June 30: The Beautiful Dordogne Area

We wander the lovely red village of Collonges-la-Rouge for a bit wandering the slightly touristy shops looking at the walnut, mushroom and fois gras products then drive to the neighbouring village of Turenne. It's hot. Our picnic under the shade of a tree is wonderful and the walk to the top of the hilltop village is great.

We take another winding narrow path to find our way to our destination for the night. Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is again a lovely spot. We take a look at the town after checking into a regular campsite for the night. The girls are pretty stoked with the pool and kids play areas. Tonight is the first we take advantage of our babysitting option and after dinner Tony and Clare take in the views of the village and setting sun reflected on the river Dordogne. Magic moments watching fish feeding off insects in the water filled in pastel colours from the sunset. Dessert out goes down well with a sample of local liqueurs.

June 29: Sombre Sunday starting at Oradour-sur-Glane

We drive directly to the memorial museum for the victims of Oradore-sur-Glane. Such a sad sad place. Here, a little over 70 years ago on the 10th of June 1944, 200 SS troups drove into the village and for no obvious reason gathered every member of the village in the village square. They took all women and chidren into the church and split up the men into groups in various venues. They then shot all of the men and set fire to the church killing all women and children. Only five men and one woman escaped. The village has since been left untouched as a memorial to the 642 individuals who lost their lives. Rusty cars, chairs and stoves are all that remain. It's a sombre scene. Incredibly surreal and deeply moving. So sad to think that atrocities still happen to this very day in our world.

The museum was good in terms of giving an overview of the rise of Nazism and providing a little detail of the events leading up to this point in the war. Millie was curious to understand some of how these sorts of things could happen.

The museum are working to put together a photograph album of all victims. At least a quarter don't even have a photo at the moment.

After this sombre scene we ate lunch then drove further south toward the Dordogne region. We stopped at Uzerche, a gorgeous old village built on rock towering over the Vezere River. The experience was all the more special for meeting up with a French man who had no English but responded to our enquiry about directions to the church by offering to take us there himself, tolerating Clare's primative grasp of the French language as we walked up the hill. Lots of fun and we got to see some lovely things.

After a cuppa in the vans we drove on to Collones-la-Rouge to take an early dinner. Today storms and summer rain broke up the day frequently but blue skies and fluffy white clouds lulled us to sleep for the night.

June 28: Castles and Drive

We head to the gorgeous nearby chateau of Villandry. It is beautiful and the gardens are phenomenal. We all enjoy a few hours here wandering inside and out then visit the town boulangerie before taking lunch in our vans. The rest of the afternoon is taken with the drive south stopping only briefly for a few groceries along the way.

We stop at a free aire for the night at Oradour-sur-Glane, a town with a sad history that we take a look at tomorrow.