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- We talk a little, a lot, passionately!... Malpasset... The well... Socca! Thanks to Passadoc, I'm looking for old photos! ...Every pot finds its lid... After the breakup...The legend of Princess Barbe des Eaux... To the Holy Barbe...
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André Abbe
Malpasset
November 1959, diluvian rains hit the area, following which the Reyran, an ordinary peaceful torrent that feeds the dam, experiences a very violent flood.
The level of the restraint then rises very quickly by 4 m in one day. The drain valve would therefore have to be opened to lower the water level, but 1 km downstream is the construction site of the bridge on the Reyran of the Esterel-Côte d'Azur motorway. However, the water spill will stop the construction site and may even damage the construction. It is therefore decided not to open the valve.
André Ferro, guard of the dam, was ordered to open only on 2 December at 6 p.m., while the water was ready to overflow, but it was too late: the dam gave way at 9:13 p.m., releasing 50 million cubic metres of water that flowed into a 30 m high wave in the valley at 70 km/h taking everything over its passage. The highway bridge is carried away like a straw fetu, the workers working on the site are killed trapped in their barracks.
At 2120 hours, the wave reached the agricultural valley and destroyed 50 farms in the valley whose occupants were killed.
A rumbling sound is heard in Fréjus where the wave still reaches 10 meters high. It bypasses the arenas protected by the hill, takes the railway leading the Marseille-Nice autorail and enters town via Avenue de Verdun whose inhabitants try to take refuge in the floors or on the roofs. The still high wave of 2 m flows to the sea at the base of the aeronaval, pushing in front of it the rubble of Fréjus bruised and its inhabitants who could not escape there.
There will be 423 deaths and considerable material damage: roads, railways, farms, destroyed buildings.
Text Claude Boyer
Click! André Abbe Tells
On December 2, 1959, when Malpasset arrived, I was a pensioner at the high school of Boulouris, near Saint-Raphaël and among the residents who were with me, there was one who was from Fréjus and who had said :
– People are afraid that one day this dam will break.
And it happened.
We learned the next morning that there had been this tragedy and the parents came to pick us up and the school re-opened only in January 1960.
I say that this dam should not have been done there, and I am not alone in saying it, because the rock is not strong enough and it is a responsibility of men, it is not a fatality. The fatality I believe pAce.
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The well...
The well of this photograph from the 1970s has now disappeared.
JIt had been planted with silica, because it was necessary to give colour to the red wines of the Cooperative.
The vines have disappeared as well as the well, but it was at this well. I was parish priest around 1980 and found a bottle of wine in the bottom vase.
A worker, 50 years earlier, had hanged at the end of a string to keep the wine fresh and the string broke.
My father knew that this bottle was waiting for us; We drank together. The wine was still good.
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Jeanne Monin – Little story heard on a summer evening, under the olive tree
He was called the Italian... Maybe because he came from a hamlet east of Sospel, close to the border and had a darker eye and a darker hair than a calabria... He followed the coast, stopped the time of a construction site and left...
He arrived at the bastide on Monday night; A topez had been used as a contract, and early the next day he joined the team of masons who were rearranging the walls of the old barn.
He said little; We just knew he had a wife and parents in his village. From time to time, he received a letter... a few words on a yellow leaf.
One more day and the project would be completed; He came in the morning radiant with happiness, a bottle of wine in his hand:
– I'm Dad of a little Emilia!
– We're happy for you, boy! We'll drink it with the team tomorrow, said the boss who had authority put the bottle to cool in the well.
At nightfall, on leaving Fernand's house, the bar-tobacco in the small square, the Italian was caught, killed instantly by a driver who fled.
– Now, no more partying...
A companion truncated the string... The bottle slowly disappeared into the well water.
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Socca! What if we talk a little cooking...
Soca market in Nice around 1900
What a beautiful old postcard! Everything is there: the saleswoman with her socca dish, the young boy in beret, the Baie des Anges, the Promenade des Anglais with the Jetée Promenade and its palm trees...
It is certainly not a gastronomic dish, we will not find it on the large tables but it is in Nice what the bouillabaisse is in Marseille or the cassoulet in Castelnaudary: a must.
If you've never had to go for a walk in the old Nice, on the side of the Saleya course and get a piece of socca that you'll enjoy by strolling through the old alleys.
And after all, why don't you try to prepare yourself?
But be careful, it looks simple like this, but there's one ingredient you won't find in any trade: the gaùbi !....(pronounce gaoubi)
Having the gaubi, It's having the turn, the little more necessary and in any activity, not just the kitchen.
To do the soccer, you will need:
- 200 g chickpea flour
- 500 ml water
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
Recipe :
• In a salad bowl, put the water and loosen the chickpea flour
• Season with salt, pepper and add two tablespoons of olive oil
• Mix deeply to get the right consistency
• Put the dough to cook
• Remove when the look is golden
Enjoy!
In Toulon, you will find the cade that is... exactly the same as soccer. History says the cade would have arrived in Toulon in the XIXe century with the genoese carpenters that Napoleon would have called to come to repair damaged boats. The workers of Toulon loved him so much that they shouted:
– Caldo! Caldo! (hot in Italian).
The word « caldo » then became « cade »
Marie-Dominique Germain
– Cade is not exactly the same as soccer. The flour is boiled and then cooled in a plate. The next day, it is then cut and then fried in the pan.
Bastèt Athena
– Socca doesn't turn around, it has to cook in a few minutes on one side.
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Thanks to Passadoc, I look for and find old photos !
In May 1989, I was on the island of Saint-Honnorat, near Cannes and surprised, I had seen the galion of the film Pirates [Franco-Tunisian film by Roman Polanski – 1986] appeared behind the old monastery and moved away.
For several years, the imitation of a galion of pirates who had served in Polanski's film, presented out of competition at the 1986 Cannes Festival, remained at the dock in the port of Cannes. Outings were organized for tourists.
I wasn't excited about this movie. For me, the most beautiful film on this subject is The West Indies Bookshop (1951). 70 years already! The beautiful Jean Peters (feminine first name in the USA) played the role of Anne Providence, the libustière.
What does Anne find in the hold of a boat she stopped? The beautiful Pierre François La Rochelle, prisoner of the wicked, role played by Louis Jourdan.
An opportunity for me to pay tribute to the Marseilles Louis Jourdan (born Louis Gendre), on June 19, 1921. After promising debuts, he refused to play for the Germans and entered the Resistance. He then made most of his career in the United States where he played "French lover" roles without ever falling into hare or ridicule. He died in California in 2015.
Who remembers Louis Jourdan today? A very unfair oversight.
Giselle Penat-Lorde
Louis Jourdan, the latest French lover of Hollywood... Can't forget!
Fan of old movies, I saw some with Louis Jourdan, not so long ago. Certainly on Arte or other channel specializing in the rebroadcasts of these good old films (years 30 – 40 – 50 – 60 ...), often even in black and white.
In the 1960s, he played the Count of Monte Cristo in the film of Claude Très-Lara, film first seen at the Vox de Fréjus in my very young years and reviewed X times thereafter.
We find him at Gina Lollobrigida, The Sultans by Jean Delannoy,
As far as I remember, he also made some appearances in US TV series like Columbo, Funny ladies. More recently, in the 1980s, he played the role of the wicked Kamal Khan in – Octopussy - James Bond.
Yes, he had a great career in the USA, where he was considered a real star, much more than in France elsewhere. I think he's got one or two stars on the famous Walk of Fame in Hollywood Boulevard.
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Every pot finds its lid
When I saw on TV a story about a princely marriage between an heir to the throne of England and an American and divorced commoner, I was thinking of a saying from my village that I no longer heard say for at least 30 years: "Cada topin trova sa cabucella”.
I don't know how to translate topin (tupin), it's a pot of earth that was filled with water and that was heated on the chimney plate. The cabucella and the Cabuceu, no problem, it's the lids.
“Every pot finds its lid"... It means that everyone corresponds to each one and vice versa, and according to his choices, to each his own, to each his own... There's someone out there who's made for us.
What my mother didn't know when she used this saying is that with the internet, the toupins and the cabucelles multiply the chances of seeing the seal of their encounter.
Treating someone as a toupin, in my corner of the Var, was not very flattering, the equivalent of a bald or a healthy person; We'll say she's "rode like a toupin."
Finally, without her toupin filled with boiling water, our old neighbour of the rue du Galinier, would never have been able to raise my sun when I was a child. She immediately healed of insolation.
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Translation into Provençal of the above article.
Cada topin trova sa cabucella
As a result, a princely maridagi united with an eiretier to the fourth rèng dau tròne of Englatèrra em « Cada topin tròva her cabucèla ». It must be noted that if the placa of the chamineia has been placed on the market, it must be noted that it has been filled with chamineia.
The dicha vòu say that the cadun is responsible for the rebos, o, segon lei chausidas, has cadun a cadun, a caduna una caduna... I've got in a quadrech that's just one that's not. What my mayor does not sabied by emplegant aquela dicha, is quemied internet lei topins e lei cabucèlas multiplico lei chassés de tocar dau det l ́impermeabilitat de son rescòntre.
Tratar quauquun de topin, dins mon canton dau Var, éra gaire flatier, l ́equivalent de palòt, motut, estaci. Finally, he set his top in aiga bollhènta, nòstra vièlha vesina de la carriera da Galinier aurié jamai poscut mi levar lo solèu when èri pichon. M----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revirada d'Alan Bartomieu – Translation by Alain Barthelemy
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Claude Boyer
After rupture…
Malpasset, 3 December 1959.
A helicopter is carefully approaching the roof of the farm on which its occupants are sheltered; it is driven by René Blazy.
All Fréjussians know the street of Captain René Blazy located under the train station of Fréjus. But how many know why a street in their city bears that name?
This thirty-year-old robs victims of the Malpasset Dam, he will leave his life there. Here is a brief summary of the short and rich life of this Ariegean, from Indochina to his sad destiny in the Var in 1959.
More than twelve hours ago they were waiting on the roof, on this day of December, not having been able to take anything with them when, the night before, they were surprised by the arrival of water from the dam that just gave way...
The pilot placed the aircraft to touch the roof while, on the right skate, Lieutenant René Blazy laid his foot on the tiles in order to go down to assist the victims, but a tile fell under his weight, he lost balance and it was the tragedy.
The rotor struck him in the head, died instantly under the horrified eyes of the pilot and flood victims.
René Blazy in 4 locations: Ariège, Indochina, Algeria and Provence
Born in July 1925 in Foix, Ariège, René Blazy joined the gendarmerie in 1946. He made his debut in the Republican Guard before joining Indochina in 1949, where he became illustrious during Xom Nghe's attack in December of the same year, earning him the rank of Marshal of the head house.
He returned to France in 1951, where he joined the Ecole des Officiers de la Gendarmerie Nationale (EOGN), from which he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. He then commanded the helicopter section of the gendarmerie in Berre and was seconded to the provisional government of Algiers in January 1959. Then he returned to France and on 2 December he was engaged with his men to rescue by helicopter during the Malpasset disaster.
On a posthumous basis, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, Knight of the Legion of Honor, decorated with the TOE War Cross (theatre of external operations) as well as the Military Value Cross, the Combatant Cross and the Colonial Medal.
Captain Blazy calls 64e promotion of the National Gendarmerie School of Officers (EOGN) and a street in Fréjus.
Text and photo : Claude Boyer
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Photos Passadoc
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The legend of Princess Barbe des Baux
Princess Barbe has just reached her twentieth year. The noblest lords have already asked for his hand but it is to his cousin the lord Guilhem d'Estoc of the city of Aix that his parents grant it on condition that he waits for the brides three years.
Guilhem, doué du génie poétique autant qu’un maître troubadour, trompe les longueurs de l’attente, en chantant les vertus et les charmes de sa fiancée.
La troisième année touchant à sa fin, Guilhem part d’Aix avec ses parents et vient au château des Baux demander la main de sa promise.
Le pont levis franchi, il aperçoit la mère de Barbe, pâle et triste, cherchant à retenir ses sanglots. On lui explique qu’atteinte d’une fièvre maligne, Barbe se débat dans le délire puis qu’elle retombe ensuite sur sa couche, et de ses lèvres rigides on l’entend murmurer le nom aimé de Guilhem. Comme si elle avait attendu l’arrivée de son fiancé, subitement elle se tait, elle ne s’agite plus, une pâleur livide s’étend sur son visage, la jeune fille est morte.
Des cris désolés emplissent alors la chambre, et la mère de Barbe se jette lamentable sur le corps de son enfant… Guilhem qui s’est agenouillé près de la couche ne dit mot, se lève, porte à ses lèvres la main qu’il a dotée de l’anneau des fiançailles, jette un long regard sur le cadavre puis s’affaisse, la douleur l’a tué.
On décide qu’ils seront ensevelis dans le même caveau.
Lors des obsèques, lorsque les psaumes ont cessé, on descend les degrés du caveau seigneurial à la lueur des torches. Au moment où le cercueil va s’aligner à côté du celui de Guilhem, avant que le couvercle ne se referme, le cadavre de Barbe semble remuer, il ouvre les yeux, Barbe vit encore. On tire la moribonde de son cercueil, et on la rapporte sur son lit encore couvert de roses et de lis.
On n’ose se bercer de trop d’espérance, mais une semaine après, on se décide à sceller la porte du caveau. Barbe est guérie.
Ses premières questions sont pour Guilhem d’Estoc, et on doit l’instruire avec ménagement de la mort émouvante de son fiancé. À cette nouvelle, Barbe forte et calme, déclare qu’elle n’appartient désormais qu’à Dieu. Un mois après, dans la ville natale de Guilhem, les religieuses de Notre-Dame de Nazareth l’admettent au nombre de leurs sœurs.
Du cloître elle ne sort que morte bien des années plus tard. On porte alors son corps dans la crypte funéraire du château des Baux, et, d’après le désir qu’elle a souvent exprimé, on la dépose à la même place qu’elle a occupée une fois déjà, à côté du cercueil de son fiancé.
Texte : Claude Boyer d’après la légende écrite par l’abbé L.Paulet – Photos : André Abbe
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Jean-Pierre Serra
À la Sainte-Barbe
Le 4 décembre, sont fêtées les « Barbara », ce qui ne fut pas toujours le cas, car jusqu’en 1969 et la modification apportée par l’Église, c’était les « Barbe » qui étaient honorées …
C’est la raison pour laquelle cette date reste attachée à la « Sainte Barbe », l’un des temps forts de nos traditions de Noël en Provence, et l’une de celles qui restent parmi les plus ancrées dans le cérémonial qui débute le dimanche de l’Avent ; cette année le dimanche 27 novembre, pour se terminer à la Chandeleur soit le jeudi 2 février 2023 …
Dès l’Antiquité, il était d’usage de planter du blé, symbole de fécondité, pour s’assurer que la récolte serait abondante, car le blé, en germant et en poussant correctement à l’approche de l’hiver, permettait d’envisager les moissons, et donc l’année, sous les meilleurs auspices…
Nos traditions provençales se sont appuyées sur cette pratique pour l’intégrer dans le temps calendal, car c’est de facto la prospérité de la famille qui se trouvait assurée si blé germait à Noël de façon robuste et fournie…
One of the provencal adages illustrates as follows:
– Quand lou blad vèn bèn, Tout vèn bèn.
This usually translates as follows:
– Blé bien germé, c’est la prospérité pour toute l’année. »
So many and many are those who on this day of St. Barbe, that is to say 20 days before Christmas, make sure to respect this tradition of the three. « Sietouns » (or three saucers in French), consisting of planting grains of wheat on a cotton bed in three cups, then watering them regularly until they germinate and the wheat stems grow firmly.
Les plus anciens, comme moi, se souviennent certainement de ces soucoupes qui ornaient d’abord nos cheminées, puis qui étaient déposées sur la table du « Gros Souper » avec des rubans jaunes et rouges lors de la Veillée et du Réveillon de Noël, avant d’être placées dans la crèche* pour « égayer » les paysages jusqu’à la Chandeleur…
Précisons aussi que des sachets de grains de blé sont mis en vente dans différents commerces, au profit d’associations caritatives.
N’oublions pas non plus, que « Sainte Barbe » est la patronne de « tout ce qui brûle, éclate, fulgure et détonne » en lien avec la légende qui veut que son père, un roi païen au 3e siècle, aurait été foudroyé par un éclair, après avoir décapité publiquement sa fille qui refusait de renier sa foi, et ce après lui avoir fait subir les pires punitions, sévices et tortures…
C’est la raison pour laquelle, le feu ayant vengé le martyre de Sainte Barbe, les pompiers, mineurs, artilleurs, des polytechniciens ou autres pyrotechniciens, l’ont choisie comme patronne et organisent à cette date de nombreuses manifestations …
Pour la petite Histoire, il faut savoir que lors du percement du Tunnel sous la Manche, la seule date qui avait été chômée chaque année, était le 4 décembre, en référence à la Patronne des Mineurs …
Bonne Sainte Barbe !…
Pour en attester, je vous joins en annexe,une photo prise chez mes parents au soir de Noël,
où après avoir réveillonné, l’un des « Seitouns » avait été placé dans la toute petite et très modeste crèche,
souvenir d’un voyage en Palestine il y a de nombreuses années …
Dernière précision, confiée par un spécialiste doublé d’un expert :
Sortir les « Sietouns » pour la Sainte-Barbe, mais ne planter le blé qu’une semaine plus tard,
car aujourd’hui, les températures de nos pièces n’ont rien à voir avec celles de nos ancêtres !
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André Abbe
Un mondial vraiment mondial !
De moins en moins de sport dans nos pages… car il semble que bien peu de Passadociens* s’y intéressent ! Pourtant je me sens obligé d’y consacrer quelques lignes.
- Sachez que les 5 continents seront représentés dans les 1/8ème de finale du « Mondial de football » qui se déroule actuellement au Qatar.
- Le fier Japon représentera l’Asie, les USA l’Amérique du Nord, l’Argentine l’Amérique du Sud, le Maroc l’Afrique, l’Espagne l’Europe, l’Australie l’Océanie (je vous épargne les noms de tous les qualifiés dont la France bien sûr).
- L’Australie était l’équipe la plus inattendue à ce niveau de la compétition d’autant qu’elle n’avait pas fait des bélugues lors de son premier match contre la France.
C’est l’été en Australie, les dames sortent les ombrelles le jour et les drapeaux australiens les nuits de match… décalage horaire oblige.
Photo (recadrée) : dans les rues d’Adélaïde lors d’un voyage d’André en Australie
* Pourquoi les Passadociens ? Parce qu’André Abbe préside l’association Passadoc depuis sa création en 2016 (la page Facebook a été créée un an plus tôt). L’association Abbe Photo héberge « Passadoc Gazette » et les articles.
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Pour illustrer un prochain article de Claude Boyer sur le film d’Henri-Georges Clouzot Le Salaire de la peur (sorti en 1953) – et afin d’éviter les images vues et revues sur Internet – Passadoc recherche des photos récentes et archives du Gard.
Et notamment :
– L’ancien camp de Saliers sur la commune d’Arles.
– La bambouseraie d’Anduze.
– La Camargue.
– La rive gauche du Gardon entre l’ancien Hôtel et la source de la Canelle.
– Les virages de la D 979, traversant le camp des Garrigues (entre Nîmes et Uzès).
– La route de la Baume (ancienne D 127) en limite du village de Poulx.
Merci d’avance ! On attend vos commentaires ou vos messages privés…
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