The busiest time of the year for B&B owners in Charroux is the first week-end of August.
Click HERE for link to website
For many years now, Charroux has invited artists to come and spend the week-end painting scenes of the town. From Friday evening until Sunday afternoon-- when all the pictures are hung in Les Halles for voting and then sale by auction-- you can see people at their easels in different places--up and down the main street, up back alleyways and around and about the Abbaye. As well as this , last year on Sunday afternoon we all meandered about the place in search of living tableaux!
Why am I writing about it now? I started , in my blog, back in August last year--& some how got sidetracked before finishing it as I moving on to the next event.
Some of last year's tableaux scenes can be seen in the photos above.
Re-enactments of about a dozen famous painting scenes by Renoir, Manet, Velazquez, Van Gogh and many other well-known artists were displayed throughout the village-- in houses, sheds,private gardens and the Abbaye grounds. Local people were dressed up as exact replicas of these paintings and asked to hold the painting pose for numerous minutes as locals and visitors walked around, from one scene to the next.
Well, plans for the big event of the year are the talk of the town at the moment. Following last year's magnicent success, the painting in the street competition will again be augmented by numerous living tableaux.
The pictures have been chosen and parts have been cast. The dressmakers have taken all the measurements and are set to make all the outfits.
I shall not be taking part-- B&B commitments make it difficult. Other friends are doing so--and I'm quite envious of their 'I'm going to be a posh lady this year--but need to lose a stone to wear all that finery' and 'thank heavens I don't have to dye my hair red this year!'!!
It all sounds very exciting-- and hearing of the dressmaking exploits of some of the older French ladies of Charroux---- 'she asks you to stand, holds the swath against your body--and starts to cut it there and then'! --I'd love to be a fly on the wall!
So--- Charroux--the first weekend of August! It's going to be another super event! Why don't you come and join us!
