oh! Oh! to the dictionary 4 me. wow I can't even find it in Webster's Collegiate. Somebody help, what is a petanque? Is that just the name of the game?

Pétanque is a sort of jeu-des-boules, a bit like bowls.

Isn't this the same as Bocce only with smaller balls? I bought my "Beach Bocce" ball set, I believe it was off Ebay. They have a web site too. (www.beachbocceball.com) Fun!!

This sounds like a fun game!! Modo, have you tried any of the French embroidery design sites? You might have better luck, since the game is played there. If I come up with any French sites, I'll post them here. Best of luck! Marji

definition: Petanque, pronounced "pay-tahnk", one of Europe's most popular outdoor games, is a distant relative of horseshoes, and a first cousin of the Italian 'bocce'. The game originated in Provence in the early 1900's.
The aim is to toss, or roll a number of hollow steel balls ("boules") as close as possible to a small wooden target ball, called "but" or "cochonnet" (meaning "piglet" in French). Players take turns and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are played, wins.
Unlike horseshoes, where the aim stake is fixed, petanques' target ball may be hit at any time, which can completely turn around the score at the last second. And whereas the official bocce rules call for a smooth, prepared court with markers and sideboards, petanque can be played on most outdoor surfaces, without any setup.