The burned remains of Oradour-sur-Glane
A medieval market hall works well for picnicking!
Garden fountain in Mortemart
So many tasty olives...never enough time!
While we visited, there was a festival of lights. All the buildings and passageways were lit up.
After bidding Amboise au revoir. We drove south towards our next stop Sarlat.
On the way, we stopped in Mortemart for a picnic lunch. Moremart is quite a
picturesque little village with a medieval market hall in the center of town
which was the location of our lunch. Patrick brought various fruits,
vegetables, cheeses, pates, and salad. He also brought several local wines
from Chinon and Cahors for us to sample
during lunch.
Following lunch was a short bus ride to Oradour-sur-Glane. A few days after the D-Day the Nazis stationed in the town massacred its inhabitants. The French government made the town into a monument as a memorial to the victims. Seeing the burned shell of a town left untouched since the massacre was very powerful. It really conveys the aftermath of war.
Upon arrival in Sarlat, Gen and I wandered the city center to do a bit of shopping. We packed a little too light and decided to look for shirts and pants so we didn't have to do laundry every night.
Sarlat was our vacation from our vacation. The next day was the Saturday market and there were no scheduled events -- we were totally on our own. It was amazing exactly how big the market was. Every street was jammed with vendors selling everything from meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, spices, olives, aperitifs, clothing, bags, jewelry, etc. You name it, there was a vendor selling it!
Following lunch was a short bus ride to Oradour-sur-Glane. A few days after the D-Day the Nazis stationed in the town massacred its inhabitants. The French government made the town into a monument as a memorial to the victims. Seeing the burned shell of a town left untouched since the massacre was very powerful. It really conveys the aftermath of war.
Upon arrival in Sarlat, Gen and I wandered the city center to do a bit of shopping. We packed a little too light and decided to look for shirts and pants so we didn't have to do laundry every night.
Sarlat was our vacation from our vacation. The next day was the Saturday market and there were no scheduled events -- we were totally on our own. It was amazing exactly how big the market was. Every street was jammed with vendors selling everything from meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, spices, olives, aperitifs, clothing, bags, jewelry, etc. You name it, there was a vendor selling it!
We bought these cool spice holders along with several eclectic fresh spices.
The owners gave us some tips on what dishes to use them on. Mmmm! For lunch,
we visited a street vendor selling paella that they made right there. It was
delicious. Finally, we tasted some home made aperitifs of various flavors:
walnut, melon, and apricot. They were so good, we ended up taking four
bottles home. Whenever, Gen and I think about our vacation, I'll cook up
something French (with the spices) and we'll sip a walnut aperitif!
On our second day in Sarlat, the group headed out to see pre-historic cave paintings at the Grotte de Rouffignac. The cave paintings were pretty detailed when you think of how old they are. Also, apparently, the caves were excavated to allow room for the trolley that takes the tourists back -- when the pictures were painted the height of the cave was only 3 feet tall. No pictures were allowed so all I have is a scan of a postcard we bought :).
That afternoon, the group took a canoe ride down the Vizere River. It was almost idyllic, floating down the river past French Chateaus. The only problem was it was a bit too idyllic. The water level was rather low which meant you'd run aground occasionally or have to paddle like crazy to get moving. Gen and I did okay, but we did hear some cursing. Hopefully no one needed marriage counseling afterwards :).
On our second day in Sarlat, the group headed out to see pre-historic cave paintings at the Grotte de Rouffignac. The cave paintings were pretty detailed when you think of how old they are. Also, apparently, the caves were excavated to allow room for the trolley that takes the tourists back -- when the pictures were painted the height of the cave was only 3 feet tall. No pictures were allowed so all I have is a scan of a postcard we bought :).
That afternoon, the group took a canoe ride down the Vizere River. It was almost idyllic, floating down the river past French Chateaus. The only problem was it was a bit too idyllic. The water level was rather low which meant you'd run aground occasionally or have to paddle like crazy to get moving. Gen and I did okay, but we did hear some cursing. Hopefully no one needed marriage counseling afterwards :).