It is softly raining on our drive south to Sarlat, in the Dordogne region of France, but that doesn't dampen our spirits. In fact, we are en route to our first stop: a countryside picnic unlike one I have ever experienced. Patrick, a master of fine living, has gone shopping and will soon surprise us with a spread that would make Yogi Bear jealous. And, given the weather, could our setting be more appropriate... or cute?
Some of us sight-see while others, including myself, help prepare our lunch.
As a token of appreciation, Patrick lets us eat first. Mangez!
As a token of appreciation, Patrick lets us eat first. Mangez!
Our next stop is a solemn visit to the martyr village of Oradur-sur-Glane. Here, on June 10, 1944, Nazi troops, without warning, massacred nearly the entire town. Men were machine-gunned down. Women and children were taken to the church and burned alive; those who tried to escape were shot. The entire town was then burned to the ground. Over 600 people perished that day.
Today, the town remains frozen in time exactly as it was after that fateful day. Markers on each of the ruins list the name and type of business associated with each building, as well as how its occupants met their demise. Street-car tracks trek through the small town.
May history never repeat itself in this way again... For now, all we can do, as the signs asks us, is "remember..."
Today, the town remains frozen in time exactly as it was after that fateful day. Markers on each of the ruins list the name and type of business associated with each building, as well as how its occupants met their demise. Street-car tracks trek through the small town.
May history never repeat itself in this way again... For now, all we can do, as the signs asks us, is "remember..."
"Oradur was not a crime due to madness but the logic of a system. We must remember this not to see it again, we must live and build a world in which crime will be folly again, and reason will be peace." - Claude Roy (1949)
Bienvenue à Sarlat and the Hotel Montagne!
Over the past week, we have been getting to know each other. We have all been assigned a "buddy," and today is our chance to share three interesting facts about them with the tour group over a glass of kir, a local French cocktail of blackcurrant liqueur topped with white wine. It is a fun way to settle in!
The "buddy system" is also an effective way to eliminate the time and hastle of a roll-call everyday. We simply make sure our buddy is aboard the bus, and off we go!
It is only a picturesque five-minute walk into town and dinner, where we feast on Sarlat's specialty: duck! Duck and foie gras are abundant here (you can even tour geese farms nearby); every block has at least one store that sells it. Consider it the Starbucks of Sarlat.
"Santé!"
Of all our dinners together as a tour, I enjoyed this one to most. We sat with our bus driver, Phillipe, and talked, laughed, shared stories and enjoyed ourselves. The food was heavenly as well: garlic soup; salad with gizzard and proscuitto; grilled duck in mushroom sauce with greens and potatoes roasted in duck fat; and walnut cake in English cream with regular and raspberry whipped cream. Patrick also treated us to some samplings of foie gras. |
After dinner, Patrick takes us on a moonlit orientation tour of Sarlat. Medieval in architecture, its mighty buildings are hidden in shadows in between the lamps that guide your way. The town is very pedestrian-friendly, where cute cobblestone alleys criss-cross in every direction, making it perfect for a stroll. It's okay to explore and get lost; Sarlat is not very big.
Tonight, a friendly resident and businessman lets us use his computer (to tell our friends we're never coming home). He runs a little shop that showcases his artwork and photography from all over the world. After browsing, I step outside, where in the distance I hear laughter and clinking glasses from the main square nearby. But we are in a tucked-away square of our own, seemingly in a world of our own, with its own little fountain nearby. A little boy of about two enjoys running around the fountain while his mother laughs and watches. Right now, this is how I feel... a little boy enjoying his castle.