Just another Faire in Vieux Lyon.... Costumes optional

Walking down Rue St. Jean...

like any other day, following Rob,

we are meandering past the crowds, the shops, the bistros, cafes, restaurants,

on our way to St. Jeans Cathedral and the Square

where the Faire is being hosted!

Rue St. Jean is a famous street, in most the tour guides,

one of those MUST see's of France,

and yet we walk it every day,

and know many of its best musicians, wonderful shopkeepers,

it rather seems strange to me...

a girl from Illinois....

I sometimes feel a bit

Like I have jumped inside a book!

Here is a mime...

Mime's annoy Rob...

this one always winks at my children,

and often waves at Buddy...

He is new to our district,

we think he has come because of the crowds now coming with the Tourist season...

The "mood' of our neighborhood has shifted a bit...

subtle but still distinctly different...

And the storekeepers, and Restaurant staff,

make it a point to let us know that they

are remembering that WE are not the regular tourists...

That we have been here long...

This is nice, it makes us feel welcomed... a bit more like one of them...

This nice fellow, is a candy man...

His "niche" is that he makes candy the OLD FASHIONED way!

The way they did in the Medieval times :)

Here he has some coco beansHe has given us each one Bean to rub between our hands

that we may smell the chocolate smell!

HMMM delicious!

He measures the cocoa beans out

And adds them to the sugar mixture! hmmm the smell is delightful!

Here is a cocoa encrusted nut... It is delicious!

It is crystallized sugar too... :) wow!

Here he is working his magic with the cocoa....

Next week he is working at Wimbledon in England!

He had quite an array of these delicious treats...

Rob could NOT resist them, even though

they were a BIT expensive....

Oh VERY scary !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She looks like an ORG and he looks like something wicked on stilts...

He sniffs and she screeches and hisses things, like incantations...

we think in French, but who knows???

Buddy DOES NOT like these two..

Frankly neither do the rest of us...

GAME TIME

Papa is helping Buddy learn the Art of Playing this game...

So he has a fighting chance against Caspian...

Come on Buddy!!!!!!!

You can do it!

So tricky!

And big brothers are often just so good at so many things...

At least this one is nice about it...

A wicked storm is about to start...

That is how the whole of the day is...

Beautiful weather, and then NASTY storms, we need to take COVER!!!
After the downpour we walk to the south end of the Church...

What is this??

We found the man who makes Chain mail... each one got to hold it...

just the piece that went over the head...

Someone is SURPRISED!

I know I was! It is so heavy!

I can NOT believe these guys had hair, i would think it would RIP it out..

and I am surprised they didn't all have migraines!

On top of all that, a helmet that weighs a ton, and a heavy sword... wow!

It really IS less romantic, when you hold the stuff, feel it,

IN THE HEAT of the day

IN THE SOUTH of France, where we all just smell,

regardless of our expensive deodorants...

and perfumes...

I just don't think the era was nearly as "delightful" as we like to pretend it to be...

~~~~~~~~

Introducing the

FRENCH PETER PAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in my humble opinion!

This guy was just the best.... My kids laughed and laughed, and he ONLY speaks French...

Frankly I laughed and laughed, he was fun no matter what language you spoke!



Here is a short clip of some of the French Peter Pan's routine....

he does NOT call himself that... it is I who does..

He seems to still be a boy, still be able to play on their level,

and have a magical delight that is reminiscent of... Pan...

and for goodness sake that HAT!

If he is someones Uncle, or Dad, they must have a blast with him...

Here is a guy who has a HEART for children, and a truly jovial nature, with OUT being stupid, or gross, or crude... or if he was, it did not translate :)

Love this view of St. Jean's Cathedral...

see those blue skies..

not much time has elapsed since those menacing ones were there...

what strange weather this day!

Here is the "artsy" district, this gal did her masks...

One is a tiger and one a unicorn... hmmm

Isn't it pretty, they have flowers hanging from the buildings,

stretched from one building to another...

We love to walk down this street each day!

Isn't is lovely??? Art faire ! They are "artists" and so are still setting up...

They are on their own time...

Princess and Buddy are young enough to be invited to do something a bit different out on the square in front of Temple du Change this weekend.... Something fun !

HEAVEN!!! I'm in Heaven,

I Love to paint on EVERYTHING That's IN MY SIGHT!!!

O I DO BELIEVE I AM IN MY DELIGHT

though my Papa isn't thrilled at the sight!

Really?? I get to PAINT on the ground... ARE you sure???

Well, we are all about GETTING involved in our community,

whichever community we are IN...

Here some company or other is wanting Buddy to Paint Giant finger prints

in an Atlas of the World!

Here is our Buddy JOYFULLY looking for items of destruction

JUST in case the evil people show up again...

HE will protect mama & Princess!

O... Our Knight in shining armour... or rather our wee Paige...

please NOTE, ONE sturdy sword with red and black handle was purchased for our warrior!

The NO! The creepy evil people...

They were rather odd...

Ren Fair Types... Just..... different...

They seem to want to BE their characters a little......

TOO much.... IF you know what I mean...

What festival would be complete without dancing in the town square, may I ask?

Here are the townsfolk dancing away, and inviting the tourists, and visitors to join in!

Quite a lovely time was had!

Enough it would seem for this family to pop by two days in a row :)

This was a delightful time...

There is more to our adventure to come...

Next blog... finding the hidden passages in Vieux Lyon!