A Tribute to the families of Oradour-Sur-Glane, France.

This is the story of a terrible day on June 10, 1944, when a Nazi SS Division (Das Reich) surrounded the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France then ordered everyone to assemble on the green (the Fairgrounds).

Once there, they were told by the Nazi commandant they were suspected of hiding explosives and as a result there would be a search and a check of identity papers.

The Nazis then separated the women and children from the men and herded them into the church, for their own safety. The men were split up and put into various buildings. Then, in the church a gas bomb was set off but that failed to kill all, so the women and children were shot at. The church was then set on fire burning any of the women and children who were still alive.  The men were shot in the legs and the buildings set on fire. Afterwards, the entire village was set to fire. A total of 642 townspeople including those who had been rounded up south of the village -- 245 women, 207 children, and 190 men were massacred.

Three days after the massacre, a Catholic Bishop found the charred bodies of fifteen children in a heap behind the burned out altar inside the church.

The village of Oradour-sur-Glane was never rebuilt, forever standing as a silent monument to Nazi atrocities. 

The above cannot adequately describe what happened that day, so  please click on the link below for the best detailed account by both sides; by the only woman who survived; by others who had an after-the-fact interest especially the Story by Robert Mackness.

           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brian, I and our new friends, Ray and Judy, spent a June day at the visitors center learning of the history leading up to that day, the atrocities of that day and then quietly wandered the village, gradually absorbing the enormity of the tragic day when an entire village, of families going about everyday activities, was decimated.  It is an extremely emotional, well preserved piece of history which haunted us all for days. Ray and I photographed the ruins of the village, which are included in the slideshow. 

 The Story:

 http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Oradour-sur-Glane/Story/index.html


 Our Photos:
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a4d344e44557a4e54513d0d0a&blogview=true
  

La Vie Rurale (Rural Life)

Up and down weather kept us from completing more tasks but we seem to have accomplished a great deal in the last month.
Michelle finished the pointing  - a beautiful job - and then I helped her paint the living room

 

 which allowed us to finally place the furniture where we wanted, well... sort of, for now anyway...

Brian attacked Grange (barn) #2.   
 First, he removed the wood above the doors and replaced it with newly stained boards. Then he built the doors using, whenever possible, the old cast iron hardware.

 What a difference!  The next step is to have the concrete block rendered by Michelle then we will paint it. I have to say the birds don't seem to care about its appearance - they are only interested in flying in and out of their houses with food for their young. This is the second set of offspring we have heard cheep-cheep-cheeping when hungry. Kids eh!

After the cuisinière was installed the kitchen cabinets were off center so Trevor repositioned them. This also entailed electrical and plumbing work because of the dishwater and sink, he then returned to install the extractor/fan hood/hotte décoratif. He had to cut through the 30cm (12 inches) thick stone wall to vent it outside.

TREVOR MAKING A HOLE IN WALL

HOLE IN THE WALL*

This was one of those unusual 'Perfect Timing' jobs as Michelle was here at the same time and she immediately pointed around the outside vent. 
Trevor also inserted a small heating device under the kitchen sink and now we have instant hot water.
Dishwashers and washing machines here heat their own water and therefore are only plumbed for cold.

* In Britain an ATM/Cash Machine is nicknamed the Hole in the Wall.

Sundays are vide grenier (emptying the attic) days; weather permitting. Unlike the US and Canada one may not have a garage sale anytime one wants. Oh no... one is not allowed. 
So, each village, each year is assigned one date to have a brocante. Some larger towns and cities have many dates. The vendors are usually a combination of locals and merchants who travel from one brocante to another setring up stalls in a dedicated area of town or out of town. We went to one last month about 40km distance, supposedly in Brie. There usually aren't addresses listed in the schedule book as the location is obvious by the parked cars along the roads. We drove into town, thru town and out of town without spotting any activity. We took a different direction into the countryside and in about 1 km found a car turning around. There was also a car following us. We converged at the intersection and through pigeon french we determined we were all looking for the vide grenier. Eventually, 5km from Brie and closer to another village we found the huge parking area. Now, why would it not be better sign posted ????

This is the most recent one we attended. It was close by on Château de Javarza's grassy grounds. There were 280 stalls selling everything from antiques to the usual fare of toys, furniture, clothes and jewelry, etc. plus one green, ceramic, salad bowl just begging me to take it home. Most sellers were French and more than a few Anglais were milling around looking for bargains. We were only 10km away  from home but didn't bump into anyone familiar, however, we have been as far away as 30km and met up with acquaintances.

Each morning, up until a week or so, Brian was enjoying our strawberries on his cereal....not now....an unknown critter is beating him to it and leaving only the husks.

                 Could it be this young, long legged hare??

We don't think so as our vegetable plot is still intact with its lettuce towers - Ooops, should have harvested them a long time ago but they were bitter. I have since learned that 2 days of refrigeration will 'un'bitter them.

I started six large cherry tomato seeds. Five survived and then we were given eight pomodora plants and three unknown volunteer plants popped up and all are thriving in the garden. We will have plenty tomatoes to eat and to make sauce. 

This year the weather has not been as advertised. Our area is purported to receive 300 days of sunshine but it seems half way through the year we have been shorted by 100. But, when the sun is shining and the white puffy clouds with the flat bottoms are floating by, well it is magic. The nights are light for so long it almost seems as if it never becomes dark.


 Our flowers are amazing: varieties and color changing week by week.
The roses are blooming and the hollyhock is as high as an elephant's eye!

             We had no idea poppies had so many faces!

                                                       Stunning varieties  our garden

Our Little Wood Shed in Bloom

From the photos you would think we never leave our property!  Actually, that is almost true.








We had the pleasure of being invited by Penny and Robin to a picnic with music. This is an annual event held on the open grounds of several families. That day the weather was perfect having had dull, windy days on either side, it was quite fortunate! About 100 people brought their own food, tables and chairs and drinks.  Two steel drum bbq's were available to cook your own meat. 




                                      And a picnic just wouldn't 
               be complete without some fowl


The band was from the UK and      
 played country/blues.

It was a very enjoyable. warm, relaxed afternoon.

Judy and Ray arrived at their holiday home on Friday. We attended a village event with them last night but I will leave that story and our upcoming excursions til next time.

Happy Summer-ing!

What a wet end of April we have had. The month started out lovely with warm, dry sunny days but turned to a partial revival of 40 days and 40 nights stretching into May.

 It was quite miserable and disheartening during the rainy days but in every cloud there is a silver lining and ours turned into a tranquil lake across the lane. 

We know the wild life was not deterred by the showers as we could hear the pheasants Awk Awk-Yak in the field next to us. Also, Brian and Angus came across quite a few on their early morning walks, startling the heck out of each other. The doves are very vocal, morning to night and we often hear cuckoos singing KU- coo... they apparently have not all been made into Swiss clocks.

This is an Hoopoe which is a little smaller than the collared dove but much more attractive. They breed in central and southern Europe and winter in southern Europe and Africa. We had a few visits to our lawn where they pierced the ground with their long beaks in search of insects, but I couldn't get a decent photo. The males and females are identical and so exotic for a non tropical locale.

The side and back of our house were in need of pointing. Pointing is the art of removing the grout by chiseling it then brushing it out. The new mortar is spread into spaces between the stones and onto the stone themselves, then brushed off. The lime in the mix bleaches the stones making everything look newer. This process is necessary to maintain the integrity of the building and help to insulate the stone walls. Michelle, the artisan,  has been here longer than she had anticipated due to the bad weather and May holidays - more about those later. These are the photos of before and after of the side. The before pic looks a bit warped as I took four photos and stitched them together plus the stone looks a bit more yellow than it is. Nonetheless, the end result is very good.
Click to enlarge the photos

BEFORE
 

AFTER

                                  Michelle working on the side

Michelle working on the back

of the house   

 

 At the beginning of April we were invited by Penny and Robin, whom we had met in March, to lunch at their home in the next village. The food was wonderful - four courses  - the conversation fresh and interesting.


We purchased 2 lights for the kitchen and successfully - First Time Try - installed them all by ourselves - Yea! A major accomplishment for us. Brian repaired and stained some of the outbuilding doors making them darker with more contrast to the stone.


Once the days warmed Brian was finally able to mow the grass and I weeded, hesitant to pull anything which was unfamiliar. As the weeks have gone by it has been a treat watching the flowers which grow in the lawn change from just daisies and dandelions to include buttercups, tiny pink, blue and purple faced blossoms and now clover, white and purple, is flourishing. We have so many bushes, trees and plants it is almost a full time job looking after them but the gardens are starting to shape up and new plants seem to appear every day.


In the middle of April, on their first visit to France for the year, holiday home neighbors Judy and Ray dropped by one day to introduced themselves and invite us to aperitifs. We sat in their front lawn admiring the buds, drinking wine and soaking up the sunshine. They left a few days later, regrettably for us, taking the sunshine with them.

After the rains, the weeds are rampant but again I am careful to leave the unknown. I don't know the official definition of a weed but in our garden it is a plant which is intrusive and is of no interest to the bees. 

Not pulling everything has paid off in the form of strawberry plants, poppies, numerous perennials and wild flowers aka flowering weeds which help keep the obnoxious ones at bay. Snails are ever present munching the plant leaves and we have been told  the old folks of the village can be seen on their morning collections with buckets in hand. The snails are then 'cleansed' for two weeks feeding on herbs and lettuce to void any toxins, then may be enjoyed as Escargot de Bourgogne, a parsley, garlic and butter sauce. 

Our first harvest was rhubarbe picked this past Friday. One hour later Brian had made a rhubarbe crumble topped with crème fraîche which we and Michelle enjoyed in the warmth of the afternoon . Michelle took the rest home to cook for her family. Today Brian picked more and baked a rhubarb bread pudding topped with richer crème fraîche - it was soooo good.

       Tres yummy!                                          Brian and Angus w/BBQ

Brian had ordered a BBQ/Smoker. After it arrived and he had assembled it, he deemed it to be a piece of Chinese built merde and so he sent it back. He has subsequently purchased a BBQ which he hopes he can adapt to a smoker. If it is raining (rain? here?) the barn provides an adequate weatherproofed space to fire up the barbie.

We met Linda and Rod, owners of the gite where we stayed for four months, their daughter and a gite guest at the annual Château de Verteuil Exposition Florale with its copious, colorful plants for sale in the château parc. 

It was a cloudy, windy day with moments of sunshine. 

11th Century

We had agreed to meet after the show at a local restaurant, La Porte Bleue, but as we congregated the rain began sweeping sideways with the a grande finale of plummeting hail. We decided to forgo lunch as there were no inside seats available so Brian and Linda set off for the cars. We left but the rest stayed and were able to be seated at the bar. Maybe next time.

National holidays in France are usually celebrated on the date of the holiday not the Monday or Friday closest to the date. Businesses are closed so shopping has to be planned around these days.  There are many holidays in Mai . May 1st is La Fête du Travail or as we know it LaboUr Day. Traditions live a long time here -  On May 1, 1561, King Charles IX  received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on May 1. As is custom now, the day before, the supermarché cashiers handed out lily of the valley stems to each customer. Brian brought one home for me - sweet.

Next was the 8th which celebrated Victoire 1945,  Victory in Europe Day. On this day most villages put on a 'repas'  (a meal). We received a flyer with all the information - times, menu, cost. About a week before the 8th Coco, a village employee, visited each house to collect the fee of €22 ($28) each. 

We arrived at noon and were bonjour-ed by everyone and double cheek kissed by some. Penny and Robin sat across from us and another English couple and their french neighbors were next to me. 

After hors d'oeuvres and a glass of kir, geiser (gizzard) salad was served.

Robin enjoying his salad.

There was glass of a sparkling drink, possibly mango tasting,  served after the salad.

 The main course was quail stuffed with raisins and mushrooms.

It, and the accompanying roasted vegetables were delicious.

  Rosé and red wines plus soft drinks were always available on the tables.  We then had - Trou du milieu (literal translation 'hole in the middle') lime zest sorbet with vodka poured into the dish - wow what a taste sensation. A choice of two cheeses and a strawberry dessert with champagne, coffee and cognac completed the five + hour 'repas'. 

The young lady who entertained during the afternoon with typical french songs had the old timers joining in and clapping their hands. 

  

Just a little said Penny to Coco - I am going to be flying this plane soon.               

A very good time was had by all and we met some of our neighbors. 

This year the next national holiday is Mai 17th, Ascension Day observed 40 days after Easter. Since it falls on Thursday many people will take the Friday off as well.

Then Sunday the 27th is Pentecôte (Whit Sunday) and businesses will be closed on Monday.

Many of the holidays are extended by the schools so the children are off many more days than just the four national ones. 

The brown fields have faint lines showing a slight green pattern, others with weaving seas of green wheat and barley.

The rapeseed/canola 'colza' that was so small in October survived the snow and rain is in full bloom throughout our and other regions.  It will be cut in September with the oil mainly turned into clean burning bio diesel.  Many of the country verges are colored by stray yellow blooms contrasting well with the purple wild flowers.

A vast expanse of yellow......

For the past month and more I have been planting and nurturing vegetable seeds. Some I purchased and some Michelle gave to me from her vast collection. Some days I felt like a kid at the beginning of December, impatiently waiting for Christmas day to arrive... Seeds do not give you instant gratification.

The most gratifying is the edamame (soy) Michelle bought on the Internet - it germinated within days.

All things being equal and the creek don't rise, we will enjoy the fruits and vegetables of our labors. Pesticide free.

 This is our new life. And, so far, we love it!

Our Bloomers

Springtime (printemps) has come at last to our garden. Each day we find something new and or unexpected - like baby rhubarb pods.  We have many different bees pollinating but the one which caught my fancy was what I can the 'humming bee'.  It has beautiful golden auburn fur  and hovers just as a humming bird would. We hope to plant our vegetables soon but as the weather is still unpredictable we'll wait and take our queue from the French gardeners.
Click on the link to view a slideshow of our garden flowers.
We hope you enjoy the the pictures  of the blooms as much as we enjoy having them in our garden.


http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a41344e7a45784d54553d0d0a&blogview=true

We are slowly making our house our home. As we had been living in other people's places for 7 months it didn't feel real at first . It has taken awhile to settle in. When we built our house in Florida I had 9 months to plan where all our belongings were going to be stored and I knew exactly where everything was going to be placed. Packing in Florida for an unknown house in France was most difficult and it has become challenging to find the correct location for those items we treasure, those we we wished had left behind, and those we bought here. What? we bought more stuff! Why do we all have too much stuff??? 
 Slowly, the kitchen is developing into a homey place where Brian enjoying cooking wonderful meals. Next week his new Cuisinière arrives. A new toy!

We survived ten days without flush toilets and hot water but the Great Thaw caused only one pipe to break, which was fixed within a couple of hours as Trevor had been on call for us. That first hot, steamy shower was magnifique  (sorry, no pictures available). 

 Don't forget - click on the photos to enlarge

Janvier through février is the time for sales and we bought some winter-y and spring-y clothes at great discounts. I picked up the wrong size of a second pair of slacks  and when I tried to exchange them a day later I was told that since they had been on sale - no exchange!  I didn't want to return them, just do an exchange. Non, pas possible. Just another example of non existent customer care but this next story takes the cake. I bought an expensive pair of secateurs (clippers) only to discover that they didn't work properly so we* returned to the store with them and a long piece of rose stalk so demonstrate how ineffective they were. The assistant seemed to think they worked just fine and advised to us that since I had used them I could not return them. I replied that of course I had used them, how else would I know they didn't work if I had not used them? Gallic shrug and phfft.  Too bad nothing can be done. C'est la vie.
*(my interpreter husband who understands and speaks french much better than I)

We had sea grass flooring installed on our landing. The installer had to put down a leveling agent: goopy, soupy stuff which dripped to downstairs through the crevices making streaks on the stone walls and seeping through the wood floor, running down the beams and dripping onto the floor. It was quite the mess but easy to clean up with lots and lots and lots of
                                                                                   soap and water. 

                                   

We had discussed refinishing the wood but we are pleased with our choice which was an easy one  as the store only carried one good sea grass. Life without anguish.                                    

Spring has sprung

The grass is riz

I wonder where the birdies is...

In anticipation of spring Brian has been charging the 'tondeuse' battery, sharpening the blades and cleaning the body. At first he thought it would need a carburetor but he discovered a small hole in the fuel line which he replaced along with the fuel filter and afterwards he took it for a spin - Boys and their Toys eh!

A host of yellow and white daffodils....

 I happened upon a swarm of bees while gardening and as I watched them a long forgotten scent drifted up and it was violet. 
Quelle belle surprise!

The birds are actively flirting, carefully choosing mates and building materials to begin the spring ritual of nesting. Some small birds are going to nest in between the stones on our walls and with great anticipation we will await the arrival of the wee ones.

Brian's cuisinière arrived swaddled in wood, plastic and foam in a cardboard box standing on a pallet. Trevor had to cut one cabinet in half to fit it in, then he rewired and hooked it up so cooking could continue BUT we are not finished as the cabinets will have to been moved to center the stove on a wall and then an extractor installed.

Spacey LOOKING!!!

In one of the nearby villages we drive through, we noticed a restaurant and so stopped by one day only to discover it was out of business.  One Tuesday night during french lessons at Mike and Helen's I asked if anyone had eaten at that restaurant before it had closed and, I had wondered, why a Chinese family would settle in rural France. No one knew what I was talking about until I mentioned the name.

Laughter ensued. In France a canton is an electoral area not necessarily a Chinese restaurant. Oh well!


Trevor is now working on installing the soundproofing in the living room and then he'll do the dining room.

Before

Trevor  working on it

Finsihed!

We've had some glorious spring days but it has cooled off again. I think I took the geraniums out of the barn and planted them a bit too early as Jack Frost was lurking around the corner and probably killed them. Oops! I'll know better next year.  In the house I am incubating tomato and parsley seeds.  In the hopes we will have better rewards than we have had in the past with vegetables, we bought different kinds of seeds to plant into the composted garden. We bought a compost bin and feed it with kitchen waste and added  mature compost. Thank goodness for the Internet as so many 'green' things we are doing are new to us and it is loaded with good information. I am hoping learn from the lady who plants the allotment next door as she has a massive area and obviously knows how to grow food.  

For my birthday we drove about 30km/20 miles to Niort for a tasty lunch. We could have had a Subway, the first one we have seen, but passed on it for not so healthful choices served amongst linens and well trained staff.
On the drive up we faced a weather system which looked suspiciously like a scene from the Wizard of Oz.....however, as we drove through it only big raindrops splatted down on the windshield and no tornadoes sight. Whew!

He/she is certainly heading in the correct direction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And as the weather improves, again, we'll be in the garden enjoying all that nature has to offer in our own little piece of paradise.

                                       'Til next time....keep smiling!