Looking for a way to bring home the French Olympic spirit? Consider playing boules or pétanque this season. The simple game, a staple in southern France, gives us an excuse to hang out with friends and enjoy good food. It’s a constant in our lives and we have a boules family that means a great deal to us. We feel very fortunate to have this fun games and our friends in our lives.
Background on the Game of Boules or Pétanque
Like lawn bowling and bocce, boules is a game of rolling or tossing a ball towards a goal. Teams score points by the proximity of their balls to the goal. The team with balls closest to the jack (called le cochonnet in French) scores points to win each game. Games are played until one team wins 13 and thus the match.
Unlike the wooden balls used in lawn bowling and bocce, boules balls -apologies for the redundancy- are metal. Pétanque is a variation on French boules, the most noticeable difference, when getting ready to throw the ball, one stands with feet touching (les pieds tanqués).
Boules de Dimanches
Charlie and I started playing boules when we owned Restaurant du Village. Charlie bought a few sets of the hollow steel balls used to play the game to take to the beach. The hard-packed grass and gravel parking lot mimicked the firm surface of a traditional French boules court. We would bring our staff to the beach for a swim and a little competition.
Sometimes we’d host our friends at more lavish beach parties. We’d lug plates, glasses, silver and tables to set up a restaurant outpost in the sand.
One memorable party, Ariane Daguin came to visit. A native of Gascony, Ariane personifies joie de vivre. And she is a ferocious boules player. Competition intensified when she visited.
When we sold the restaurant, our lawn became our court. I remember playing under a stand of white pines with Jeanette Pepin, Jacques’ mother. She was in her 80’s and made mincemeat of another Frenchman Gerry Le Roux, Charlie and me. But later we scraped the pea stone off our driveway then covered it with stone dust. Now we can host two, sometimes three games at once.
Men in tough competition
In 2002 we went with Gloria and Jacques Pepin to a boules tournament in Boston sporting J’adore pétanque tees I made.
Sometime around 2005, we gathered into a more organized group of about 30 people, some terrific players. And we turned it into something with a soupçon of competition. Charlie’s team won one of these trophies the first year.
I found an old document called Plenary Session, Les Boules des Dimanches, a tongue-in-cheek outline of a board meeting. On the agenda:
- Election of Officers – Pierre le Bon, Claude le Vrai, Charly le Mec.
- Request for foreign affiliation: (F.I.B.) : Fédération Internationale de Boules Pétanque, (F.I.P.J.P.): Fédération Internationale Pétanque & Jeu Provençal
- Raffle, Restaurant Le Café – Saint Tropez – Place des Lices, (En cas de pluie concours au boulodrome de PLELO), Sonoma Pétanque (If all else fails, at least the wine will be good)
This gives you an idea of the spirit of our group.
[Photo of the original group by photographer and boules player extraordinaire Tom Hopkins.]
Memories
Because our group included eight professional chefs, from the start, food became a focal point.
For many years we hosted the final games of the season. It gave us a change to flex our catering muscles, putting together a more formal menu and some splash.
[Superb graphics and a logo are a hallmark of our group courtesy of beloved and deeply missed Peter Good.]
The year rain arrived at the dinner hour, Linnea Rufo, a chef and caterer saved the day. I was overwhelmed, without a plan for how to accommodate 30 or so people inside. She gathered everyone, unset the tables and rolled them into our garage. More great conversations took place wedged next to the lawn mower than at dinner on the lawn.
How to Play Boules
I’m not the best person to ask about les regles du jeu (rules of the game). More often than not I man the stove during Sunday boules games and do not get a chance to play. Jacques Pepin explains the rules for playing boules here. This fun article by Laurie Bain Wilson where I share some of my playing secrets might whet your appetite while spelling out the basics.
Here are the official rules if you’d like to print out a copy for your own use.
How to Get Started Playing Boules and Pétanque?
- Buy some boules.
- Put a tape measure in your pocket.
- Learn these expressions, which make you sound like a pro.
- Chill some rosé.
- And Play boules!
More fun inks
https://jacquespepinart.com/photo-gallery/summer-boules-jacques-pepin-photo-gallery
