Sancerre Street Soiree

Last night I attended in a local street party.  When I say local, I mean it was right outside my bedroom window.  A professor had initially suggested that I go saying that it was going to be too loud for me to sleep so I might as well party.  Michelle, the apartment cleaning lady,  also suggested that I go.   

The signs about town said that it started at 5:00pm but nothing was happening at 5:00pm.  Suddenly  I hear incredibly loud Samba music and look outside. The band was proceeding down the street.  It was gone for a long time.  So long in fact that I thought they must be playing somewhere else so I went out looking for them.  They were literally going throughout the town like a marching band playing SAMBA music.  What fun!  After a while, I returned to my apartment. 

Some time later the band returned.  They stopped playing and sat down under the tent set up in the street.  When they sat for a long time, I wondered if there was going to be a party.   Much later, around 9:00pm, a few people more started showing up.  I decided to re-join the party when the band started playing again at about 9:30pm.

I had a Sancerre beer and listened to the music.  Lots of people were swinging to the music. (For the first time, I am trying adding a video to the blog.  I think if you click on it, you can see and hear the band.)   One woman got really into it and was dancing down the row of picnic tables.  Some of the guys seemed to like this.  Then a couple of other women danced on another row of tables but they stayed in one place and did not attract as much attention.  It had been a long time since I’ve been to a party with people dancing on the tables. 



My Bedbroom Windows are the 2 Above La Collina Sign

When the band took a break, I decided it was time for the barbeque.  When I asked what kind of sausage he said pigeon and pork.  (Of course, with my French I could have this wrong.)  The pork was appealing to me but the pigeon was not.  Since they were combined in one sausage, it was all or nothing.  Although I usually like all sausage, I was nervous as I had earlier tried their chitling sausage and definitely did not like it.  I bravely said yes to the sausage!  I’m glad I did as it was really good.  I got sausage, beans and a fruit cup for 12 euros or about $17.00.



 I left shortly thereafter but the music was still going strong.  With some earplugs I went to sleep just fine and heard not another thing.  Thank goodness I decided to bring in case my apartment was noisy.  I was surprised when I awoke and there were no remants of the party.  The street was perfectly clean.

Here’s what I learned.  People everywhere like to party.  Parties generally involve some combination of music, food and alcohol.  With alcohol and music, some may dance on the table.  United States and French barbeques are similar, except the meats used vary a bit and usually in the U.S. you don’t use real silverware at a street party.   French fruit cups look similar to those in the U.S., but are signifantly better. The French clean up better after a party than we do in the U.S.   I like parties directly outside my house so I don’t have to deal with parking and can see when to arrive.