Let's Play Pétanque!
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Today we played the game of pétanque, or boules, a popular game in the south of France. We learned about the game with the Toulouse champion pétanque team. They taught us the rules of the game and some techniques. We went through stations to learn the basics, then it was game on! The students were having a great time, but some of them were out for blood.
You play with “boules”, heavy metal balls about the size of an orange, weighing in around 1.5-2 pounds. Can you imagine dropping one on your toe? The object is to throw your boule as close to the target or cochonnet as possible.
Maybe you’ve heard of bocce, the two games evolved from an ancient game played by the Romans. In the early 20th century a Marseillaise with arthritis invented what is known as pétanque today. Coming from the words “pieds tanqués” or feet planted, players stand in a circle when throwing the boules. People know that it’s popular in Marseille, but there are actually more licensed boulodromes in the greater Toulouse area.
To learn more about pétanque, check out the France 24 video.
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