Puy du Fou (5/9)

Bald eagle right overhead

We were aiming to leave early to get to Puy du Fou soon after opening, but for various logistical reasons, it didn't quite work that way. Once we got them sorted out and found our way there it was just before noon when we walked through the gates. We found a map and program and had to quickly work out what to see first. There are five live shows depicting various eras of French history, and eleven smaller ones. There just isn't time to see all of them in one day, but you can buy a season's ticket so that you can return as many times as you like or take a two-day ticket and stay on site at one of the period venues.

Secretary bird doing what comes naturally

Luckily we started with what we thought we would be most interested in.  This was called "The Ballet of the Mystery Birds" and was a fairy story woven around the art of falconry, but also sending the message that birds of prey are both beautiful and a necessary part of the ecosystem. This was a half-hour show with free flying birds, starting with owls, then hawks and eagles, a rook that collected roses and took them to its handler, and others. Once each type of bird appeared it would fly low over the heads of the audience to another handler at the opposite side of the arena.  At one stage there were three bald eagles flying from handler to handler overhead.  Then a Secretary Bird (also known as a Snake Bird) came in and proceeded to stomp on a rubber snake that the handler made wriggle in front of it.  They then released falcons and eagles from a balloon suspended 500m in the air to give you some idea of how they spot their prey, then hurtle down onto it, and then five vultures circled down. But the final five minutes or so was the "piece de resistance". Suddenly a flock of black kites appear, then storks, other hawks until there are over one hundred birds flying back and forth over the arena!  It was really something special to experience.  (An aside to this show is that they are also using this facility to breed rare and endangered birds.)

The Vikings are attacking!

From there we went to the other four major shows, all a bit tame after that, but fun. Vikings attacked a Gaulish village, where houses burnt, a Viking ship and it crew rose up out of the water (and sank back down again later).  Various animals became involved in the story in different ways, some horse-riding tricks were woven into the story, buildings collapsed, mock battles were fought, etc.  

Then we went to the specially built colosseum where the roof was drawn over as it is thought it did in Roman times, the Romans and the Gauls entered to lead the audience, and then there was a parade of wild animals and Christians.  We saw gladiatorial fights and lions set loose in the arena to "attack" the Christians - all neatly (but safely) done, after which there was a great chariot race with a couple of the chariots falling apart.  

Castle under attack!

After that we saw knights jousting in front of a castle and performing a series of riding tricks, there were explosions and fires again as well all wrapped around yet another story.  The final big show (no photos allowed) was a spectacular musketeer-cum-Spanish riding school display on the largest indoor stage in the world. After some fencing displays, the horses appeared.  The arena, which started out dry and was progressively flooded so that the horses and humans were performing in shallow water. All this was done essentially in the dark, with specific lighting directed at the point of action. All the tricks the Spanish riding school is noted for were displayed.
The props for all the shows were gigantic. Castles moved, huge walls disappeared and then rose again, big boats appeared from under water.  It would have been a huge undertaking just to design it all.

In between the shows we visited a medieval city, an 18th century village, a fort and smithy, watched fountains play to music, saw artisans at work, and sundry other exhibits and entertainment. Some things we didn't bother with as they were static displays, all in French, not that we had time to visit them anyway (but we did go back to watch the birds again!)  

The geese that saved Rome
were part of the big parade in the colosseum

We had booked dinner, because we were then off to an evening spectacular (no photos allowed)

which was the story of the Vendee region over a period of seven hundred years, ending with WWII. Essentially it was the story of history repeating itself - father goes off to war leaving a wife and boy - this happening with medieval conflicts, the Religious Wars of France, the Revolution, then WWI and WWII. This was all played out after dark on the largest stage in the world, 23 hectares set around a large lake.  It was a combination of son et lumiere and play, brought to an end with fireworks. It was almost two hours in length, and never stopped. The "stage" consisted of a forecourt where most of the action took place, then a lake with underwater paths across it because actors, and horses and riders moved across it in different directions, then a ruined castle, a ruined chateau, a village and several windmills forming the backdrop, and on which the son et lumiere took place. At one stage the chateau was gutted by fire. All sorts of props rose from the lake shore and within the lake itself.  With the exception of some of the animal handlers and the riders, all the actors are volunteers from around the area, all 1,200 of them!!  Whole families are involved from the quite young up, and there is a 300 student acting academy associated with the organisation.  The show was played out to a packed audience of about 12,000 people. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! (And what's more, it is amazingly cheap for a full day's entertainment – 80 Euros for day entrance, evening show, translation device and a meal each )

The chariot race was a lot of fun for the crowd.

Before the show we met up with Gaelle (who unfortunately was not able to be with us during the day) to agree to a meeting place after the show had finished, so that we could work out how to get to her place where we were staying for the next couple of nights. (It was really great to see her again).  As it was, it wasn't too difficult, just slow to begin with because of all the traffic (12,000 people and 1,200 actors had to get home). It was after 2pm by the time we got to Gaëlle's place in Nantes.