The day I bought a beret.

Bonjour, mes amis.

Yesterday, we went to the Parc National des Pyrenees and hiked to Lac de Gaube.  It was a beautiful day, as you can see from these photos.  

Before the hike, we went to the Musee du beret, which I had thought was going to be lame.  It wasn't.  We watched a video about the history of the beret, which was really informative.  There are only two authentic beret factories left in France.  One in Nay (where we were yesterday), and one in the town where we went whitewater rafting.  They stay in business mostly because of army orders (the French army orders berets for their uniforms, as do some African armies, as well as some sects of the US army), as well as individual buyers.  Different berets are specific to different regions in France (although now people wear whichever one looks best). For example, berets from Corse are wider because there is a lot of sun there.  There are three traditional colors of the french beret~black, navy, and brown (and red for some special occasions).  The video we watched also interviewed people about the beret, which was so adorable that I wanted to steal the dvd out of the player so I could watch it again (don't worry, I restrained myself).  There was one elderly gentleman who told a story about the beret.  He said (with a really thick southern french accent) that when you're little, you get a little beret and steal cherries with it, and when you're an adult, you get a big beret so you can beat the kid who stole the cherries.  

We also learned about the process of manufacturing the beret.  It's knit by a machine in a circular motion, and then shrunk in hot water and soap.  After that, it's dried, and then all the little nubs are brushed off with a rotating bristle brush machine.  Then it's inspected, and then they add the official silk lining and symbol, to show it's an authentic beret.  After that, they add leather strips to it, to help it maintain its shape, and then a red bow to indicate the back brim from the front.  The authentic ones are completely waterproof and practically indestructible.   

Of course I bought one.  I'm going to wear it all the time, I've decided.

Marguerite.