More Caves

Sunday, which is Mother's Day here in France, we visited two more caves.  One, lesser known but very fascinating; the other, world renowned but quite commercial; the other, .  They were Les Grottes de Maxange and the other, Lascaux.  

The Maxange caves are not far outside the village of Le Buisson-de-Cadouin.  There are no drawings in the cave but the rock formations are fascinating and estimated to be about 20 million years old!  The caves were discovered by Angel Caballero in 2000 in a stone quarry run by his family, including his father Maximillian (hence the name).  A cavity accidentally appeared and the amazing rock formations were revealed.  These caves were different from the ones we saw yesterday in Cougnac.  They were almost completely dry, there are no cave drawings, and the rock formations are completely different and much more dramatic.  We were the only two people wanting a tour so we had a private tour in English.  Helen, our guide, told us that often there are up to 35 people so we were very lucky.  Not only do the caves have the usual stalactites, stalagmites and columns (formed when the first two join) but there are also aragonites (crystal forms of calcium carbonate) and the quite rare geological formations called eccentrics which are quite common in these caves.  We were allowed to take photos (no flash) in these caves, thankfully. 

In the centre, an example of an eccentric (lateral extension of the rock formation)

 

The eccentric in the centre looks somewhat like a parrot - the guide told us and we agreed

Stalagmites

Following our visit to Les Grottes Maxange, we drove about 50 minutes to the much more famous Caves of Lascaux.  These were discovered in 1940 September 12, 1940, on the hill overlooking Montignac village by 4 teenagers (Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Simon Coencas and Georges Agniel), one of whom is still alive.  They made one of the most prestigious 20th century archaeological discoveries. They agreed to keep their discovery a secret but that only lasted for 3 days!  The cave was opened to the public in 1948.  In 1963, the caves were ordered closed to protect them; they were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.  In the early 1970s, in order to meet public demand, the project of facsimile is launched by the former owner of the site, M. de la Rochefoucauld. They realize the first paintings on experimental materials, with natural elements. The result is remarkable but works stop because of severe financial difficulties.​  Then, in 1983, Lascaux II opens, a replica of the original caves.  Today, Lascaux IV presents a digital experience following a guided tour of the cave.  I was here about 10 years ago and the site has changed greatly.  Before, we were given the guided tour and that was it.  Today, we were given tablets which, after the guided part of the tour was done, could be pointed at various exhibitions in a large venue to activate information, videos, and audio information.  Technology has certainly added to the experience.  Unfortunately, during our visit to the caves, no photography was permitted.  Not sure why given that what we were looking at was a copy but maybe it had something to do with copyright.  Who knows?  So the following photos are from the Internet, except for the one at the entrance.  

Clearly, the Lascaux Caves are the most famous and, for cave drawings, the most extensive.  However, the entire complex is very commercial and, while a great learning experience for young and old alike, it lacks the authentic experience of Les Grottes Cougnac and Les Grottes Maxange.  We were told there are also other caves with drawings in them but time did not permit us to explore them.  It is a personal thing to choose between the kind of experience you want.  We loved Les Grottes Maxange and Les Grottes Cougnac.  Others may prefer the more educational and digital experience of Les Caves Laxcaux.

Castles and Caves

The Dordogne region is renowned for its medieval castles (there are apparently 1001 in this area) and its caves.  There are also something like 180 of them in the adjoining Lot region.  Some of them contain prehistoric drawings dating back over 30,000 years.

We arrived here a couple of days ago and have, in total, three full days here and that isn't nearly enough to touch the surface of the fabulous sights to see.  However, we are ticking them off one by one.  We are based in Beynac-et-Cazenac which is situated on the Dordogne River.  It is designated as "Un des Plus Beaux Villages de France" - and for good reason.  If you are into medieval history or prehistoric times, this area of France is the place to be.  

For our first full day here, we visited nearby Domme (another designated "beautiful village").  While we were there, we visited a shop selling local products - foie gras, moutardes, biscuits, huiles de noix, etc.  Actually, there are numerous stores like that there and in the other towns and villages around here but the guy who ran La Dommoise, la maison du foie gras was friendly, informative, and very helpful.  We got to sample lots of items and, of course, ended up buying!  Domme is also a "village perche" sitting on top of a high hill which overlooks the Dordogne Valley.  It is a lovely setting.

Our lunch stop was the very pretty village along the river east from Beynac called La Rocque Gageac.  This village was featured in the 2000 movie Chocolat and is another with a "beautiful village" designation. 

One of the chateaux here, Marqueyssac near Vezac, has what are termed "jardins suspendus".  I really had no idea what that meant - sort of thought they'd be hanging baskets - but they are actually carefully manicured gardens tumbling down the hills on the chateau's property.  They are quite something to see.  The chateau itself dates from 1600s so, technically, it isn't medieval.  Nonetheless, it is impressive!

Our next stop yesterday was the medieval castle of Castlenaud. During the 100 Years War, this castle owed its allegiance to the Plantagenets (the British); in contrast, the residents of nearby Beynac just across the river, to the king of France.  So, both castles had a violent history during that period.  Castlenaud is a popular destination because it has a museum dedicated to medieval history and, for children, some medieval activities are re-enacted.

Today (Saturday), we started off in Sarlat, the largest nearby town.  It was market day which is always a treat in France.  Being able to see regional products and locals shopping to find treasures is such a great experience.  Sarlat is a charming town with most of its buildings in yellow-hued sandstone.  And, on just about every corner, there is a foie gras store.  

Next on the itinerary was Rocamadour.  It has been at least 10 years since I have visited this impressive village which sort of "drips" over a cliff with a chateau on the top, a church at the next level, the village on this third, and then the valley below.  I was very pleased to find out that elevators have been installed since the last time I was here - at least from the top level to the second two,  So, for a few Euros, I didn't have to huff and puff my way up and down the steep incline.  My friend chose the harder route!  Our first glimpse of the village was from across the valley and it shows how impressive the construction of the village is.  Hard to believe it was mostly constructed in the 12th century.  It is best known for the Cité Réligieuse - complex of religious buildings, accessed via the Grand Escalier staircase. It includes the Chapelle Notre-Dame, with its Black Madonna statue, and the Romanesque-Gothic Basilica of St-Sauveur. 

And, about those caves.  We visited our first one today.  The guy in the Domme store recommended that we see the Grottes de Cougnac which are famous because of their prehistoric drawings which you can see in their original state.  So, after our stop in Rocamadour, that is where we headed.  We joined a tour in French but, because there were 4 Americans, their guide translated the French into English.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the cave (the ones below I found on the Internet) but seeing the drawings of animals done more than 30,000 years ago (some of the animals are now extinct) was fascinating.  It is thought the people living here at that time predate Cro-Magnon humans.  Aside from the drawings, the stalactites and stalagmites in the several caves we walked through were quite impressive as well.  It is difficult to get one's head around how long ago this all took place.  As water dripped on our heads as we walked through the cave, the guide pointed out that the water had taken 60 years to get from rain on the earth's surface to the roof of the cave!   Bizarre!

Tomorrow we will visit the Caves of Lascaux which I remember learning about in Grade 8 art class.  They are the most famous but, unlike the drawings we saw today, those have been recreated as the original caves are now closed to the public.  That visit will probably warrant its own blog.  

Souviens-toi (Remember)

Thursday, we made the journey from the Loire Valley to the Dordogne.  Our route took us through Limoges so we decided to make a stop at the infamous village of Oradour-sur-Glane.  I have blogged about this place before but it bears repeating.  At the entrance to this village is a sign with the words:

For those unfamiliar with the history of this village, it is a grim reminder of the horrors of war.  The village was destroyed on June 10th, 1944, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a German Waffen-SS company and the village was burned.  A new village was built nearby after the war but French president Charles de Gaulle ordered the original maintained as a permanent memorial and museum.

The following, from Wikipedia, accounts the events that took place here on that fateful day.

In February 1944, the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" was stationed in the French town of Valence-d'Agen north of Toulouse.  Following  the D-Day invasion in June 1944, the division was ordered north to help stop the Allied advance.  One of its units was the 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.  Its staff included SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Diekmann commanding the 1st Battalion.

Early on the morning of 10 June, 1944, Diekmann informed another officer that he had been approached by two members of the Milice, a collaborator paramilitary force of the Vichy Regime. They claimed that a Waffen-SS officer, Helmut Kampfe was being held prisoner by the Resistance in Oradour-sur-Vayres, a nearby village. It is thought the officer may have been captured by the Maquis du Limousin the day before.  Diekmann was ordered to have the mayor choose thirty people to be hostages in exchange for Kämpfe.

On 10 June, Diekmann's battalion sealed off Oradour-sur-Glane and ordered everyone within to assemble in the village square to have their Identity papers examined. This included six non-residents who happened to be bicycling through the town when the SS unit arrived. The women and children were locked in the church and the village was looted. The men were led to six barns and sheds, where machine guns were already in place.  According to a survivor's account, the SS men then began shooting, aiming for their legs. When victims were unable to move, the SS men covered them with fuel and set the barns on fire. Only six men managed to escape. One of them was later seen walking down a road and was shot dead.  In all, 190 French men died.

The SS men next proceeded to the church and placed an incendiary device beside it.  When it was ignited, women and children tried to escape through the doors and windows, only to be met with machine-gun fire.  247 women and 205 children died in the brutal attack. The only survivor was 47-year-old Marguerite Rouffanche. She escaped through a rear sacristy window, followed by a young woman and child.  All three were shot, two of them fatally.  Rouffanche crawled to some bushes and remained hidden overnight until she was found and rescued the next morning.  About twenty villagers had fled as soon as the SS unit had appeared. That night, the village was partially razed.

Several days later, the survivors were allowed to bury the 642 dead inhabitants of Oradour-sur-Glane who had been killed in just a few hours. Adolf Diekmann said the atrocity was in retaliation for the partisan activity in nearby Tulle and the kidnapping of the SS commander, 

It is still unclear why the village was targetted.  There are several theories.  One was that the village was confused with the other Oradour said to be holding the German officer.  Another is that the village was hiding a large stash of gold. and the third has something to do with a story members of the resistance were hiding there.  The truth may never be known.

Today, the village, which is free to visit, remains much the same as it was over 70 years ago.  You are able to wander the streets and see the burnt out homes, shops, garages and church.  Many of them have signs designating what they were and in them you can see items that didn't burn such as sewing machines, stoves, cars and other things made of metal.  It is a chilling experience to visit this place.

The Church and Alter with a Melted Baby Carriage

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As you leave the village, there is a one word sign:  SILENCE,  The place is chilling to visit!

And Now the Rest of the Story

The  following day, our destination was the beautiful chateau of Chenonceaux.  The photos of it are very famous and are often in French travel posters.  The history of the chateau's history is interesting.  

In 1535, it was seized by King Francis I of France for unpaid debts to the Crown; after Francis' death in 1547, Henry II offered the château as a gift to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, while married to Catherine de Medici.  Diane became fervently attached to the château and was the unquestioned mistress of it even though its ownership remained with the crown.  After King Henry II died in 1559, his strong-willed widow and regent Catherine de Medici forced Diane to exchange Chenonceaux for the Château Chaumont.  Queen Catherine then made Chenonceaux her own favorite residence adding a new series of gardens.  So, that is how the two women ended up living in each other's chateaux.  I somehow think there was no love lost between Catherine (who looks very dour in her portraits - not a a women to be taken lightly - while Diane looks quite lovely.  One time I took a tour here it was pointed out that the initials D and H, which were intertwined in medallions and other decorations around the castle while Diane lived there, were immediately changed to C and H (by removing the straight side of the D) by Catherine when she took possession of it.  Love hath no fury like a woman scorned as has been said!

We took some lovely photos of the exteriors and interiors of the building but it wasn't until later that i realized the best photo of the chateau needs to be taken on the other side of the Cher river which the chateau spans.  I am just not sure how you get there though.

Diane's Bedroom

Portrait of Henry II - yes, two women fought over him!

Thursday, we will make our way south to the Dordogne region, another one of my favourite areas of France. 

The Languorous Loire

Monday, we traded the busy city of Paris for the much more quiet Loire Valley with its slow moving, broad and scenic river.  We took a train to Tours - and luckily picked a travel day that was not affected by the rolling strikes SNCF is doing.  We picked up a cute little Nissan car (Juke model) and drove about 1/2 hour to Amboise which will be our base for the next couple of days.

It was very busy as the day was holiday in France - Pentacost or Whitsunday as it is known in the UK.  The hotel where we are staying is one I have stayed at a couple of times but not since about 10 years ago.  It has been refurbished and is quite lovely;  both our rooms have views of the river - well, after all, it is called Hotel Bellevue!  We took the short walk into the old town where we sat and people-watched while sipping our drinks.  Amboise has a lovely castle, the Château d'Amboise, which was the grand 15th-century residence of King Charles.  Leonardo di Vinci who spent the last years of his life in the nearby Château du Clos Lucé is buried in the chapel there.

Main street of old town Amboise

Sunset from my hotel room

This is part of the Loire valley is famous for its chateaux and Tuesday we visited two of them.  Chaumont-sur-Loire was new to me and we picked it because there is a garden exhibition currently featured there.  I am not sure what I was expecting in terms of it but a lot of it was "interesting" art installations in various parts of the castle and gardens.  Some stretched my sense of beauty!  However, the chateau itself is lovely and we toured both the interiors and the grounds before moving on.  The chateau was owned at one time by Catherine di Medici and she lived there for a number of years.

The bedroom of Catherine di Medici

 

Our next stop was the Chateau of Chambord.  This is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture blending traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King Francis I of France and was altered considerably during the twenty-eight years of its construction between 1519–1547.  Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley and it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis I who maintained his royal residences at the Château de Blois and Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with some doubt, to Domenico da Cortona.  Leonardo di Vinci is credited with the interesting intertwined staircase which runs from the lower floors up to where the royalty slept.

We had also planned to visit Chenonceau but ran out of time - and thunderstorms were threatened - so we just headed back to Amboise.  It was a good plan as it "bucketed" down rain on the drive back.  There is always tomorrow with the promise of more chateaux.