Friday, March 02, 2007

Medieval Party


About 2 weeks ago I received an email from a certain Claire who said I should go with her to one of the medieval parties she goes to every Thursday night. So... yesterday evening I did! It was really cool... everybody was dressed up in medieval costumes (like this one), you get to drink Hydromel (a typical medieval beverage) and you can dance medieval dances (or supposedly medieval!). It takes place in beautiful cellars in the Bastille area and it's open to anyone who wants to join in. Very Fun. Thank you for the tip Claire!

46 comments:

  1. Gosh it looks more scary than the prospect of Lynn and Monica arriving on your doorstep! I think you were very brave to go in fact, particularly if you didn't know Claire beforehand. She could have been some sort of weirdy person and your whole future life may have been spent in one of those caves. Those candles could have set the place alight too. Hmm my son told me tonight i'm too careful and too 'right' and i worry too much. Perhaps he has a point...

    On a brighter note, it looks kind of fun. Can't quite make out what the object in the foreground is leaning over quite threateningly. What did the beverage taste like and did you cast spells and stuff? OOh!

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  2. You look great in the costume in the 'this one' link by the way. You look a little different, can't quite put my finger on it erm... grown your hair a bit perhaps?

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  3. Oh, this sounds like such fun! I would love to experience this, with the music, gargoyles, costumes and especially the drink! Here's the recipe for Hydromel if anyone feels interested. But Eric, what did it really taste like?

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  4. OMG, yes it does look scary! Eric you're so brave! Weren't you a bit scared?

    Is this confrérie something like the one mentioned in The Da Vinci Code? Do they too hyde an important secular secret from the whole world? Did you join the secret confrérie? And finally, is your name really Eric?!

    Now of course the big question here is: WERE YOU WEARING A COSTUME TOO AND WHY ISN'T IT IN THE MAKING OF PHOTOS?!

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  5. Hey, looks like fun!

    Thanks KOKOMO! I looked it up and it says it's almost the same thing as Chouchen from Bretagne. If that's the case, I'm game !!! That stuff tastes yummy!!! :-)

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  6. oooo, looks Spooky, but fun! I'd like to try some of that Hydromel too! Most of the brews that the medieval monks have conjured up are pretty darn tasty! :)

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  7. TOMATE FARCIE: ...sounds like a Party to me ;~D

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  8. Eric, did you dress up to? If so, you must show us a picture!

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  9. This is SO cool! Makes me think of a wedding venue in Christchurch located in the center of a race course (thoroughbred horses) with large lawns and banks of gracious, old trees. Atmosphere is what people want on an outing, and it sounds like the cellar near the Bastille has it -- like the wedding venue!

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  10. :)
    sounds very cool and fun party!!!
    see the candle...

    jing

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  11. Somehow it doesn't seem as scary as having Lynn and Monica show up on your doorstep unannounced Eric. (hehe)

    So...what did you talk about? Did you dance? What is the attraction to this period of time?

    On the other hand, I could use a hobby that "takes me away" from time to time. Who am I to judge?

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  12. Another brilliant photo by the talented Eric! Bravo and Merci!

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  13. Thanks kokomo for getting the recipe.
    Monica, I think I see a spinning code wheel :)

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  14. Oh Michael. Fear not. WE can take you away from time to time ;)

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  15. Hi everybody!
    I was glad to see Eric yesterday in La Taverne Medievale. I love this place where i can completely forgot my week, my job and have a little fun.
    I tried to persuade Eric to dance but he didn't want to try. (and i understand, there was too many people).

    Tomate Farcie : You're right, Hydromel is an another name for Chouchen. But you can also try rose or raspberry wine...

    And i appologize, i didn't think of taking Eric in picture... He was great in medieval shirt!

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  16. Wow Claire you ARE real and we are not under your spell (are we?) it's good to see you. Shame you didn't snap Eric, it would have been worth a lot to us to see that!

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  17. No no no!! It wouldn't Lynn!!

    Thanks Claire for bringing me there. It was really fun (and I had no idea this kind of parties would take place in Paris).

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  18. Monsieur.
    I am wondering if this was "Une petite partie romantique de soirée" ? Perhaps there are pairs of little puncture marks in ze region of ze neck n'est pas?
    Did you enjoy the rack on the wall or did M. Brice hog it all night?
    There is more to this than meets the eye. We need more photos !!!

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  19. Michael,

    I make Lynn´s words

    "Fear not. WE can take you away from time to time"

    my own! ;)

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  20. Nikon,

    it´s a conspiracy, I tell you...

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  21. This would be great fun for me. Last Spring, Dave and I went to a fantastic Medieval "Encampment" within driving distance from Morzine, If I remember correctly. It featured cuisine of that period, a real jousting tournament, falconry, etc. All the employees, hundreds, were in costume. The party sounds more intimate. I hope it is still going on when we are in Paris in June. Are costumes a must? We won't be traveling with that type of vetements.

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  22. Hey, folks, he said it's a Midieval (Moyen Age) party, not a coven. Sheesh. The gargoyle creates the perfect foreground. Were lutes playing?

    Oh, by the way, Monica and Lynn, regarding Pinky and the Brain. There is a very solid undercurrent of a gay relationship between the two mice. (Not that there's anything wrong with it, says George Costanza.)

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  23. There is a shop on rue Cherche Midi that sell all things Medieval including costumes. They have a knight in armour standing outside the store. I thought it odd to see a store like that, but now I know it can serve its purpose for many of these parties. Sounds like a fun idea for my future layovers in Paris. possibly March 16th?

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  24. Jeff, LOL, another one of my favourites, Seinfeld! As to Pinky and the Brain, you might be right, they´re so stupid they really belong to each other!

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  25. Eric, that is so cool. I work with someone who belongs to SCA, a medieval society. They have regular meetings throughout the year but the big event is a 2-week camping trip where everyone lives as they did back then. I have seen photos of this and it is really neat.

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  26. That looked like a lot of fun, Eric. And what a great photo...so authentic and eerie.

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  27. debs: "camping trip where everyone lives as they did back then". Does that include rats, fleas, and the plague?

    JohnnyParsons: "cuisine of the age"
    As I recall, they rarely even had salt for seasoning food, and other herbs were almost unheard of. How was the food at your 'Midieval encampment'?

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  28. Turned on TV after midnight Wednesday and saw Colin Hay, lead singer of Men at Work. He sat in with the house band and sang favorites before and after commercial breaks. Says he has a new album out. I'll stick to the old stuff.

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  29. This looks a little like a "real" dungeons and dragons. Perhaps this is where online gamers go to get away from it all...

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  30. lol Jeff: Really. Well that is where the similarities end then, but Monica and i will be Pinky and the Brain with a COMMON goal - to see E & M !!

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  31. Only in Paris would cellars be so beautiful and intriguing! Gee and to think mine is used for storage or during storms and the cement block definately lacks the mystery and intrigue shown in this photo!!!

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  32. Lynn and Monica - you really need to stop now. You're getting pinky on the brain.

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  33. Susan I´m afraid it´s too late for Lynn and me, we are a lost case.

    We are partners in crime right Lynn?! But hey you know what they say: "good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere!"

    And we are going to Paris!

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  34. Jeff:

    I believe that the Crusades occured in the year 1000. y 1100 or maybe 1200- at most- the crsades had been pushed out and had come back to Europe. They brought back many spices with them from the east. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that by the Middle Ages Europe had already been introducedto at least salt and pepper among ather things.

    Lynn you and Monica seem to get it on well. I wish Eric and Michael the best of luck although, I do not believe they would mind seeing two lovely and sexy ladies at their doorsteps.

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  35. They used to have restaurants in the US with a Medieval theme where the servers were quite aggressive and they would only give you a wooden spoon to eat with. I never went to one but they were popular for group outings like birthdays etc. Can't imagine it being half as much fun as Eric's adventure...cellar and all!

    They also have the Renaissance Faire here each year, which is a similar[theme wise]experience.
    http://www.norcalrenfaire.org/

    Bon Week-End!!

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  36. lol Anon.

    I like your determination Monica! We are not to be thwarted; we shall be in Paris at some point, i know! We're coming, E & M !

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  37. I clicked the link labeled "this one" over to the making of PDP - - - Eric, could you please consider keeping a BriceDailyPhoto blog?

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  38. I've been out papping today Eric but i'm afraid nothing of Liz Hurley or Hugh Grant or anyone else for that matter yet! Think they've signed a huge glossy deal so are under wraps away from our lenses but i shall be trying very hard tomorrow.

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  39. Well Lynn, I am not really surprised... I would have been really amazed if you'd managed to take a photo of them.
    Like you say, all photos have been sold to magazines.

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  40. Exactly. BUT. I never give up. LOL. Watch that space!

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  41. Jeff,
    The food was tasty but unusual for us. It was Chicken "something" served on a huge slice of thick bread (no paper plate included". It was made on huge BBQ grills attended by "chefs" in medieval drag. The place was packed with people. The whole event was gigantic. The thousands of cars were parked on acres of farm fields. The jousting event was the most impressive. It was staged so authentically. Knights were actually knocked off their horses.

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  42. Jeff...your post made me laugh out loud! "Fleas, rats, and the plague!" So funny...and so true.

    Hey Monica and Lynn, that other "Susan" was not me...just an fyi.

    Are you really going to Paris Lynn? I think you had mentioned before that it had been 15 or so years since you had been...am I remembering right (pre-alzheimer's you know...)? Good for you!

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  43. Ok Susan in atl, it didn't "sound" much like you anyway!

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  44. It is around that, Susan yes. I'm going to try very hard, but as always it depends on work and timing etc. Thanks!

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