Aucun feu d'artifice dans un plus beau village

3rd August 2012

I started to post: 

Fireworks above a Chateau - a Pyromelodique Spectacular 2012

and wrote:

I hope it WILL be spectacular, as currently, at 16h, the rain is drizzling from the sky.  Hopefully, it will stop so that 6000 plus individuals will arrive to pay for the cost of the explosives, musical dialogue and organisation that is required. There is always the Fête Foraine but normally I skip the smell and noise because it is for families and friends and I've done my share of fairground attendance in my lifetime.

I have a new vantage point this year. I was invited to watch the chateau from a private house but they have not yet returned from their holiday.  Nevertheless, the mother has invited me and I am to go early. I shall take an onion tart and maybe a couscous and tomato salad!  They are easy to make.

BUT LATER on 10 August 2012 I posted: 

I have been told in both French and English that the decision was taken late afternoon to cancel the fireworks in this plus beaux village where over 6,000 visitors descend on the town.  So, instead of collecting revenue in the rain from those who arrived they decided there would be insufficient income to cover the costs. Therefore, the committee decided to pay for the set up and dismantling fees but not the fireworks.  Hm...despite the information that the Meteo forecasted rain for the evening ..... the sun shone. French meteo is not always reliable.  It was a splendid sky as I looked across to the chateau from a premium vantage point. Friends in high places you know!  My French host who speaks excellent English was in huge complaint as she has never in 60 years known a cancellation and wasn't it a pity when so many families like hers had the evening buffet ready for guests.  I was in complete agreement.  Without all her guests, we ploughed through my onion tart (she'd burnt pizza in an oven which she was not used to) and my couscous exemplaire, her wonderful cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes. She had cakes for the youngsters. Strawberries soaked in Sangria was wonderful!
And so... it was not an electrifying evening but very interesting for me. The people who arrived in the village for the evening must have been quite discontent. The next morning several signs that advertised the event were still on display but only one announced ANNULÉ.  It is a shame because this village needs to welcome visitors now that it is the 11th most popular of the 153..... There is a new village on the list. 
It is a small village, so the commune revenue must be small ... in my opinion they need to fund raise in earnest!

2010