A Grotte, A Bastide, Some Cabanes and Strawberries

 This is a rather eclectic blog featuring geology, gastronomy and construction oddities. So, read on.

The Grotte de Rouffignac -- or the Cave of a Hundred Mammoths

"Why are we going to this place," Michael asked.  "I actually can't remember," I said.  "I've planned so many places I can't remember why it would be memorable but I'm sure it will be...for something."  Turned out I was right.  We got to the Grotte and were informed that we had to wait for the next tour which would be conducted on a small electric train.  Yeah!  No more walking in dark, slippery caves.  Michael was not allowed to take any pictures in the cave so we'll have to get by with a shot of the entrance and my attempts at description.  To see just a few of the cave drawings you can link to:  http://www.grottederouffignac.fr/index.php/fr/visite-guidee

The images in the cave date back to the Upper Paleolithic Period 13,000 years ago.  One would assume that the cave was used as a dwelling (well, it was for bears) but humans, it is believed, used it as a sacred site.  This makes sense because the cave is 8 kilometers deep and dragging dead animals and firewood etc. down to where the illustrations are would have been impractical -- not to mention exhausting.  Within the cave there are 158 drawings of Mammoths.  This is rare because in most cave drawings horses and bison are depicted.  It is also unusual because very few Mammoth bones have been found in the area.  But, if you think about it, there is more interest usually in portraying the unusual than the common place. In addition to already mentioned beasts, the walls and ceilings held depictions of ibex and even a rhinoceros. I never realized rhinos lived in France but hey, live and learn.  Another fun fact.  When bears hibernate their claws grow dull.  They used the walls to sharpen them leaving significant indentations.  They were big suckers.

You might ask why we didn't go to Lascaux -- the most famous prehistoric cave.   The answer is we did that 20 years ago with our sons.  At the end of the tour one son said,"I would have gotten more out of that if the guide spoke English."  I told him the guide WAS speaking English but his accent was so heavy it sounded almost exactly like French.  Same at this cave when the French speaking guide would take pity on us and speak "sort of"English.  He was sweet though. 

The entrance to the Grotte...

and the outline of a Mastodon outside the entrance to portend what lies within.

Domme - A Bastide Town and Delicious 

A bastide is a town built for defense. Unlike the Castle/Forts it is usually just a town.  It is usually built on a hill and laid out to maximize the defensive posture.  Domme is not only a bastide town but also has a large cave under the town which, I guess, offered redundancy.  Once we arrived in Domme we looked at each other and said, "Another cave, really?  Let's just go have a long, leisurely lunch."  Agreed.  Now we almost never post photos of food.  However... this was the best meal we had in France.  And that is saying something.  We just wandered into this restaurant where two typically French post middle aged women were wearing the floral apron things they love and they scooted us over to a table and lavished magnificent food upon us.  After indulging excessively we waddled up the hill to the Belvedere to take in the wandering Dordogne River and surroundings. 

Domme was an old walled town...

with a large chateau...

and (as we saw in other medieval towns) a sundial mounted on the wall.

This old door with its numbered location caught our eye as we strolled through Domme.

Not only was the food delicious...

but its presentation was equally impressive,...

especially the dessert.

The views of the French countryside from the belvedere were amazing.

The French may not have been masked, but this sanglier (wild boar) was as we passed this shop.

The Cabanes de Breuil

Throughout southern Europe there are these strange little stone cabins often called bories.  They are round, small, constructed entirely of stone using no mortar.  They were often used for shepherds, or workers who may have needed shelter from the elements.  Today, many have been added on to and converted into houses in Southern Italy or, in their original form used as storage sheds or chicken coops etc.  We decided to go and visit an unusual cluster of the Cabanes located near our gite.

The date of their initial construction is not clear but the attendant said they believe they were first built in the 1200's and rebuilt over and over during the ensuing centuries.  In the 1400's the Benedictine Monks acquired them from the Bishop of Sarlat.  After that, things become very vague.  Today they are owned by a family which runs a farm (sheep, chickens and grain I think) on which the cabanes are found.  As you can tell from our previous posts the #1 concern in this area over the centuries was defense.  The Cabanes are the only significant medieval habitation known to NOT have any defensive methods.  Maybe the monks didn't think it was necessary.  Anyway, they are interesting so we thought you might like to see some shots.

When we first entered the area we encountered a lot of old farm equipment...

like this harrow

this old tractor...

this device to dig up potatoes...

and this device which according to the sign was used to cut up beets to feed to the pigs.

After the old farm implements, we finally got our first site of the cabanes.

Rather than being a small cabane, the cabanes pictured in these two photos formed a whole house.

Deirdre is standing in front of one of the more traditional smaller cabanes...

with the domed roof where the rocks are laid so precisely that no mortar is required. The wood is not designed to support the roof, but rather to allow things to be hung from the wooden bars.

This photo  shows a cabane that has not yet had the roof added, to show how precisely the stones are stacked one atop the other.

This cabane with the arches was once a Church used by the Benedictine monks.

This cabane displayed old farming & household tools...

including wooden clogs. Note the date on the fireplace mantle.

The moss growing on this cabane has given it a green roof.

The rocks were used here to create a tunnel.

This was a working farm with these sheep laying together in the meadow.

This area was reserved for those who wished to try their skill at making their own miniature cabane.

I found this little wood cabin with its sign in French: "Ailleurs dans le monde", which translates to "Elsewhere in the world", very intriguing.

The Amazing Strawberry Festival of Beaulieu Sur Dordogne

We were in this absolutely beautiful village 20 years ago and when I looked it up to schedule a revisit I stumbled upon the Annual Strawberry Festival which would take place on the second Sunday of May.  We would be there then.  Hurrah!  We drove to get there early and already people were directed to parking lots out of town and ferried in by van.  Let me clarify that this town is in the middle of nowhere.  Clearly, this was something to achieve this kind of draw.  

It is fair to say that I have never seen so many strawberries in my life -- and I am very old.  The town square was bustling with booths selling every possible thing one could make with a strawberry.  In the center were a group of dancers, clad in peasant clothing and clogs, merrily clogging away.  We watched for a while and then ambled down the street.  When we got to a second square the main event was front and center.  A very large tent dominated the square and, within, dwelled a 75 foot (approx.) strawberry tart which, in the past, has garnered the Guinness World Record for strawberry tarts -- or so it is said.  Fans can observe it all day and then at 4PM they carve it up and participants can have at it.  Adjacent to the tart, we heard Country and Western music which was a little jarring.  We moseyed over and there, before our unbelieving eyes were about 20 French folk dressed in boots and cowboy hats and gear line dancing their hearts out.  They did it all day.  Where they found 20 (or more) devotees of Texas line dancing in very rural France is anybody's guess but there they were.

The crowds were growing so we decided to go down to the River and relax a bit on the banks.  Michael will provide photos.  We looked in vain for the very fun hostel we had stayed at with the boys on our 20 year ago trip but it had disappeared.  Such is life.  After a long day, we went home laden with an assortment of some of the best strawberries ever to pass our palates. 

Even though we arrived early, there were already large crowds gathered for the fête.

As Deirdre mentioned, one of the first things we encountered were these French country dancers.

These musicians were providing the tunes for the dancers.

This stand was providing all things strawberry, from eclairs to tartes to pies, etc.

We also encountered this very tall gentleman who willingly posed for his photo.

This incongruous site was the next thing we encountered. We thought we were back in Texas.

We finally reached the world record strawberry tarte still being prepared...

it seemingly went on forever.

We also never knew there were so many varieties of strawberries....

each with their own unique name.

There were even hanging strawberry plants for sale.

There was also additional musical entertainment. Although I never knew the bagpipe was a French tradition.

The ornately carved entrance caught our eye as we wandered through the town in search of the hostel we had stayed at many years ago.

We recognized this area where we had picnicked many years ago near the hostel, but alas the hostel was no more.

I had tried to convince Deirdre to get a macquillage treatment being offered during the festival, but she declined. Instead I found this charming girl whose parents acquiesced to having her picture taken.

Who knew the Fête des Fraises included a car show as well...

including this "Back to the Future" Delorean.

I speculated that this might have been the hostel building where we stayed, but Deirdre was not so sure.

We took a boat ride on a gabarre, from which these photos were shot of the church,...

the surrounding countryside....

and the river.

On our way back through town to take the shuttle back to the parking lot, we encountered this building with the carved stone figures...

and the statue of the Virgin and child.

I know.  You are starting to wonder if this trip will ever end.  I can't remember EVER having a trip that was so photo worthy.   So we will slog on and, if you tire, tuck them away and read them on a snowy/rainy or otherwise inclement day when you need a dose of France in spring.  Next up:  Le Jardin D'Eau, Le Bugge Market, Kayaking on the Vezere and the Chateau de Losse.  Until then, take care and enjoy the summer!