The Royal Lounge
Written by Shirley Ujest /// photos by Harry Waters
In the mist shrouded capitol of Washington sits a lounge / social hall / bocce field. Olympia’s real Cascadian lodge—The Royal Lounge. Risen garage door entrance welcomes patrons inside a dim warehouse. Ink tags on the bathroom door declare ‘the Royal is hobosexual.” Comfort and safety exudes. Candles and lamps lit in blue set the mood. Kitschy post- modern ornaments, stylish lamps and dozens of vintage helmets line the huge space as decor. Booths and couches fill the seating options. Yes. Couches. Not free Craigslist couches. Kinds you wish occupied your humble abode. Two half court bocce courses line both interior side walls. Left is a wide open space suitable for people watching, eye catching and embarrassing incidents free for viewing by everyone. The Royal socializes without pretension. (Olympia keeps pretension in a vault miles below the surface)
For Olympia, gaining the Royal is a sign of growing culture and the need for different outlets. The new lounge features Cascadian and national touring bands. Art showcases fill the calendar of events as well. DJs are settling in nightly. If pinball is your thing, there’s that.
It’s none of this sameness that entices Olympians to frequent the Royal. It’s the Bocce. A game believed to be oldest game known to mankind. Play is easy for all to learn yet requires skill, strategy and even a little bit of luck. Terminology in the ancient game is short and sweet. The object of the game is to leave your Bocce ball closer to the Pallino than the other team. A Pallino is the small ball that is rolled down the course to start the game. Players from each team role one ball down the course, then score points by trying to roll other balls as close as possible to the Pallino. Frames are continued to be played until a team reaches 12 points. Repeat. In due time, any curious spectators will be honed Bocce aficionados.
