30 April 2015 - Visit to Oradour-sur-Glane: a martyr village

The day started sunny and bright.  Tim and I went for a walk down the forest path and over the little ford, which is actually the Charante River – one of the main rivers in France – but not much wider than a couple of metres here in Videix!  We continued up the path and turned left a few times and in the end walked a nice circuit for about an hour.  Lovely!

Perhaps they'll end up as pate...

Morning songster!

Love this old ladder leading up unto the barn

Local chickens!

The brown cow (well actually bull as it had a ring through its nose) is a Limousin - specialty of this region

Back for school and breakfast which all sort of mingled into one as I struck while the iron was hot so to speak and launched into schoolwork whilst Luke was focussed.  He worked pretty well but we skipped the optional project of making a worm farm!! Not whilst we are travelling, thanks!!!

Luke and Sasha building - so sweet

You never know what you'll find in the old barn

After lunch, and probably too much Roquefort and Brie cheese, we decided to car shuffle to Oradour-sur-Glane, an open air memorial/museum of a “martyr village.” On June 10, 1944  the Nazis shot  the men of the village in the legs, doused them with petrol and burned down the barn they were in.  The women and children were rounded up into the church and it was set alight.  Anyone who tried to escape was machine gunned down.  They burned down the entire village as a pay back for one German soldier being shot close by. 

Cafe front remains

Remains of houses - like a movie set

Haunting

Many cars laying just where they'd been parked for the night.

On arrival, one notices the new village/town of Oradour-sur-Glane built after WW2 and over the road, the haunting remains of the “Martyr Village”.  It was like walking through a film set of a war movie, after the destruction had happened.  The street wires were still there, with cracked glass pieces, old burnt out cars, bikes and even babies’ prams and a number of singer sewing machines.  It was harrowing.  The church’s huge bronze bell, green with age, had melted and re-set with its pendulum set in its new place.  The memorial accounted for 642 people dying on that night.  There were a few survivors: 6 men and a woman.  A few killed weren't even villagers but just happened to be cycling through the village at the wrong time.

It was 1944, and Singer sewing machines were an essential in every home

Another sewing machine

Big old cars, indicated a bit of wealth in the area.

Several of the Waffen-SS officers were eventually brought to trial and convicted as war criminals but quite a few of the guilty seemingly "got away with murder" for various reasons. Others were convicted but died in fighting not long after. Rommel, himself, was disappointed with the officers who carried out this atrocity which was way more than "an eye for an eye". Oradour-sur-Glane was featured in the Laurence Olivier's narrated series "The World at War" which I intend to watch when I have time.  I remember watching the series with my dad who has always been fascinated by WW2.

It was good to have gone but also confronting reminding us all of the horror of war and the scars it leaves.  The memorial museum there has some interesting displays of objects found after the fire: glasses melted, old fob watches and a clock face stuck at 1:22.

Map of our region

The car shuffle back home meant it would be late by the time we were all home.  I was most thankful to Garry and Alex for cooking dinner. While we waited for Karl to come back Annika and I walked to the supermarket for supplies.   It was a bit of fun and good to have some girls' time and giggles! We called in on the boulangerie for some baguettes and other goodies.  We found our way back along the main street.

Supermarket cheese selection - vast!

Supermarket specials: tongue!

Brains!

We amused ourselves while we waited!  Neither of us had a watch but as the church bell chimed 7 we knew Karl would be only 5 minutes' away and he was! ... and then the rain really fell!  Just in time.

Annika, the French girl!

New scarf, waiting for a lift with Annika! Mucking around!

 As we passed a little old woman trying to shut her shutters from inside, I offered to help her and she was grateful! I remarked to Annika that it was likely that she had lived in the shadow of the massacre and may have known many who were killed.  Sombre thought.

Little French bird!

On our way back, we spotted some otter like rodents swimming on a pond close by.  Funnily enough, Rod, our host, had just mentioned today about these European rodents, coypu, and there they were!!  We’ll go back and try to see them.

Coypu family by the pond

After dinner, we sat around, helping kids with homework, munching cheese and sipping local wine! France! Ah!