Ok, so I’m in France. It’s a real treat. I’ve been on a plane for hours; a train and car for still more. So, a little tired. I just about missed my train this morning thanks to a work “slow down” by the luggage union (is there such a union?).
Ben picked me up at the train station and we headed back to Beynac, where I am now (more on Beynac later). On the way, we passed through a small city named Perigueux. We saw a rugby pitch and people gathering to watch a game. So, naturally, we stopped and joined in. It was a blast.
Years ago, when Robin and I were on a trip in Spain, we saw some kids dressed in costumes and carrying bagpipes. I insisted that we follow them arguing that you just never know where it will lead. Robin relented. As it turns out, they weren’t going anywhere. But I felt good for following them anyway.
The rugby game was a similar thing. Not planned, but we thought it would be a great cultural experience, and it was. We even learned something about the rules.
In this photo, the teams were doing a “line in.” One man throws the ball in from the sidelines as the two teams line up on their respective sides to catch it. The teams can hoist a man up in the air to help him catch it (by the way, we learned that there are many women playing for pro rugby teams although none of these were women… that we know of anyway.)
how fun! glad to see you arrived safely and are continuing to follow the bagpipes!