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[playandteach]

Just booked a couple of weeks with my family in the South West of France - looks like I might be able to persuade them to visit Toulouse, so I instantly thought of meeting up with Marc Serafini if he's around, but wondered if there are other folk or melodeon options near by.
We'll be near Mont de Marsan. Not looking to join in playing, although I'll have the melodeon with me, just looking for things to see or to try out instruments.

[Grape Ape]

P&T take me with you.  I could double as  your caddy and your translator.  I'll even throw in my skills as as your personal sommelier- what do you say?

[playandteach]

Won't be playing golf, so no caddy needed. I can choose my own wine (based on price rather than taste - remind me to tell the Paris wine story one day), but otherwise the offer's good. Unfortunately my family might have a different opinion.
Does anyone know if the Mondiato enterprise (Serafini and co) has completely shut up shop now, are there other makers in the region, or festivals...

[Jack Humphreys]

I believe I read on melnet that Marc Serafini had got jaded with the business and was recently in South America.

[Theo]

There is a brief announcement on Marc's website mondiato.com.

BONJOUR, La boîte à frissons reduit son activité à la vente et la location.
Pour ce qui concerne  le SAV appelez moi ou écrivez moi sur labaf@orange.fr

There is also a link to two other makers, one of them in Bordeaux.

But if you want to speak to French makers you can find most of them in one place at Le Son Continu at La Châtre July 13th to 16th

[Simon W]

I did that with  my family about 10 years ago. We got to his shop only to find he was on holiday. They weren't best pleased - cost me a lot of ice cream. They also got dragged to Bernard Loffet's workshop a year later. He was in and was charming.
If you don't get any joy with melodeons you are on the doorstep of Armagnac- Condom and Auch are both worth a visit and you would probably overlap with the Jazz Festival at Marciac which is worth a visit, although there was a heavy armed police presence there last year which was a bit scary.
If you drive down you could break the journey at Nantes and call in to Bertrand Gaillard...
Enjoy

Simon

[Chris Ryall]

Bertrand always goes on to holiday in Italy after Ch.d'Ars, but you should be OK late august. Drop him a line, he'd appreciate that.

[Maggie]

Hi.  I am a member of a Facebook group called trad' who list events throughout France.  trad'Envie festival is in late May, so no good for you, but the organiser, Alain Laporte is sure to know people and events when you are in the area.

If you are driving south, you will be passing about 10k from our house! 

[Tufty]

Worth looking out for the local dance groups, in particular the ones on stilts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW3MFCPRlr0

[Mike Carney]

Worth looking out for the local dance groups, in particular the ones on stilts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW3MFCPRlr0

Fantastique!
M

[Steve_freereeder]

Worth looking out for the local dance groups, in particular the ones on stilts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW3MFCPRlr0

Yes -  it all looks very spectacular, but I've seen it go hideously wrong.

Many years ago at a day of dance in Rye, Sussex, one of the dancers from Great Western Morris did a solo dance on high stilts just like in the video. He stumbled perhaps on a rough bit of ground, lost his balance and started to fall, ever so slowly, or so it seemed - time went into slow motion.

We, the onlookers, were horrified as he fell, landing on the tarmac road surface flat on his front. There was absolute stunned silence for a few seconds; I thought he was dead. Then people rushed to help - he moved; he wasn't dead. His injuries turned out to be a bloodied face and a shattered elbow. Bad enough, but it could have been so much worse.

I just don't think this sort of bravado is worth the risk. I am reminded of a quote from mountaineer Edward Whymper who was the first person to climb the Matterhorn in 1865, an expedition in which he then saw four of his companions fall to their deaths on the descent.

'Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.'

Edward Whymper, Scrambles Amongst the Alps, 1871.

[Tufty]

Agreed, much better leave this sort of thing to people who know what they are doing!

[diatosoldo]

You could visit Stéphane Le Lan, a melodeon maker in Vendée (fontenay le comte) :
https://accordeons-du-marais.com/

His youtube channel "abedambondiou" :
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCV_6kkV65vhIjCOPy0MRBrQ