Avallon - Carnavallon

Lillian :  It was completely by accident that we were in Avallon on the weekend of their spring Carnival
Audrey : Called ..... .....   CarnAvallon!
Lillian :  The main events were on the Sunday afternoon (it was the week before Easter) when everyone converged on Place Vauban, Avallon's central square.




 Audrey : And they had a Confetti War!  The children were having a lovely time throwing confetti everywhere - it was great fun.

Lillian :  There was a hint of traditional Carnival topsy-turvy-dom about the Confetti War.  Carnival being the one time a year when a society's rules of polite behaviour were abandoned with class & hierarchy turned up-side down - briefly.  Mostly it was the children throwing the confetti and they were taking great delight in showering confetti on the adults - their parents, the obvious tourists, the policeman ... and everyone was taking being confetti'ed in great good humour.

Audrey : Everyone and their dogs ended up with confetti everywhere !

 

Lillian : Then there was the parade - which started with even more confetti!

 

Audrey :  First time I've seen a leaf-blower being put to good use!

Lillian :  The local folkloric group Le R'Gipiau wearing traditional costumes, some playing small accordians ...

then they danced - 

  Our stylist was fascinated by those wooden clogs and the thick woolen socks -

 

Lillian : There were floats ... my favourite was this wonderful kingfisher.  Probably a Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis, which is found in France. 

Audrey : My favourite float was the Ratatouille one.

Lillian : There were bands - and they were good! 

 

Lillian : These trumpeters had a bit of a musical duel.

Audrey : And there were lots of people wearing costumes - the Sun(flower) King 

lots of Courtiers 

 

I doubt they had foil balloons of motor-cyclists in the 18thC.

Audrey : Some fairy-tale people  

and performers from the Circus - he was very bwave wasn't he Lillian?

Lillian : Well yes.  Just after we took that photo his horse got spooked and he very nearly fell!

Lillian : Vauban looking down at all the people.

Audrey : Perhaps he wanted to come down and join in all the fun - who was Vauban?

Lillian :  Marquis de Vauban was born near Avallon - he was a military engineer in the time of Louis XIV.

 

Audrey : This little girl gave our stylist an idea ...

Audrey :  In Australia we call it Fairy Floss, in America it is Cotton Candy but the French call it barbe à papa.

 Which translates literally as 

Father's Beard  tee hee

Lillian :  The aftermath of the Confetti War ... it was Everywhere!