Even constrained by a rigorous protocol, the party took hold of the streets of Nîmes yesterday. With very different atmospheres from one street to another.
The last bull, Timoko, has not yet finished his masterful lap in the arenas, just a stone’s throw away, rue Jean-Reboul, the Prolé is already overflowing, giving the barmen a cold sweat.
It must be said that here, we do not laugh with the protocol. Without a table or chair, we don’t serve. And the peña is isolated behind gates, away from the first tables to avoid the slightest postilion coming out of the slide clip.
On this Friday evening, Nîmes has, more than ever, the desire to party. Bars open until 11 pm, races at the arenas, the start of the Euro football… and the falling sun at the start of summer. All the conditions are met to smell again this perfume of feria… sorry, of bullfighting weekend.
Rue de l’Etoile, a group of young people sip cocktails in Paradise Lost. Léa, Fanny, Mathilde, Amandine, Pierre, Paul and Leonie, students from here and elsewhere, in BCPST preparation, discover Nîmes under new auspices: “It feels really good. We were able to go out for a bit at the start of the year, then after that, nothing.”
Place de la Bourse, Baptiste is at the party. “I’m from Nîmes. And a year without a feria, it was too sad. It’s a pleasure that there are races in the arenas, reopened cinemas, many people!”
We passed, of course, not rue Fresque. And there, we totally forgot about the Covid, so much the familiar slalom between people without masks reminded us of the real hours of the feria. Feria? Sorry, bullfighting weekend. Sit down, everyone!
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