Hotel des Acacias, Saint-André-de-Cubzac

If their broken-down car could not be repaired straight away, holidaymakers stuck in Saint-André-de-Cubzac could always spend a night at the Hôtel des Acacias, next to the Renault garage. To cheer them up, they could either dance or play a game of billiard. The hotel also welcome wedding and dinner parties ('noces et banquets'). Yet, given the style of the ghost sign, by the time waves of holidaymakers passed through the town, this may no longer have been a hotel.

The particular style of the central part of this ghost sign suggests it was painted in the first couple of decades of the 20th century if not slightly earlier. Some letters are reminiscent of those of the vannerie ghost sign in Cognac (15th picture).

Hôtel des Acacias Tenu par A. Boyer Noces & banquets
Salle de danse et billard

Actually 'Salle de danse and billard' was painted over two earlier signs. The original one read:

Hôtel - Restaurant - Guinguette
Guinguettes were extremely popular in France between the 1880s and the 1950s. The term usually referred to an open-air venue, where people could not only eat but also dance. Sometimes they could bathe as well, although this would not have been the case here since there is no river or lake at the back of the building.
This original sign was replaced by another one that ended with the name of the owner:... Boyer

The shadows made strange patterns on the façade that day.

Location: Rue Nationale, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde / Pictures taken in May 2012