REMINDER: Come Celebrate Smith Street's 7th Bastille Day And Pétanque Tournament

What can be better than pairing Pétanque, Pastis and Smith Street?

If you agree, you must, and I repeat, you must come out to Smith Street for Bar Tabac's Bastille Day Celebration 2009 on July 12th. This is by far one of the funnest, most unique events in the neighborhood and I can't wait! I had a blast last year.
Of course the great music, delicious food and drinks are reason enough to love this event, but what makes it super fun is the Pétanque tournament. It is North America's largest tournament, with more than 80 teams taking part in 2009. For that purpose, a few blocks of Smith Street will be closed and turned into a giant sandbox, or rather, Pétanque courts.


Bar Tabac is at 128 Smith Street at Dean Street. The Bastille Day celebration will start at 12 PM and will continue till 10pm.
For further information, go to Bar Tabac's web site or check out the official Brooklyn Boule Blog


To hold you over, here is a wonderful little video clip taken from Marcel Pagnol's movie Fanny, featuring the great French comic actor César as Rému.

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Bastille Day Rendez-Vous 2008: Pétanque, Bal Musette And... The Solex

Non, non, this shot of a Frenchman smoking a Gauloise , standing in front of a row of brightly colored Solexes and a collection of vintage Citroën 2 CV's, was not taken on the Champs-Élisées, but on Fifth Avenue for the Greater New York Citroën And Velosolex Club's Rendez-Vous.

The anti-dote to the S.U.V., the 2 CV boasts the incredible power of, you guessed it, 2 horse power. The car is affectionately called the French duck. Though the car has not been produced for decades, the 2 CV still has fans everywhere in the world and those lucky enough to own one treasure them for their quirky appearance and features .

Now, for those of you who read this blog on a regular basis, you know the affection I have for the Solex. I happen to own an old one back in France , but unfortunately, the brakes are shot and I have not been able to ride it for a long time. So, I admired the ones lined up on Fifth Avenue and 60th Street with just a tinge of jealousy.
May you keep a secret, dear reader? I am actually very tempted to purchase a new one here in America. because you see, a brand new model of Solex is being produced and they are available right here in America.
They are ever so cool. Couldn't you just see me riding down Court Street with one of these motorized bicycles?

Related Reading:

Bastille Day Rendez-Vous 2008: Pétanque, Bal Musette And... The Solex

Brooklyn, Forget The Vespa. The Velosolex Is Infinitely Cooler!


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Mmmm, French Fries, French Toast, French.... ( New York Times)



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