History is nothing but the past pulled into the present: Oradour-sur-Glane

For many people history is only about things that happened in a dim past, connected by dates that seem as nothing more than irrelevant numbers strung together by events long past. And then you come across a palpable, painful connection linking a thing that happened long ago with your world, with the here and now, with the present.

On June 10, 1944, in a small village in south-central France, a terrible thing happened, even in a war defined by horror and atrocity: 642 men, women and children, nearly everyone in Oradour-sur-Glane were rounded up and executed, murdered often where they stood, by a unit of the German Waffen-SS, and the village destroyed, all in reprisal, it was said, for the killing of a German soldier.

Severel days ago The New York Times reported that an 88-year-old former SS trooper, known as "Werner C.," was arrested on 25 counts of murder and as an accessory to hundreds more at Oradour. You can read the The New York Times story or the article in The Guardian. For more information about the massacre itself and its impact on France, visit Oradour.info.

We spent a very humbling, somber, overcast and grey morning in May of 2013 touring the ruined village, left as a memorial to those people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time that afternoon in June. You can revisit my blog post from last May.

Accommodations in France 2013

Le Moulin de la Fauvette
Located in the tiny village of La Fauvette, in a pastoral setting along the Glane River, just outside of  Oradour sur Glane, Le Moulin is a place to get away from your troubles and just relax.

The commons rooms were casual and friendly, what you'd expect from a bed & breakfast. Our bedroom was basic but comfortable and the bathroom was fine. The hosts were friendly, helpful and informative, and we enjoyed chatting with other visitors over a leisurely breakfast. Very reasonably priced. Easy to find, just 3kms or so from Oradour-sur-Glane.

Domaine Mournac - Antugnac
Located on a hillside just a couple of ams above Antugnac, this is one incredibly beautiful location with spectacular views of the Pyrenees to the south looking across the valley of the Aude. Our hosts, Arlett and her husband Claude were helpful, informative and eager to make our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Breakfasts were simple but delicious. Sadly the weather prevented the four of us from either eating outdoors on the the patio or going for a swim in the large pool.

Parking is plentiful, grounds immaculate, and the accommodations spacious with a large bathroom and equally large shower. Moderately priced.

Be aware of is that the hosts speak very little English.

Les Maisons des Chanoines - Turenne
Perfectly located right inside one of France's most beautiful villages (plus beau village), with comfortable accommodations and a wonderful intimate restaurant in the hotel. Can be rather expensive, and parking might be an issue.

Parissharing - 22 rue de Sevigne 75004
Working with Carsten Sprotte of Parissharing was a real pleasure; he was helpful, informative and always there when we had any questions. The apartment on rue de Sevigne was ideally located for local explorations of the Marais and surrounding neighborhoods. For traveling farther afield in Paris, it's an easy two-block walk to the Metro number 1 train at Saint-Paul, or another three blocks or so toward the Seine and catch the number 7 at Pont Marie; or a 10-minute walk from the apartment to the Place Bastille for a wide variety of Metro connections.

We thought the apartment is perfect for two people.

It's well-designed and efficiently laid out, although entertaining for a larger group is not recommended. The kitchen is sleek and very well thought out but small: a two-burner cooktop with a combination microwave-conventional oven (also small). The bathroom is incredibly spacious and the large heated towel rack and shelf was a real help in drying clothes (there is a washer); and there is plenty of storage. We thought the bed a bit uncomfortable.

There is a heating system, although we never used it. I don't know if A/C is available or not so it would be wise to ask if you're planning on visiting in July or August.

The apartment is well-soundproofed and, in typical Parisian style, there are heavy drapes over the windows to keep you in nearly totally darkness if you need it.

Internet connection was quick and easy -- the wifi is ready to go with just the addition of the household password. Ethernet connection is also available but there is no cable for that.

Phone and TV were both available but we hardly used the former and didn't use the latter at all. After all, I don't come to Paris to watch television; do you?

May 15 Oradour sur Glane, the Martyred Village

After a leisurely morning lingering over breakfast and lively conversation with guests Eric and Monty and hostess Amanda, we packed up, loaded the car, paid the bill (€54!) and headed off toward the Martyred Village. We parked the car near the entry into the village and although the overcast skies promised rain, as we strolled about the village we found only chilly temps, fitting perhaps for the feelings evoked by such a disturbing place.

For more than three hours in the afternoon of June 10, 1944, a unit of German Waffen SS soldiers rounded up groups of men, women and children in Oradour sur Glane and summarily shot them, in some cases right where they were found, and set fire to the village.

At the end of the war the French government decreed that the village would remain untouched as a stone testimonial to the banality of war.

There is a museum, as well as a bookstore below the large entryway sculpture on the other side of the village itself. The village cemetery located next to the destroyed village is also worth a visit since it lists many of the victims who were subsequently interred there in the family plots. The memorial in the cemetery, surrounded by photos of many of the victims is moving and touching in the extreme.

Strolling about should take you about an hour. For more information and details, including an excellent timeline, visit www.oradour.info.

entry to the memorial village

individual tales of a person's final moments are found everywhere

weddings, funerals, how many lives that began and ended in this space?

girl's school

the doctor's car

memorial to the dead in village cemetery

May 14-15 Oradour sur Glane

As promised, our two bags arrived safe and sound on the next flight. After we collected them off we went through the maze of Charles de Gaulle in search of the Avis rental desk, which we found easily enough in Terminal 2C (lower level if you must know).

Ten minutes later we left the lower level of the airport and found ourselves in the Avis carpark looking for a silver Opel Meriva. Bags in the back, Susie in the passenger seat with maps in hand, we pulled out of the lot and eventually found our way to the A1 south to Paris.

From there we picked up the Peripherique east to the A6 looking for the A10 in the southern suburbs of Paris. We missed that connection once, turned around -- easier than it seemed at the time -- and eventually found ourselves on the A10 in search of the A71.

It was about this time that we tried our credit card to pay the toll. I can safely say that US credit cards, even the ones with the magic chip, at least ours, will NOT work at the tolls booths on the French autoroutes. Seemingly unable to go any farther, one of the toll booth workers took pity on us and helped us work through our frustration. Please note, however, that many of the toll gates have NO one woking the booths at all. We were lucky.

Cruising down the A71 to the A20 we got off just north of Limoges at exit 28 for Oradour sur Glane, our first stop on the trip. We took backroads to the N141 west to the D9 and then up through the village of Oradour sur Glane a few kms north to our bed and breakfast, "Le Moulin de la Fauvette."

common room and dining room

Located on a rambling piece of property along the Glane River, we were greeted by hosts Amanda and Michael, a pair of Brits who have operated the B and B for five years or so. Since it was quite late by the time we arrived, after dropping our bags off we got recommendations for dinner, settling on the Auberge de Veyrac, in Veyrac just south of Oradour. So we double-backed through the village, stopping off at the post office to withdraw cash from a hand ATM and returned to the D9.

Seated in a glass-enclosed terrace overlooking the rotary (actually nicer than it sounds) we ordered an aperitif and toasted our arrival in France.

We spent a quiet evening enjoying the fact that we were in France: the food was delicious, the service pleasant (French only) and we took a leisurely drive back the the b & b. Certainly the key benefit of going right from a night flying to driving halfway down the middle of France was we established a rhythm straightaway; no jet lag, no sleeping for three hours in the middle of the day. 

guest for dinner

house red

chevre salad

mayonnaise eggs

Limousin beef avec frites

The night was dark, cool and quiet in the sleepy hamlet of Le Fauvette as we tucked ourselves in for the night.

NEXT: Oradour sur Glane, the Martyred Village

28 days to go. . . trip update!

We have our lodging in Paris and in the Langeudoc; we were only missing our two overnights to and from Limoux.

Well,we're now set for our overnight stay from Paris/CDG to Limoux to meet up with Richard and Pauline. Thanks to Susie's brother Dick -- who put the idea in our heads -- we're going to spend  our first night in France at Le Moulin de la Fauvette, a lovely little Bed and Breakfast in Oradour sur Glane, just off the A20.

And why Oradour sur Glane?

On June 10, 1944, on its way to stop the Allied advance in Normandy, a unit of the German Waffen SS destroyed the village utterly, murdering 642 men, women and children who happened to be in the village that day. After the war the village was left as it was that day as a memorial to those who perished.

You can find out more right here.