Festival In d'Avignon - Photo credit: Christophe Raynaud / Festival d'AvignonCircus, music, puppets, storytelling, comedy. We had to decide. Suddenly, the decision was unanimous: it would be Le Loup est revenu (The Wolf Has Returned ) because the poster had already made us laugh out loud. We all want to go today, so let’s give it a go!
We set off by bus, the weather cool. The landscape flashes by through the window. Now we can see the Palais des Papes in the distance, with its golden Madonna. We’ve arrived.
As we get off the bus, a gentle warmth rises to the surface, along with the heady whistle of cicadas hitherto camouflaged by the double-glazed windows. We hurried towards the theatre, which wasn’t far away but wouldn’t wait for us. The posters line the walls of the town centre and the children devour them with amazement. Our path is punctuated by actors on parade, musicians and festival-goers, sometimes in a hurry, sometimes dreaming.
The theatre was in sight, and luckily we managed to get the three tickets we had been waiting for. The show exceeded our expectations. It was funny, full of colour and twists and turns. The children’s laughter punctuated the story like applause.
The show was over. We all enjoyed ourselves, even though Camille confided in me, without really admitting it, that he was a bit scared of the wolf…
As we come out of our theatrical interlude, we’re back in that marvellous whirlwind. This incessant and unique frenzy that characterises the city of the Popes every July.
This hungry wolf has whetted our appetites. We head for the Grand Café Barretta, where we love to sit in the shade of the big tree. The Place Saint-Didier has regained its former splendour and the children are systematically enjoying chasing those poor pigeons. We then sit down to lunch. It’s 2.30pm… we haven’t seen the time go by, but it doesn’t matter.
Time seems to have stood still and we’re off to look for the next show in our dog-eared programme while we wait for our sips.
La Grande Roue Davignon Sur Les Allees De LoulleLunch is over. We set off again, weaving our way through the crowds that have never stopped. The children are staring at a point in the air, and the multi-coloured panoramic Ferris wheel seems to be calling us.
It too is part of our summer ritual, although I’m the one who’s a bit scared of it. The look on my children’s faces once they reach the top immediately erases my misgivings and I end up not even wanting to get off.
Before that, we always take a moment to pop into our favourite museum (it’s free and on the way, so why miss out!), the Requien Museum.
Here, too, we come across a wolf, and that’s for sure…
Here we are. The bus rocked everyone. It was a day that I hope will become a fond childhood memory.
