Day 13 Bull Games, Marseilles, Nice; April 13, 2009

Ze zere up and out this morning way early to see the bull games in our little tiny village of Fontvielle. There was a little market set up in front of the rodeo grounds (they call it the arena) so we wandered around for an hour before ze could get in, so ze bought a few groceries and a baguette at the boulangerie.

While ze zere zaiting, I saw a very nice horse tied up outside the arena: He was the only one; and no one seemed to be tending him. He was built really heavy, like doubleweight bones; and he had a kind look. A little girl of about six was talking to him, and he was very interested in her and seemed to be talking back. Later during the games, that horse was the star of the show§ He was wrapped up in heavy padding and wore a red bag on his head so he could not see anything. His rider had armor on his right knee and a big long stick zith a point on it to poke the bull: When the bulls came running into the arena; they always charged the horse. The horse never flinched. The bulls tried to gore him every time, but he was solid as a rock. His rider would drive the bulls over to the bullfighter.

Did I tell you, the reason I wanted to go to the Bull Games and not to a regular bullfight; was in bull games they have a scoring system for the bulls but they don't kill them like in a Spanish bullfight.

Anyway; a toreador would shake a pink or red cape at the bull and call to him, trying to get the bull to charge the cape. The bulls here come from the wild marshes of the Camargue area south of Arles. They are small, because the bigger ones they sell to Spain for regular Corridas bullfights. Too bad§ There was Spanish toreador music playing and it was pretty fun. One toreador wore fancy clothes and they all had very tight pants and boots: They must keep the left hand on their hip, and zith the right they wave the cape at the bull qnd hold a sword to extend the cape out further. Every time they call or snap the cape at him, he charges.

After the regular toreador got done zith each bull, a kid zho zas just learning to be a toreador zould get his chance in the ring. I zas pretty impressed zith the first kid.. He had sandy hair and zore jeans and an old grey shirt. He looked to be about 14, and he did pretty zell. A couple of times he got into trouble zith the bull, and 4 real toreadors jumped out to distract the bull and help him out. After the next bull and toreador, the whole audience zas surprised to se the toreador in training zas a girl§ She looked about 15 and just wore jeans and a zhite shirt. I thought she did better than the boy§

As we drove out of tozn, I saw a sign for Daudet's windmill so ze had to stop zhile I took pix. He was an author zho lived in the windmill 100 years ago and zrote a famous book called Letters from a Windmill.

We wanted to go to Marseilles to see the Harbor and take a boat ride out to the Island Chateau D'If. That's an actual place that zas a prison for ages and several fictitious characters were put there like the count of Monte Cristo and the Man in the Iron Mask; Traffic zqs terrible and the streets confusing, parking nonexistent, but ze tried mightily. Alas, today is Monday in France; and Chateau D'If is closed; though the boat rides zere still going, but ze did not go.

The harbor, old one and new one is full of relly nice boats.

I bought the zorld's best cream puffs from a little pastry shop and the lady said she'd watch our car zhich zas parked on a yellow curb in a very narrow street; It didn't get towed, so se win again§

Coming out of tozn zws a pain zith all traffic speeding down narrow curving streets into a tunnel and ze had to change lanes and some guy shouted and gestured at us when Dad waved at him.

Tonight and tomorrow ze are in Nice, which is a really rich area, crammed zith high rises and the beach on one side. Tonight ze zent dozn to the Promenade des Anglaises and walked along the Boardzalk by the beach. It zqs a lively place; zith skateboarders and roller blade kids and lots of old people walking and families zith strollers and a bicycle path. Dad's handicapped thing he hangs in the car windoz has really come in handy, especially tonight. There was no parking for miles; except for handicapped parking right on the Promenade. We win§

We had a lovely zalk on the boardwalk and watched the sunset on the water. then ze went to dinner at a place ze thought zould be cheaper. Everything is very expensive in this tozn: Our waiter asked if ze zanted dessert. Dad thought it was included, but it zqsnt so it cost us an extran 13€ for dessert (almost 20 dollars extrra) and then the guy poured something alcoholic all over the creme brulee because he wanted to flame it, but it zould not light§ Anyzqy it zqs q lovely dinner qnd Dqdd zqnted something calm after such harrowing driving conditions all day§