We woke up this morning wishing we didn't have to leave our comfortable
bed where we were nestled in the covers. But, another day, another
journey. We were out the door at 8 am, after talking with Karen and Craig and thanking them for our memorable visit. It couldn't have been better.
We decided to take the scenic route (Craig's suggestion) and stop at Oradour-sur-Glane, a tiny village in The Dordogne that was destroyed on June 10, 1944, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a German Waffen-SS company. On the orders of the French president, Charles de Gaulle, the village has been left untouched for 70 years as a permanent memorial and museum. It's heartbreaking to see it, but important. All French school children make a pilgrimage here.
The women and children were rounded up and locked inside the church where they were tear gassed and then burned to death. Those trying to escape were met with machine gun fire. One woman managed to escape. The men were ordered to stand in an area of the town and machine gunned in the legs then set on fire. The Germans then set fire to the village.
The church where the women and children were massacred and one woman escaped.
Bullet holes on this wall of the church.
A car, frozen in time.
Not everything is beautiful in France.
This is our new location for the next two days. We will begin a walk tomorrow through Medieval villages and beautiful countryside over the next week. Our first hotel overlooks the Dordogne River. We are psyched and ready to go.
In the village
View out our window
C&C
We decided to take the scenic route (Craig's suggestion) and stop at Oradour-sur-Glane, a tiny village in The Dordogne that was destroyed on June 10, 1944, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a German Waffen-SS company. On the orders of the French president, Charles de Gaulle, the village has been left untouched for 70 years as a permanent memorial and museum. It's heartbreaking to see it, but important. All French school children make a pilgrimage here.
The women and children were rounded up and locked inside the church where they were tear gassed and then burned to death. Those trying to escape were met with machine gun fire. One woman managed to escape. The men were ordered to stand in an area of the town and machine gunned in the legs then set on fire. The Germans then set fire to the village.
The church where the women and children were massacred and one woman escaped.
Bullet holes on this wall of the church.
A car, frozen in time.
Not everything is beautiful in France.
This is our new location for the next two days. We will begin a walk tomorrow through Medieval villages and beautiful countryside over the next week. Our first hotel overlooks the Dordogne River. We are psyched and ready to go.
In the village
View out our window
C&C
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