Yesterday, we went to Sonoma of course, to hear Jean-Michel sing La Marseillaise, to eat Chef Marco’s revolutionary food… and to abstain (me) from playing in the tournament.
There was some festivity in downtown Sonoma, and it didn’t prove easy to park but we finally managed, thanks to Tamara’s resourcefulness.
After registering Tamara to play in the tournament, I prepared to spend a relaxed day, gossiping with my buddies, and gawking at the players. I was not going to photograph anything this time. But as I mentioned many times previously, photography is an addiction, and you cannot go anywhere without getting the compulsion to snap a few shots.
I purposely omitted bringing Big Bertha to the field, but I always carry Sneaky Pete with me, and after a while, I couldn’t resist the urge to take some pictures. There were 24 triplettes registered, for a total of 72 players plus various onlookers, so I had my choice of targets.
When taking photographs, I prefer to sit with my back to the sun, and since the Sonoma field lacks a leafy umbrella, there is always plenty of it. When I photograph pétanque players, I am always first attracted to form, oddity, and fashion. If you dress with originality and flair, you probably will be among the first to be photographed.
Two timed games were played in the morning, and two other games were played after lunch. As usual, the number of wins and points dictates the ranking.
At lunch, Jean-Michel dressed in a bright tricolor ensemble regaled us with La Marseillaise, a rabble-rousing call to arms. Some people accompanied him and those who couldn’t drank some mutinous wine.
By 4:00 pm, all the games had been completed and 4 teams made the grade for the finals. Tamara and her team managed to win 3 games, but they did not qualify to play in the finals.
1st place: Gilles Karpowicz, Larry and Genevieve Etallaz
2nd place: Dave Lanter, Matty Lackey and June
Alain
PS: don’t forget to click on “My photos” to look at the actors of this revolutionary tournament.