The Lotois drop the mask and present a smile in Paris
The people of Lot return to Paris on the occasion of the great annual agricultural mass. The opportunity to reconnect with the public who have come from all over France to pet a lamb and nibble on a piece of Rocamadour.
Yesterday morning, under a bright sun, a large crowd pressed against the gates of the exhibition center at the Porte de Versailles, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. It’s time to return to one of the most popular events of the year: the International Agricultural Show. A 2022 edition marked with the seal of “reunion”, two years after the last edition. And obviously the French are there. Upon entering the huge pavilion 1, one is immediately struck by the smell of farm animals. A feeling that Ile-de-France residents had missed, in the eyes of the world that darkens the aisles early in the morning.
“I’m having fun here!”
In the middle of the building, the Causses stand sits proudly, like a small piece of Lot, a Quercy embassy, in Parisian lands. Masks are no longer essential (the vaccination pass is compulsory to access the show, editor’s note), we recognize familiar faces here and there. First there is Tonton Pierre – Pierre Lasvènes for those close to him. The Cadurcien photographer is at his 23rd salon. And here he is, busy in his little ewe and lamb enclosure, chaining shootings with an audience always fond of having their portraits taken next to our bespectacled mascots.
“I’m very happy to come back, I really like being able to see people again, he enthuses, especially since I love talking nonsense to young and old alike. I’m having fun here!”. Right next to it, on a small removable display, on a sheet of documentation on the department: Operation “Oh my Lot!” activated. The challenge is also to promote the quality of life in our territory. Whether you come from the Paris region, the Oise or even Normandy, many visitors have a little anecdote to tell about the Lot.
In the middle of the large aisle that runs along the Lot stand, the breeders of the Cant’Avey’Lot dairy cooperative are bustling about to have their products tasted. A glass of milk here, a vanilla yogurt there. “Tastings are generally what people appreciate the most here, with the ass of the cows”, amused a stroller by swallowing a piece of cheese. There is no shortage of cheese on the Lot stand. Sales of Rocamadour follow one another. The AOP manages two small refrigerated and very well stocked stalls.
“I only buy it very rarely, I have to limit myself otherwise I’ll eat it every day… It’s too good!”, says a visitor, cheerfully licking her babies in front of the window. The week promises to be busy on the Causses stand: events and visits by local personalities must follow one another. “We have to save ourselves, fortunately we operate a rotation. After ten days, we return to the country on the kneecaps”, we are told. The party is on!