This past weekend, I got see one of the best festival traditions in France – the annual fête de la transhumance. If you haven’t come across this earthy term before, transhumance is the annual migration of animal herds from the plains to the mountains and vice versa. (The term itself derives from the Latin ‘trans’ meaning “across” and ‘humus’ meaning “earth.”) As temperatures start to warm up in late May and early June, animal herds in various parts of Europe are moved to higher altitudes for better grazing. Many French villages near mountains celebrate the centuries-old tradition with an animated parade and festival.
The village of Bédoin in the Vaucluse region of Provence held their fête de la transhumance last Sunday and hundreds of spectators turned out to witness the fun event. Bédoin is a picturesque town at the foot of the majestic Mont Ventoux, the 6000-foot peak of Tour de France cycling fame located about 40 minutes northeast of Avignon. Bédoin is also known for its colorful and lively open-air market on Monday mornings.
But back to the festival. We arrived in the village about 5pm to get a place along the parade route. Of course, things were so relaxed that everyone first headed to the village cafés for a glass of rosé or a beer. Then just a few minutes before the transhumance started at 6pm, we ambled over to the village ring road to get a good view. Loads of kids were running around full of excitement, and adults everywhere were readying cameras to capture the spectacle.
About 6:20pm, a frisson of anticipation swept the crowd as the transhumance festival got underway. Shepherds leading donkeys festooned with fragrant genêt flowers (broom, in English) kicked off the procession. We noticed the shepherds were wearing decidedly casual attire.
Then the real fun began as a sea of sheep and goats started flowing through the town. There was plenty of jostling and jockeying for space as the animals trotted along the asphalt. And the sheepdogs weren’t about to miss out as they kept the herd in line. Also notice the shepherd’s t-shirt with the “Non aux loups” logo – he’s part of the group protesting the return of wolves to the natural environment in Europe after near extinction. Somehow I don’t blame him for not wanting his sheep to be eaten by a wild loup.
For all the crowding, the sheep and goats were a docile bunch as they clipped along. Even the sweet little lambs kept up pretty well with the adult herd. But as you might imagine, the air did start to smell fairly quickly like a nice, well-used barn!
My favorite moment was when the darling shepherd girl passed by gently keeping her animal friends in line with her walking stick…
Once the several hundred sheep and goats went past, about ten or so sheepdogs brought up the rear. Their job was to make sure no strays got left behind – or perhaps scooped up by an adoring visitor…
After the parade, the herd was shuffled off to a nearby field to await their transportation to higher pastures on Mont Ventoux or the Alps. In olden times, the herds would walk the whole way. Today, the animals are shipped by truck for a faster and safer transhumance experience.
Travelers to Provence know that the region is noteworthy for many wonderful things – sun, sea, sunflowers, lavender, perched villages, Roman ruins, markets, olive oil, garlic, rosé wine, cuisine and climate. With the charming fête de la transhumance, we could also add sheep to the Provence pleasures list?! In any case, if you’re traveling there in late May or early June next year, be sure and check local schedules for the festive happening. Especially if you’re bringing the kids!
