Sunday, December 8, 2013

Allons-y!

Pierre Laclede Impersonator

There was supposed to be an historical re-enactment under the Arch yesterday. 2014 is St. Louis' 250th anniversary. The kick-off event was to be the arrival of the French explorers, Pierre Laclede and his sidekick August Chouteau on the west bank of the Mississippi, ready to start the settlement that became the home of the world's largest croquet wicket. And me.

But, um, it was pretty cold so they canceled the river landing in a birch bark canoe. Six or eight "re-enactors" hung out in the museum under the Arch, chatting with anyone around. (There weren't many.) That's supposed to be Pierre himself in the top picture. The two below could be on their break from their jobs as elves at a department store Santaland.

Since the event was kind of a bust, I took a ride up the Arch for the first time in a couple of years. First time ever with snow cover. Results soon.           

French Explorer Reenactors

6 comments:

  1. That could have been fun. Now I can't wait for Thursday.

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  2. One thing that Pierre Laclede did not anticipate when he paddled his canoe to the west bank of the river is that tens of thousands of people would have the sun in their eyes as they drive east to commute downtown in the morning and again as they drive home west in the late afternoon.

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  3. A crouquet wicket, huh?

    Good portraits!

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  4. Absolutely right about the elves. I look forward to those snowy photos.

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  5. Even elves need a break I guess Bob! It really must have been cold to put a spanner in the works. Can't wait to see the snow covered arch!

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