It's Fete Votive Week in Sablet!

On Friday morning I spoke with a neighbor in Sablet who told me that the Fete Votive had begun, and the whole village was buzzing.  My mind started to wander back to the times that we have been in the village for the Fete Votive.  Kids with huge pink clouds of cotton candy lining up for rides, the village square dominated by a large stage where music and dance shows go on well into the night, the special dinners at local restaurants, capped off by the very special dinner - a Grand Aioli - it's so much fun.

Photograph: Office de Tourism - Sablet

What is a Fete Votive?  It is a festival that each village holds every year to honor its patron saint - although it has developed into more of a secular celebration of the village and its traditions that lasts for several days.

The village becomes a busy place during the week of the Fete Votive, with locals and visitors gathering to enjoy each others company and the entertainment.  Restaurants and cafes are filled each evening.

 Children enjoy a rides on the Bumper Cars as their parents listen to or dance to the lively music...

Here are the diehards ... these kids are back to the Bumper Cars in the morning as their parents come into the village for their fresh bread for breakfast!

Then .. another evening's entertainment begins ....

Everyone comes into the village during the Fete Votive ... including the cool kids!

As I thought about it, I thought about all the fun activities that take place during the Spring, Summer and Fall - the Brocantes, the Vide Greniers, the evening Artisnal Markets, the special dinners at the Cafe des Sports, the Restaurants in the Village and the Wineries, the Journee du Livres, the celebration of the Belle Epoque, the Tour de Sablet Bike Race (VTT), the Petanque Tournament, the Festival des Soupes in the Fall and so on.  The Office of Tourism in the village, Commercants and Association Sablet  do an incredible amount of work to make our village welcoming and fun.
It is well worth going to a Fete Votive if you are traveling in France and have the opportunity.  If you are traveling with  children, the Fete Votive is such a great time for the whole family.

 

I'll leave you with a short video of the music and dancing at a Fete Votive in Sablet!  

Bonne Fete a Tous!

Update from the 2014 Fete Votive in Sablet .... these superb the pictures were taken by our good friend and excellent photographer ........

Tour de Sablet AKA Relais Americain

 I'm afraid it isn't a picture of our Tour of Sablet ...but ....doesn't it say everything about 

Bicycling and Provence?  

This is a picture of a picture that hangs in Maison des Pelerins our vacation rental home in Sablet.  Bike riding is a favorite past time of many, many visitors to Provence each year and it is quite a common site to see riders where ever you visit when in Provence.

A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning, the village of Roaix invited all future cycling champions to join them in the Roaixois VTT - a bike race on a 10kilometer circuit in and around the village. Although bicyclists on "les Velos Tout Terrain" (mountain bikes), are not an uncommon sight in any part of Provence, and this is certainly true of Sablet in early August, especially when the village hosts its own VTT race called the Relais Americain.
So .... move over Lance Armstrong, our future Tour de France riders are on their way!

 On a warm Sunday afternoon at the beginning of August, the teams line up at the Place de la Croix and wait for the signal to start.

As the race starts, and the riders head out around the village, beginning the race on the Rue des Barrys - past the Fountain and up to Grande Rue, then climbing the steep Rue de l'Eglise. 

 

Along the narrow passage between very old village houses to the front of the Eglise St. Nazaire.........

........ then down a stairway of approximately twenty-five steps that connect Place de l'Eglise back to Grande Rue!   Back out through the Petit Portail (which connects Grande Rue to the Boulevard des Remparts and the main square, then a tour of  the (Boulevard des Remparts (the road that follows the Remparts) and out into the newer part of the village - riding through every neighborhood.

In every part of the village, from the beginning to the end, in the smallest of Ruelles and the main village square, Sabletains and visitors gather to cheer on the riders.  The race directors and commentator are right there bringing everyone the most up to the minute information.  You will see many "voisins" (neighbors), set up chairs and tables in front of their houses to enjoy the race with a cool drink,  as do the many patrons of the Cafe des Sports in the village square.  It folds in beautifully as one of the daytime activities that take place during the five day long Fete Votive, and gets everyone involved - whether you are a bike riding enthusiast or not!

The video below shows a little bit of the race and some of the hurdles that the riders face - with great fun and good spirit - the spectators are always helpful with their encouraging cheers of, "allez! allez! allez!"

Fete Votive and Hot August Nights!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

“Il Fait Vachement Chaud!”     That’s what this irresistible picture of a heat exhausted dog seems to say.      Yes …. It was August in Provence – hot days, warm evenings - the kind of weather that reminds us of the wisdom of the Provençaux, who many years ago planted Plane trees that would grow up to tower over the parched ground and spread their branches, creating sanctuaries under their cool green canopies.  This dog was serious about staying cool taking full advantage of the shaded stone bench with his head in a moist flower pot.  The scene was in Villdieu, a pretty little village about 20 minutes from Sablet where the village square and surrounding buildings are sheltered from the blistering afternoon sun by five very large Plane trees. As we enjoyed a cool drink in the shade my mind went back to our first visit to Villedieu, last year – also in August.  


    That evening, the square had been filled with tables covered with large squares of white paper, set with plates, knives , forks, wine glasses and serviettes -  dinner for the whole village – and visiting guests.  It was the Fête Votive, the annual celebration held in all Provençal villages which celebrates the patron saint of the village.  We were fortunate to be invited to this celebration by one of our neighbors in Sablet, who had worked in Villedieu for many years and so, had many friends there. Dinner was to be a “Grande Aioli” – a specialty, which we had yet to experience. When we drove into Villedieu  for the festivities we were greeted by a rain shower, which had everyone looking nervous, but fortunately it was brief, as many rain showers in this area are.  


    It turned out to be a warm, balmy evening. Dinner commenced with cool, sweet, locally grown melon before the Grande Aioli. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but what a wonderful surprise! This unassuming, yet delightfully fresh meal consisted of cool poached Cod, and steamed potatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower and a hard boiled egg, all served with the most delicious, most garlicky, freshly made mayonnaise known as Aioli.  The fish was fresh, fresh, fresh.  The vegetables crisp and flavorful.  This dish became an instant favorite with us – so simple yet so delicious – so very Provençal.  The main course was so delicious that I don’t even remember what desert was!  


    Then, it was time for the dancing to start. Towards the end of dinner, the band took its place on stage.   The music was fun, upbeat, alternating French, English, Spanish and sometimes Italian! We were amazed at the versatility of this group – they sang everything from Provençal songs to American rock.  The music and dancing went on until the early hours of the morning.  We danced, talked with our friends, learned about a wonderful special meal, met new friends and saw how festive the annual village celebration was – friends and neighbors getting together to just enjoy a summer evening with a great meal, lively  music good company.  I don’t know what time it finished, but we left at around 1.30am and went home to our nice quiet beds.

      
            Sablet en Fete!        
                                                                           
  

    In all our years of visiting France, this was our first experience with the “Fete Votive” – but – walking down to Sablet village the next morning, we stopped to talk with one of our neighbors and told her about the fete we had attended the night before.  She asked, “…. and did you enjoy it?”  “Oh yes, very much,” we replied.  “Bien, bien” she said -  “Sablet’s Fete Votive is next week and it will last for three days, with music and dancing every night …”  That will be fun! 

    During the next week we thoroughly enjoyed going down into our village – having dinner at one of the restaurants  and listening to music with its amazing (for our small village) show (was this Sablet or Las Vegas??!!), seeing the kids having fun on the helicopter ride and eating their way through gigantic masses of “barbe de papa” (candy floss).  It was a carnival like side of Sablet we had not yet seen, all ages from small children on the rides or ring toss, groups of teenagers, villagers and visitors all having fun and making the most of the festivities that go on well into the night!    
    This is early August in Provence – high summer weather and celebrations which bring a whole new meaning to “Hot August Night”.   
 
"Il fait vachement chaud"  -  It Is Reeeaaalllly Hot!

2011 UPDATE

In the last three years, Sablet's Fete Votive has expanded to five days. 

Kicking it off this year on Friday evening, was an old favorite

- Country Dancing.  It is so much fun to hear the Country music 

and see the dancers dressed in cowboy boots and hat!  

A little bit of Country in the heart of Provence!

Below is the "affiche" showing the schedule of events 

for the 2011 Sablet Fete Votive

- Bonne Fete a tous!