Countryside France essentials

Some people claim you can cook food without garlic. But why take the chance? The cultivation of the traditional violet-coloured French garlic is centred in and around St Clar in the south-western corner of France, not far from Toulouse. During harvest time, all the seasonal workers gather together and weave beautiful garlic decorations. And then it’s party time. Parties are something the French are good at, even though they are not all as ambitious as the World Cup celebrations in summer 1998.

These three French girls are trying to drop pencils into an empty champagne bottle. The pencils are attached to strings, which are in turn tied to the girls’ waists. It looks easy, doesn’t it? But just try doing it on a slippery board above a tank in a temperature of 40 degrees. This was one of the events in the Intervillages Contest between Clermont Soubiran, Lamagistère and St Urcisse. Clermont won at home, but the return match was held in St Urcisse.

The team from Clermont, with Max on top of the roll of hay, in action at St Urcisse. The Clermontois won again. Ducks and geese waddled along by the field in which the events were held. These included a tug o’ war contest and balancing acts over the tank. Sometimes the French countryside is like a time capsule (financed by the EU). City life seems miles away.