The less said about the local tradition that turns around this statue (and its nickname) the better. Carved in wood, l'Homme sur Sa Bouée (1993) seemingly floats in the canal on the Quai Bélu in Amiens. It is one of three of a series of oak sculptures in the Quartier Saint-Leu carved by German artist Stephan Balkenhol. This once dangerous but now refurbished and picturesque neighborhood is the "QG" of Amiens students who regularly see to the statue's wardrobe, sometimes dressing it in a sweater, other times less gloriously.
Vocabulary
la bouée: the mud
bois: wood
chêne: oak
QG: for
quartier général, general headquarters
une garde-robe: a dressing room, but by extension also means one's clothes and accessories
©2012 P.B. Lecron
