Beret Tossing

H - A few days ago Andy and I went leafleting again, this time to Lourdes. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the place, Lourdes was a small market town in the foothills of the Pyrenees where 152 years ago the Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl called Bernadette...

Since then, crowds of pilgrims have followed the instructions Mary gave to Bernadette in Lourdes to "drink at the spring and wash in it". Although never formally acknowledged by the Church, many people claim to have been cured by the water there, and each year millions of Catholics visit the site, especially those who are sick.

People on the streets of Lourdes can be divided in three main categories: nuns, nurses or wheelchair bound. I found the atmosphere there quite unique and actually a tad unsettling. The street running from town downhill to the grotto is packed with tourist type shops with neon signs flogging religious paraphernalia and over priced fast food. There is a faint odour of hospitals mixed with hamburgers. I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that visitors are having their devotion and illness exploited by money grabbers... I’m pretty sure St Bernadette did not have any of this in mind... Having said that, in terms of seeing people united in purpose and faith it was particularly impressive and moving.

Whilst visitors to Lourdes are praying for good health, the people of Prechac, the village next to the farm, are currently bowing down to a different god – Bacchus. The wine is flowing there this weekend as Prechac’s fete is taking place, along with the annual Beret Tossing Competition. As ‘sporting events’ (I use the term loosely) go, I don’t think it could have possibly been any more French. Men, women and children battled for honour, glory, and the prize of... a beret. Adults were left looking a little sheepish as a ten year old boy was triumphant, launching the hat 23 metres, quite a feat as felt hats are not the most aerodynamic objects.

We returned later in the evening for the disco and once again had an unforgettable night: Hawaiian hats, Michael Jackson, inflatable sumo suits and DJ Scorpia on the decks (CD player) about sums it up. We ended on a high with some hardcore Irish dancing then lay on the road and watched the stars, which are just stunning round here. Unfortunately, when we got back to the Maison we were greeted by Gracie the Sheep who had somehow got locked in the house and proceeded to poo everywhere. Including our bedroom. Joy.

H xxx