Let’s Talk Petanque - pronounced “pay-tonk”

The game is played using boules not ‘bowls’ or ‘balls’. NB The ‘s’ isn’t pronounced. Boules must be thrown from within the starting circle and with both feet on the ground. The aim is to throw the boule so that it comes to rest as close to the coche as possible. Next a player from the other team will have their throw. They will step into the circle and try to land their boule closer to the coche - it is fully allowable to knock your opponents boule out of the way as part of the process. (In fact as you become more experienced, you will see it is an important part of the strategy of the game). The boule closest to the coche is said to be "holding the point." After the game it is an habit in France to drink a "pastis" (A Ricard or a Pernot for example...)

Frédéric Mistral av