Saturday was the annual "Fete de Village" the village party in my little french village. My neighbors are a set of real characters not unlike the people in the paddling community, a great crowd. I was just back from a couple of weeks in Shanghai so a culture shock of some magnitude.
The village name reads like poetry.
Nadine owns the local bar/rstaurant and arranges the party. She is a great lady and cooks fabulous meals.
Nora and Pierre. Pierre robbed a bank back in 1999 and did 7 years of hard time. The loot of 1,7 million Euros (2.6 million US$) was never found. Pierre showed up in the village after his release, bought a comfortable little farm house (cash), a monster motor bike (cash) and a couple of nice horses (cash). He doesn't do a days work except for giving occasional riding lessons free of charge....
Franck is the big man in the village. He owns and runs the largest horse trading business in France and employes half of the village. He sells over 2000 riding horses a year and always has a stock of at least 200 horses available. He only sells to merchants, pony clubs and to the butcher.
Mark lives next to the bar and spends at least 4 hours a day there but drinks only coffee. Instead he grows some funny looking plants in his garden and his cigarettes sure smell weird.
Jean-Paul is married to Nadine and helps her in the bar in the evenings. He owns and runs the local garage fixing any car,
People starting the evening with an "aperitif", a "kir".
Sebastian works for Franck as a truck driver.
Laurant also works for Franck as his mechanic.
Mikael is a horse man specializing in braking in horses. In one week he can get your wild mustang ready to go. Mikael has actually paddled a kayak once back in 1987 and therefor feels a special bond to me:-) Therese is a house wife. Note her Point 65 clogs!
Thierry also works for Franck as a truck driver. Just 2 weeks ago his truck overturned on the freeway killing all the 8 horses inside and shutting the main freeway to Paris for 3 hours.
The band was surprisingly good this year playing covers of all sorts. Police to Elvis.
Dinner was a slab of very tender meat with "fritte" and a slice of bread.
Served by Audrey, Nadines and Jean-Pauls daughter who helps them run the bar on her free time from her studies. She had a baby boy 2 months ago.
A nice Bordeaux with the meat.
Followed by Camambert and a home made cherry cake with cherries picked from the very garden where the party was held.
Laurant owns and runs the restaurant in the neighboring village.
Gregory is a guitar maker. His exclusive hand made guitars are sold all over France on special command.
It's getting late, back to the bar for coffee, digestive and a smoke.
Geat ready, set...
Getting ready, #29
Another paddler preparing for the race
Staffan, who heads our Swedish distribution and Lina our office manager, reeady to go. they came in third in the short double kayak class.
Vivi and Zoe Öhman also paddled a double. They beat Louise Rosenqvist and Richard Dellström!
Paul in the little red kayak (a Picnic) at the start. Paul had a big day. I flew in from London with Paul at 1 am the night before the Marathon. 
That after a grueling drive though south England to Gattwick Airport.
Saturday morning he first rushed of to the classic rowing competition "DISTANSEN" from Vaxholm to Stockholm which he won at a new record time.
Paul after the marathon
This photo by Glenn Mattsing
Happy paddler. I made it!
And in time for the price ceremony.
The winners in the short double class were two proud 16 year old kids,
The winners of the mens and womens full marathon, Mikael Westlén and Agneta Bergman Fredrikson
