Fete des Vendanges (Wine Harvest Festival) - 2010

The three day fete starts with fireworks, eating and drinking on Friday night. Sandra and I babysat Brandon and Alicia while Bryn and Herve had the evening (and early morning) out on the town. In the two previous years that Sandra and I have been at the fete, we have gone on Saturday to see the parade of the various classes of children in the canton dressed in costume. This year, we chose to go to the Sunday official parade (which normally costs money to watch) but (luckily for us) we were so slow getting to the parade that the official route with chairs for rent by the side of the road on which to sit was almost fully occupied. We did find a (non-paying) place to stand 10 meters before the official route where the participants in the parade form up the procession.

Here the riders at the head of the parade ride around a roundabout in the cold west wind trying to keep their horses calm. The cool wind was blowing so strongly from the west that the flags blew in the wrong direction.

The order of master wine tasters were just behind the horses. Adults on the route were treated to glasses of local white and red wine.

The local bakers also had a place in the parade.

Even the children were offered wine products to drink - in this case "must" the crushed grape juice before fermentation.

While the children's parade was on Saturday, there were a few children's classes in the Sunday parade - perhaps, these "squirrels" were among the best in the Saturday parade?

This old gentleman (he looked to be at least in his late 70s or 80s) entertained us during a break in the parade. [We later saw him walking in town and his aged appearance was natural.]

He also did riding tricks on the penny farthing (like standing on the central bar of the front wheel).

Tete de moine (monk's head) cheese to savour.

Migros (the large supermarket chain) gave out washed carrots for the children to eat while they watched. [In the background is the marching band that Herve's mother used to conduct when Bryn first came to Switzerland 19 years ago.]

During the parade there were lots of floats decorated with flowers.

... and finally, after the parade, down to the serious celebrating of the harvest wine festival (for those over 16). In order to party with distilled alcoholic drinks (rather than wine, beer or cider), one had to be at least 19.