Memoirs of a Lost Gaijin

Pétanque (French pronunciation: [petɑ̃ːk]) is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing with the feet together in a small circle, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (jack). The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass or other surfaces. Soft sandy beaches are not suitable. Similar games are bocce and bowls.

The current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, in southern France. The English and French name pétanque comes from la petanca [peˈtaŋkɔ] in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats [ˈpɛ taŋˈka], meaning "feet together"[1] or more exactly "feet anchored".

The casual form of the game of Pétanque is played by about 17 million people in France, mostly during their summer vacations. There are about 375,000 players licensed with the Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP) and some 3000 in England.

This picture was taking in Bryant Park, at W 42nd St and 6th Avenue, and the man throwing the ball is Ernesto, who gives free lessons during the day. He's a great teacher, and he plays a mean game, especially his ability to knock the opponent's ball away. If you're in the neighborhood on a nice day, stop by and tell him I sent you.

Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York, USA