Every July, the Rue de la République in Avignon, France, is closed to traffic for the Avignon Theater Festival. Visitors flock to the city to attend performances and party along the main street in the historic center. Adding to the fun and craziness, actors roam the streets in costume, performing snippets of plays to attract customers.
At night especially, buskers join the fray. They sing and perform into the wee hours, all for free. I especially enjoyed a street band named “The French Touch NZ,” which included one of the most talented, energetic fiddlers I’ve ever had the pleasure to hear. I watched acrobats on horseback, troupes of drummers, clowns, pantomime artists, magicians, and contortionists, among others. It was well past 1 a.m. when I returned to my hostel each night, and even then I preferred to hang out my window and watch the insanity, rather than crawling into bed.
