Petanque–Bacci Ball–Boules: How Square !?

In a nearby village, the “Cercle des Amis” hosted their 33rd Boules Carrées World Championships (results link), a game played with square blocks instead of round, metal balls. Competitors (104 sets of three players) braved the weekend’s high temperatures to participate in this two-day tournament, held in the steep, but shady, streets of this medieval village. Games alternate with throwing up hill and then down hill, until one team reaches a score of 13 points. In either direction, it’s tough to know for sure if the thrown block will end up near the small target block, called the “cochonnet.” (see video below)

Everyone seemed to have a great time over the two-day event, cheering for the teams and watching the top-level players’ performance.

 In keeping with the festivities, here’s a recipe called, “The Bocce Ball” – a easy to do juice cocktail, you might want to try – the ice cubes could represent the boules carrées

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz amaretto
orange juice
splash of soda water
orange slice for garnish

Preparation:
Pour the vodka, amaretto and orange juice into a collins glass filled with ice.
Add a splash of soda water and garnish with an orange slice. (Source: cocktails.about.com)