    Starman -- Je suis d'accord

    AnnaLivia -- The light was perfect for making the long shadows that day... what a nice memory you have of playing petanque with your grandmother

    Jack -- Hummmm.... lots of mature people playing this game... perhaps I should learn - hah!

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  33. Never played but would love to try. Maybe we can have a Blogger Ball game.

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  34. Like Richard, I'm a southern french; Here, petanque is almost a religion! :o) So yes, I play! and love it..

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  35. Randy -- I am up for that! Santa Fe?

    Malyss -- How wonderful... so we can all play in southern France when I come next spring?

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  36. Alexa -- missed your comment... I think that if we had a contest you would win with the most interesting experiences ever... Bises, mon amie

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  37. Great photo! I don´t play pétanque, but in Vienna there´s a park where it is played. Maybe that´s the reason why it is currently my favourite park?

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  38. Vreni -- I can imagine that... parks are fabulous for many different activities.

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  39. I'm late to this post. Yes we do play. However, it is a cross between Petanque and Bocce - we call it Petocce. We use Bocce Balls, but toss as if playing Petanque. At the lake cabin, we have a load of sand hauled in to build our boules court.
    http://northmetro.blogspot.com/2009/06/bocce-or-petanque.html#comments

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Merci for your comments!