BruelFest 2017

This year's BruelFest was slightly earlier than previous years - but still only a few days away from the Summer Solstice. We  have had some planning meetings .... not always quite aligned to what then goes on!
​Anyway, the decision had been made that we would be using the bread oven again to make pizzas - so, the bread oven had to be inspected, not having been used since last year: 

As you can probably see, there is some wear on the oven bricks at the front of the oven and a general clean is needed - in came the industrial vacuum, the damaged bricks at the front of the oven were replaced, and a general inspection inside the oven carried out: 

- and then, just like last year, we lit a series of fires in the oven, gradually building up the size and heat to test that everything was OK for some 'high-heat' pizza-baking:

While this was going on other arrangements for the BruelFest were going on - a bit more ambitious than last year: a tree was felled, the trunk smoothed down, and put in place on the small 'hameau green' area for the game of 'climb the slippery pole' .... and you'll see the bicycle wheel at the top, intended to hold a present to be grabbed by whoever made it to the top:

...  interesting proximity to the newly-installed electricity/telephone lines - so perhaps we could pop an executive from Orange on the bicycle wheel and indulge in some light torture, to simulate the experience of going into an Orange shop. Following the bicycle theme, a spit mechanism was set up for the spit-roast lamb - and this was made up of a cunning, steam-punk, contrivance featuring a car windscreen-motor and a bicycle chain and gearing:

A shaded bar was constructed from old beams and shade-sails were positioned near the bread oven to give a little respite from the temperatures that the day before the BruelFest were hitting 40 degrees C; and to give a little 'design feature feel' bamboo fronds had been cut down and were erected around the site: 

All this started on the Friday, merging into Saturday morning (June 17th), the day of the BruelFest. The bread oven was lit in earnest, the lamb prepared, marinaded and placed on the spit. While the marquees, tables and benches arrived, other cooking commenced - including the le gâteau à la broche ... cake cooked on a spit, on a conical skewer arrangement:

And then the musicians arrived, Daniel Frouville and his band and started to set up, beneath as much shade as we could provide:

It was now getting near 'opening-time' for the BruelFest - 4.00pm, with cakes, snacks and wine to start with. Meanwhile the bread oven was heating up well and the lamb and gâteau à la broche were turning over nicely:

It was now time to bring in the pizza dough and start the 'production line'! In fact this time the oven was a bit too hot (when the flour was thrown in to test the heat, it simply evaporated') ... so, there was a bit of cooling down required. But this gave time for plenty of 'dough balls' to be made and there was lots of interest in the process:

By now many more people were turning up and the dancing started:

As people started to try out the pizzas, the various games started, including some vigorous pole-climbing - and more food and dancing. At this point we were so busy we had no time to take more photos! Over seventy people, young and old, attended the BruelFest this year and the festivities kept going until 3.00am! 
​So, one year on since we 'left Europe' .... we don't think so!!