Wow, our time here went by fast. We leave for Paris in the morning.
We decided to head to the nearby village of Domme today. It had a lot of things going for it - it is near by (short drive) and our guidebook made it sound interesting. I got to sleep 'till 8:00 today since Dan got up with Julia and Sara. I joined them for breakfast when I climbed down the spiral staircase from upstairs to downstairs.
Julia put her arms up for a hug while still seated in her high chair. I gave her a good morning hug. Sara was interested in the iPad, but say 'Hi Mom' - we normally don't allow electronics at the table, but no one is perfect. ;)
It started as an overcast day, but grew to be sunny and nicely warm. I'm still wearing shorts but Sara and Julia are wearing pants and long sleeves these days. It keeps them cozy and I don't have to work so hard to keep sunscreen on them!
Domme was a perfect decision for our last day in this area. It had a fortified gate to drive through - like we were driving into a town that used to have a "wall" around it. (It reminded me a little of York, England). Dan drove through the gate and up, up, up, to a parking lot. We didn't know it, but we were right by the panorama that has the best view in town. A great way to start our exploration of the town. The view was wonderful - the river went right through it and then the valley was all a checkerboard of green fields. The view is far up - overlooking everything. Even the girls enjoyed it.
Then we got a town map and wandered around. (Well, we went to a bakery first of course.) The walk lead us to a superb public garden - that was charming, beautiful, and fun! It had a play ground for Sara and Julia - and also a long promenade for us to walk on to enjoy the view. The promenade was lined with trees on one side and had a cliff (sheer down) on the other side. Not to worry about falling, there was a 3 foot wall to prevent that. After laying on the play ground we strolled the promenade - and then Sara and Julia played in a set of three trees. They darted around them, they ran through them, they laughed and laughed and laughed. It was a great travel moment - everyone happy, enjoying a park, a sunny day, with an amazing view.
After propping up the camera on the rock wall to get a family picture we walked to the windmill. Then, we walked all through town 'till Julia fell asleep.
Around noon we were at the top of town again. Julia was still sleeping (like a baby) and the noon bells started. Dong. Dong. Dong. 12 times! Then the bells went non-stop for what seemed like forever. Even Dan laughed - it was funny - here we had a sleeping baby, right beside the church bells - when we'd spent the last hour trying to be quiet for her. The bells did not wake her up.
We got a seat at the recommended restaurant with the panoramic view. Our table was right on the rock wall overlooking it all. They made space for Julia to sleep (in the stroller) right by us, and we got through 90% of the meal with her sleeping. I had steak, salad, and french fries. Dan had duck, duck, duck. Duck is *huge* in this area - and he got a plate that included dried duck, roasted duck, and some sort of duck slices that looked gray to me. I was happy with my beef. ;) I had to choose between onion sauce and nut sauce and nuts are a big thing here so I went with that.
By 1:00 we were in the car to head back here. Dan stopped at the grocery store and took Sara and Julia in with him so I could take a short snooze in the car. I fell asleep right away. 15 minutes was all it took and I was reinvigorated. It is good for me to try to catch a nap like that to power me up to share my afternoon and evening with Sara and Julia - and have all the energy possible!
When we got back here Dan telecommuted and Sara/Julia/I went to Sarlat for one last walk around. What a fun time. There are not alot of tourists, just a few people strolling. The town was ours to enjoy. I wandered over to the garden and let them play on the play ground with some French kids. Julia *loves* getting a chance to play, climb, swing, and run. She just lights up. Sara loves being the big sister to show her things. I explained to Sara that I was a little sister - and it took her a while to process it. She just said, "I'm the big sister" and that was that!
Sara helped me by walking up/down the big hill that is between us and town. She jumped out of the stroller all on her own to do it. Thoughtful kid. ;)
Back here I made dinner of pork, green beans, and tortelini pasta. Sara ate so many green beans Dan said she was going to turn into one.
It was a fun day. Perfect blend of exploration and savoring a characteristic village of this region. Easy logistics were a plus. Tomorrow is a day with a lot of logistics: drive, high-speed train, taxi, and finally to our Paris apartment in the evening. After being in the countryside for so long are we ready for Paris? We'll see!
Quotes of the day:
Scenario - Leaving Domme Dan asked Sara to do the Domme dance (we often request dances from her - and then she makes up a dance for us and performs it)
Sara: "Okay Papa, here is the dance for this town. It has all French moves."
----
Scenario - Eating dinner. I put herbs on the pork.
Sara: "I do not like this stuff on the pork. I want to delete my herbs."
-----
End of Post
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday - "Grotte de Rouffignac" (pre-historic cave art)
Today we were in the car by 9:30ish to head to a cave 45 minutes away. It has the oldest cave art - and the best part is that you ride a train into the 6 mile long cave. Once Sara heard about the train she kept asking "are we going to the one with the train?" -- So today we could say "yes."
I got up with Julia at 6:20. Dan slept 'till 9:00. Still a pretty early start, we actually got to the cave entrance at 10:30, and I believe they opened at 10:30. And when I say cave entrance, I mean, cave entrance. Right in the side of a rock, in the middle of a dense forest, there was a cave - and to buy a ticket - I walked right in holding Sara's hand.
We got tickets to the 11:00 train. We hung out in the cave waiting for our tour to start. The cave is 6 miles long, so we were just in the very beginnings of it. Julia loved running around in the cave. Her footsteps echoed and made a pretty cool sound.
At 11:00 ish they called for our tour to start. We were let in a door built into the cave wall that lead us deeper into the cave. After we rounded the corner we saw our cave-train. We got seats. We were all on one bench. Sara, Dan, Julia, then me. I knew it was best to give Julia a seat - versus putting her on my lap. That way she was sitting on her own terms. It worked. The train lurched forward to begin our journey into the cave.
It was dark. Cold. Not creepy. Majestic. This was *undoubtably* a cave that was inhabited 17,000 years ago. By early man! And they left behind art. Etchings and paintings of animals - wholly mammoths, deer, horses, etc. Incredible. Our train stopped several times to show us the amazing ancient cave art. No one talked. The girls didn't move. Sara was mesmerized. Julia pointed to the art -- even our little 1.5 year old really pointed to it -- as if she was saying "look at that!" -- I thought that was pretty neat. And it was amazing. To think that we were in a cave where they were living thousands of years ago. Bears also lived in the cave (not when man did) and left behind hibernation evidence. You could see where the bears slept and where they sharpened their long claws on the cave wall when they woke up after winter.
The paintings were awesome. Simply beautiful. It was dark in the cave (naturally!) but the train had lights and the guide had a flashlight. He showed us all the etchings - and seemed to have a passion for the sight. My favorite was when we got off the train deep in the cave. I wasn't expecting it. The tour was in French, so Dan said, "get off the train" to us when the tour guide said it in French - and I grabbed Julia and stepped off the train and onto the cave floor. Dan took Sara.
We walked over to where the guide was taking us. I was shocked. There -- all around us -- above us, and on the walls were cave paintings. They were everywhere. Huge ones. There was a horse painting that must have been 10 feet. And mammoths with long tusks. From people that saw them! Wow! I had Julia in my arms and she kept pointing at the walls - and I shared a moment with our baby -- as we were both in awe of the art - right before our eyes.
Beyond the art - it was just mind-blowing to be where these people were thousands of years ago. I mean we were excited about the 2,000 year old Roman bridge -- and these were 17,000 years ago. Not even really modern man - but our ancestors beyond that. They left behind these pictures for us to have, these were their visions - that we get to see on a rock - not on a memory card - but on a rock deep in the Earth. Un real.
We got back onto the train and it took us back. I don't usually buy things at gift shops, but I bought the 4.50 Euro English book describing the cave. That way we can show it to Sara and Julia - since pictures were not allowed. We did take a family photo at the cave entrance. Amazing.
After that we had lunch. The town where we ate had huge rock formations clinging to the cliffs along the road. And you could tell people once lived there -- there were holes in the rock -- that looked like windows - probably because once upon a time people lived there and they actually were windows. Wow. We had pizza right along side one of the cliffs. It was a great meal with two happy kids and thus two happy parents!
When we got back here I packed a bit (we leave Tuesday, but tomorrow is Monday so getting a jump start is a good idea). Dan played with Sara and Julia outside. Then he made dinner (lamb, pasta, strawberries) and it was time for baths and bedtime. Great day.
Quote of the day:
Scenario: After the cave we went to a local pre-historic welcome center, then we got ice cream. Sara got her usual strawberry, chocolate, and we got a second cone with mango. We let Sara/Julia have the cones, but we shared with them. Just as Dan was having some of Sara's ice cream Sara said:
Sara: "You know Papa, you should get your own next time."
[The tone of her voice was just so funny as she said that!]
End of Post
I got up with Julia at 6:20. Dan slept 'till 9:00. Still a pretty early start, we actually got to the cave entrance at 10:30, and I believe they opened at 10:30. And when I say cave entrance, I mean, cave entrance. Right in the side of a rock, in the middle of a dense forest, there was a cave - and to buy a ticket - I walked right in holding Sara's hand.
We got tickets to the 11:00 train. We hung out in the cave waiting for our tour to start. The cave is 6 miles long, so we were just in the very beginnings of it. Julia loved running around in the cave. Her footsteps echoed and made a pretty cool sound.
At 11:00 ish they called for our tour to start. We were let in a door built into the cave wall that lead us deeper into the cave. After we rounded the corner we saw our cave-train. We got seats. We were all on one bench. Sara, Dan, Julia, then me. I knew it was best to give Julia a seat - versus putting her on my lap. That way she was sitting on her own terms. It worked. The train lurched forward to begin our journey into the cave.
It was dark. Cold. Not creepy. Majestic. This was *undoubtably* a cave that was inhabited 17,000 years ago. By early man! And they left behind art. Etchings and paintings of animals - wholly mammoths, deer, horses, etc. Incredible. Our train stopped several times to show us the amazing ancient cave art. No one talked. The girls didn't move. Sara was mesmerized. Julia pointed to the art -- even our little 1.5 year old really pointed to it -- as if she was saying "look at that!" -- I thought that was pretty neat. And it was amazing. To think that we were in a cave where they were living thousands of years ago. Bears also lived in the cave (not when man did) and left behind hibernation evidence. You could see where the bears slept and where they sharpened their long claws on the cave wall when they woke up after winter.
The paintings were awesome. Simply beautiful. It was dark in the cave (naturally!) but the train had lights and the guide had a flashlight. He showed us all the etchings - and seemed to have a passion for the sight. My favorite was when we got off the train deep in the cave. I wasn't expecting it. The tour was in French, so Dan said, "get off the train" to us when the tour guide said it in French - and I grabbed Julia and stepped off the train and onto the cave floor. Dan took Sara.
We walked over to where the guide was taking us. I was shocked. There -- all around us -- above us, and on the walls were cave paintings. They were everywhere. Huge ones. There was a horse painting that must have been 10 feet. And mammoths with long tusks. From people that saw them! Wow! I had Julia in my arms and she kept pointing at the walls - and I shared a moment with our baby -- as we were both in awe of the art - right before our eyes.
Beyond the art - it was just mind-blowing to be where these people were thousands of years ago. I mean we were excited about the 2,000 year old Roman bridge -- and these were 17,000 years ago. Not even really modern man - but our ancestors beyond that. They left behind these pictures for us to have, these were their visions - that we get to see on a rock - not on a memory card - but on a rock deep in the Earth. Un real.
We got back onto the train and it took us back. I don't usually buy things at gift shops, but I bought the 4.50 Euro English book describing the cave. That way we can show it to Sara and Julia - since pictures were not allowed. We did take a family photo at the cave entrance. Amazing.
After that we had lunch. The town where we ate had huge rock formations clinging to the cliffs along the road. And you could tell people once lived there -- there were holes in the rock -- that looked like windows - probably because once upon a time people lived there and they actually were windows. Wow. We had pizza right along side one of the cliffs. It was a great meal with two happy kids and thus two happy parents!
When we got back here I packed a bit (we leave Tuesday, but tomorrow is Monday so getting a jump start is a good idea). Dan played with Sara and Julia outside. Then he made dinner (lamb, pasta, strawberries) and it was time for baths and bedtime. Great day.
Quote of the day:
Scenario: After the cave we went to a local pre-historic welcome center, then we got ice cream. Sara got her usual strawberry, chocolate, and we got a second cone with mango. We let Sara/Julia have the cones, but we shared with them. Just as Dan was having some of Sara's ice cream Sara said:
Sara: "You know Papa, you should get your own next time."
[The tone of her voice was just so funny as she said that!]
End of Post
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Saturday - Market day, Relax day
Today I was up with the kids and headed off to market day before Dan got up. He is up late working, so I thought we may as well give him a quiet house and give us some time at the market while it was still being set up.
Sara and Julia are fun to go on adventures with. Julia looks around at everything as we walk - taking it all in. Sara observes (and shares her observations and questions (asking follow-up questions based on the answers) and it all adds up to fun being with our kids.
I had Julia in the Kelty back carrier. Dan makes it look so easy, but it is heavy!
The market was enormous. As soon as we got to the base of the hill we saw market umbrellas. The market engolfed the entire town. We strolled. It was not crowded at all (and it actually stayed that way, while the Wednesday market did get crowded) - and by the time we met up with Dan I was delighted to give him a chance to carry Julia. We just happened to see Dan walking down the street - so that was a great way to meet up. Otherwise we had plans to meet at the cathedral at :00 or :30 past every hour 'till we met. I didn't know what time he'd get up - so we left our meeting time flexible And with out phones we had to have set meeting times to make finding each other possible.
We splurged on a cafe for some coffee. We asked about food, but the kitchen wasn't open. It is funny how US kitchens are always open - why wouldn't you serve breakfast at breakfast time? But these people (and all other cafes) just had coffee and drinks. Even though Sara asked for pancakes (yeah right) we had to go across the street to the bakery to get food. That worked fine. For 3 euro we had more than enough fresh bread (with raisens, chocolate, and so forth) to enjoy while we savored our coffee and Sara had apple juice. She shared some juice with Julia via a spoon. ;)
Soon Dan went with Julia back to the house to change her diaper and give her milk and more food. Sara and I stayed and enjoyed the market. I let her lead. If she wanted to stop, we stopped. Thus, we stopped at the jewelry and the toys. She likes jewelry a lot. She tries on rings. She looks at necklaces. And today she wanted to buy me a ring (so sweet) since the last time we bought a ring for her - I guess she figured it was my turn. It was a sweet notion that she was shopping for a ring for me. Thanks Sara.
At the end of the road there was a carousel. Sara skipped over to it. I dug 2 Euro out of my pocket and she paid the vendor. She picked out a bicycle to ride (the carousels here don't have horses, they have fire trucks, bicycles, animated characters, chariots, and other animals, etc) She was so happy as she spun around and around on the ride.
She wanted to ride again, so I forked over another 2 Euro and she picked out a "daffy" duck type thing to ride in (still on the same carousel). After a few spins, she rose up! She had figured out that the duck thing could fly! The look on her face as she rose into the air was priceless. It was a look of wonderment combined with a look of accomplishment! Way to go Sara! You are a pilot!
She *had* to ride again. So now in for 6 Euro she spun around again. This time she was a pro-pilot and relished going up and down as she went around and around. She kept her hands on the controls. She looked proud as could be - looking at me (I was smiling at her), looking at the other kids (who were just going around and around on their Earth-bound ride objects), and looking at the view. It was great. We both loved every minute of it!
After that we walked back through the streets of Sarlat. She wanted to go into the cathedral, so we did. Twice. We looked at the stained glass - whispering to each other which color was our favorite. Finally we sat on the cathedral steps and waited for Dan and Julia. We didn't have long to wait. Within minutes we spotted Dan carrying Julia and we were all together again.
We toured around a bit, and decided to get lunch. Sara picked the place. She found a table and we sat. I got the 12 Euro lunch. Dan got the 15 Euro lunch. Sara had the 8 Euro kid lunch. The lunches are all sort of like pre-packages - where it includes 3 courses (or 4 in Dan's case) and you pick what you want. A bargain. Sara's meal ended up being pizza, a hamburger, and ice cream! (She loves France even more now!). I had beef, lamb, then chocolate mouse. Dan had salmon, ham, cheese, then ice cream. Julia had a bit of everything. We were outside at a cafe table under an awning. A splendid meal.
After that we wandered in town, went to the public garden (very pretty, with perfect grass, and really pretty flower beds), and let Sara and Julia play on the playground. They did the swings, they did the slide (together!), and also the tetter-totter. It was great fun.
After that we walked back here. Sara told us stories the whole way. She can tell great stories. She tells about great events from her life - with great flourish and dramatic effect. "I'm going to tell 5 stories, are you ready Mom, are you ready Dad?" -- then she does. It is truly funny.
Dan found a lounge chair from the pool and napped. I played with Sara and Julia. They like playing on the hill in our back yard - so we did that a lot.
Dan made us dinner once he woke up (I think he slept for 2 hours!) and we ate outside. Then, I put Julia to bed, and later Sara to bed.
It was a fun day. A simple, relaxing day, full of fun.
Quote of the day:
Scenario - right after Sara rode the carousel twice, she used the following very convincing words to get me to let her ride one last time:
Sara: "Mom, if I can ride again, I will be happy."
End of Post
Sara and Julia are fun to go on adventures with. Julia looks around at everything as we walk - taking it all in. Sara observes (and shares her observations and questions (asking follow-up questions based on the answers) and it all adds up to fun being with our kids.
I had Julia in the Kelty back carrier. Dan makes it look so easy, but it is heavy!
The market was enormous. As soon as we got to the base of the hill we saw market umbrellas. The market engolfed the entire town. We strolled. It was not crowded at all (and it actually stayed that way, while the Wednesday market did get crowded) - and by the time we met up with Dan I was delighted to give him a chance to carry Julia. We just happened to see Dan walking down the street - so that was a great way to meet up. Otherwise we had plans to meet at the cathedral at :00 or :30 past every hour 'till we met. I didn't know what time he'd get up - so we left our meeting time flexible And with out phones we had to have set meeting times to make finding each other possible.
We splurged on a cafe for some coffee. We asked about food, but the kitchen wasn't open. It is funny how US kitchens are always open - why wouldn't you serve breakfast at breakfast time? But these people (and all other cafes) just had coffee and drinks. Even though Sara asked for pancakes (yeah right) we had to go across the street to the bakery to get food. That worked fine. For 3 euro we had more than enough fresh bread (with raisens, chocolate, and so forth) to enjoy while we savored our coffee and Sara had apple juice. She shared some juice with Julia via a spoon. ;)
Soon Dan went with Julia back to the house to change her diaper and give her milk and more food. Sara and I stayed and enjoyed the market. I let her lead. If she wanted to stop, we stopped. Thus, we stopped at the jewelry and the toys. She likes jewelry a lot. She tries on rings. She looks at necklaces. And today she wanted to buy me a ring (so sweet) since the last time we bought a ring for her - I guess she figured it was my turn. It was a sweet notion that she was shopping for a ring for me. Thanks Sara.
At the end of the road there was a carousel. Sara skipped over to it. I dug 2 Euro out of my pocket and she paid the vendor. She picked out a bicycle to ride (the carousels here don't have horses, they have fire trucks, bicycles, animated characters, chariots, and other animals, etc) She was so happy as she spun around and around on the ride.
She wanted to ride again, so I forked over another 2 Euro and she picked out a "daffy" duck type thing to ride in (still on the same carousel). After a few spins, she rose up! She had figured out that the duck thing could fly! The look on her face as she rose into the air was priceless. It was a look of wonderment combined with a look of accomplishment! Way to go Sara! You are a pilot!
She *had* to ride again. So now in for 6 Euro she spun around again. This time she was a pro-pilot and relished going up and down as she went around and around. She kept her hands on the controls. She looked proud as could be - looking at me (I was smiling at her), looking at the other kids (who were just going around and around on their Earth-bound ride objects), and looking at the view. It was great. We both loved every minute of it!
After that we walked back through the streets of Sarlat. She wanted to go into the cathedral, so we did. Twice. We looked at the stained glass - whispering to each other which color was our favorite. Finally we sat on the cathedral steps and waited for Dan and Julia. We didn't have long to wait. Within minutes we spotted Dan carrying Julia and we were all together again.
We toured around a bit, and decided to get lunch. Sara picked the place. She found a table and we sat. I got the 12 Euro lunch. Dan got the 15 Euro lunch. Sara had the 8 Euro kid lunch. The lunches are all sort of like pre-packages - where it includes 3 courses (or 4 in Dan's case) and you pick what you want. A bargain. Sara's meal ended up being pizza, a hamburger, and ice cream! (She loves France even more now!). I had beef, lamb, then chocolate mouse. Dan had salmon, ham, cheese, then ice cream. Julia had a bit of everything. We were outside at a cafe table under an awning. A splendid meal.
After that we wandered in town, went to the public garden (very pretty, with perfect grass, and really pretty flower beds), and let Sara and Julia play on the playground. They did the swings, they did the slide (together!), and also the tetter-totter. It was great fun.
After that we walked back here. Sara told us stories the whole way. She can tell great stories. She tells about great events from her life - with great flourish and dramatic effect. "I'm going to tell 5 stories, are you ready Mom, are you ready Dad?" -- then she does. It is truly funny.
Dan found a lounge chair from the pool and napped. I played with Sara and Julia. They like playing on the hill in our back yard - so we did that a lot.
Dan made us dinner once he woke up (I think he slept for 2 hours!) and we ate outside. Then, I put Julia to bed, and later Sara to bed.
It was a fun day. A simple, relaxing day, full of fun.
Quote of the day:
Scenario - right after Sara rode the carousel twice, she used the following very convincing words to get me to let her ride one last time:
Sara: "Mom, if I can ride again, I will be happy."
End of Post
Friday, September 27, 2013
Friday - Hike to a Castle ruin
Here is how Dan described today to his co-workers (the pictures that he gave links to are 360 views he made while we were there. I'm in one of them):
For anyone who liked castles as a kid, we went to Chateau de Commarque this morning (http://www.commarque.com/#!come-to-commarque/ck9h): http://360.io/5MwAzg http://360.io/wPHyhv http://360.io/zhhbCw http://360.io/JtgBRb) The truly incredible thing is that there is evidence of human residence in this valley for the last ~100,000 years. And it was largely forgotten after the 16th century, so when someone bought it and started researching / restoring it in the 1960s, it wasn't wrecked by modern man. There were cave dwellings right on the surface level…but when those dwellings were built, the ground level was 20m below present day!
Here is how I'd describe the day:
We wanted to make it a low-key day, so we decided to drive to a nearby place where we could walk through the woods to a castle. That sounded perfect. And, it was.
The name is "Chateau de Commarque." A 15 minute rural drive brought us to its parking lot. It was so empty I said, "is this open?" We put Julia in the Kelty back-carrier, and Sara on her own two feet- and set out into the woods. The path to the castle is entirely wooded. The only light was patches of sunlight that managed to swivel around the trees and reach the ground. It was all natural. (No pavement etc) We marveled at the many shades of moss growing everywhere. On the trees, on the fallen branches, and carpeting the ground.
Sara skipped, hopped, walked, ran, and hiked with us. She chatted (or sang) the whole way. A common question was "where are we going?" followed closely by "why?"
I didn't time the walk, it was probably 20 minutes. We weren't in any rush. No one was around. It felt, and was remote. When we finally saw what looked like the site, the first thing we noticed were rock walls with notches - as if they were used for something. Then the castle appeared on our left. It rose up towards the sky. While our eyes took in the castle, our ears took in the babbling brook, which was the loudest brook I've heard -- maybe because everything else was so quiet.
We paid admission at the tiny hut. 7 Euro each (kids free). The cute French guy in the hut handed us our English multi-page brochure and we went on our merry way. The first thing we did was walk towards the other castle you could see - up on a nearby hill. It wasn't open, but as we walked towards it and turned around you could get a good view of the castle we were there to see. Sara declaired it was picnic time, so we stopped on a wooden log bench for some pretzels and water. Then she sat by the brook for a while. I loved seeing her do that, she looked so happy. The water was clear. Super duper clear. You could see every pebble at the bottom, and the swishing tails of every tiny fish frolicking in the streamy/dreamy water. Even they looked like they were having fun.
After we enjoyed the view of "our" castle we walked over to it. There was no tour, and no real map, so we were free to wander around a castle! How much fun is that! So much!
The first stop we made while exploring the castle was the caves beneath it. Cave art is a big thing around here. People used to live in caves in the cro-magnon era. Well, at this castle we got to go into such a cave! It was like having a link with people who were cave men --- literally. It felt a tad cold, but I don't think the shivers up my spine were from the temperature, they were from the mind-blowing reality that cave dwellers one stood and lived where I was now standing. Whew.
We continued on. We wandered around the castle - stopping at the chapel, and any bit that could be explored we did. A high light was walking up into the tower - climbing all those steps to the highest point in the castle. Since we were amongst the few there (and the only in the castle at that point) it felt special. I said to Dan it felt not only like a highlight of our time in the Dordogne, but of the whole trip to France. It was a picture perfect day - and here we were exploring a castle, cave dwellings, and enjoying a pretty hike to get there and back.
We spent hours there. By the time we did the walk through the woods and back to the car it was 1:00. We wanted lunch, but didn't want the time it takes to "eat out" or the time it takes to make something at our house. So we went to Mc Donalds. There is one (exactly one) near the grocery store just out of town, so it was easy. It may seem lame to go to Mc Donalds, but around here, it is just about the only way to get food fast. And, it was packed with locals - so we weren't the only ones! It had a nice interior, and was 20 Euro, so for some reason Mc Donalds is not cheap (we only got 2 meals, and one drink). The food is different - different burgers with different sauces. The experience is different also - and it worked. Within 15 minutes we were fed. Then we went to the grocery store for several days worth of food for 60 Euro.
Back at the house (which really feels like 'our' french country home) I put Julia down for a nap, played ball, did art, lego, and so forth with Sara. When Julia got up we played by the fish pond (the girls love it - it has little fish in it and a stone bench to watch it), we played on the hill (the girls love running up and down the hill - it is dotted with yellow flowers), and we also swam in our little blow-up pool that I bought back in Uzes. It is warmer (and easier) than going in the big in ground pool. I hand-carry warm water to fill it up. The girls appreciate that versus just 100% frigid hose water. I get in the pool with them - and we splash around laughing while giving dinosaurs swim lessons (they have toys here, some of which are dinosaurs).
Dan made dinner. We ate it on the back deck. Peaceful and nice - we are getting used to this! Of all the places we've stayed on this trip - this feels the most like we are living here - the house is nice and the yard is lovely.
Well, it is time to head to sleep.
Quote of the day:
Sara: "I ran a marathon when I was three and I tripped."
[I had other quotes but they are voice memos on Dan's iPod and he is using it!]
End of Post
For anyone who liked castles as a kid, we went to Chateau de Commarque this morning (http://www.commarque.com/#!come-to-commarque/ck9h): http://360.io/5MwAzg http://360.io/wPHyhv http://360.io/zhhbCw http://360.io/JtgBRb) The truly incredible thing is that there is evidence of human residence in this valley for the last ~100,000 years. And it was largely forgotten after the 16th century, so when someone bought it and started researching / restoring it in the 1960s, it wasn't wrecked by modern man. There were cave dwellings right on the surface level…but when those dwellings were built, the ground level was 20m below present day!
Here is how I'd describe the day:
We wanted to make it a low-key day, so we decided to drive to a nearby place where we could walk through the woods to a castle. That sounded perfect. And, it was.
The name is "Chateau de Commarque." A 15 minute rural drive brought us to its parking lot. It was so empty I said, "is this open?" We put Julia in the Kelty back-carrier, and Sara on her own two feet- and set out into the woods. The path to the castle is entirely wooded. The only light was patches of sunlight that managed to swivel around the trees and reach the ground. It was all natural. (No pavement etc) We marveled at the many shades of moss growing everywhere. On the trees, on the fallen branches, and carpeting the ground.
Sara skipped, hopped, walked, ran, and hiked with us. She chatted (or sang) the whole way. A common question was "where are we going?" followed closely by "why?"
I didn't time the walk, it was probably 20 minutes. We weren't in any rush. No one was around. It felt, and was remote. When we finally saw what looked like the site, the first thing we noticed were rock walls with notches - as if they were used for something. Then the castle appeared on our left. It rose up towards the sky. While our eyes took in the castle, our ears took in the babbling brook, which was the loudest brook I've heard -- maybe because everything else was so quiet.
We paid admission at the tiny hut. 7 Euro each (kids free). The cute French guy in the hut handed us our English multi-page brochure and we went on our merry way. The first thing we did was walk towards the other castle you could see - up on a nearby hill. It wasn't open, but as we walked towards it and turned around you could get a good view of the castle we were there to see. Sara declaired it was picnic time, so we stopped on a wooden log bench for some pretzels and water. Then she sat by the brook for a while. I loved seeing her do that, she looked so happy. The water was clear. Super duper clear. You could see every pebble at the bottom, and the swishing tails of every tiny fish frolicking in the streamy/dreamy water. Even they looked like they were having fun.
After we enjoyed the view of "our" castle we walked over to it. There was no tour, and no real map, so we were free to wander around a castle! How much fun is that! So much!
The first stop we made while exploring the castle was the caves beneath it. Cave art is a big thing around here. People used to live in caves in the cro-magnon era. Well, at this castle we got to go into such a cave! It was like having a link with people who were cave men --- literally. It felt a tad cold, but I don't think the shivers up my spine were from the temperature, they were from the mind-blowing reality that cave dwellers one stood and lived where I was now standing. Whew.
We continued on. We wandered around the castle - stopping at the chapel, and any bit that could be explored we did. A high light was walking up into the tower - climbing all those steps to the highest point in the castle. Since we were amongst the few there (and the only in the castle at that point) it felt special. I said to Dan it felt not only like a highlight of our time in the Dordogne, but of the whole trip to France. It was a picture perfect day - and here we were exploring a castle, cave dwellings, and enjoying a pretty hike to get there and back.
We spent hours there. By the time we did the walk through the woods and back to the car it was 1:00. We wanted lunch, but didn't want the time it takes to "eat out" or the time it takes to make something at our house. So we went to Mc Donalds. There is one (exactly one) near the grocery store just out of town, so it was easy. It may seem lame to go to Mc Donalds, but around here, it is just about the only way to get food fast. And, it was packed with locals - so we weren't the only ones! It had a nice interior, and was 20 Euro, so for some reason Mc Donalds is not cheap (we only got 2 meals, and one drink). The food is different - different burgers with different sauces. The experience is different also - and it worked. Within 15 minutes we were fed. Then we went to the grocery store for several days worth of food for 60 Euro.
Back at the house (which really feels like 'our' french country home) I put Julia down for a nap, played ball, did art, lego, and so forth with Sara. When Julia got up we played by the fish pond (the girls love it - it has little fish in it and a stone bench to watch it), we played on the hill (the girls love running up and down the hill - it is dotted with yellow flowers), and we also swam in our little blow-up pool that I bought back in Uzes. It is warmer (and easier) than going in the big in ground pool. I hand-carry warm water to fill it up. The girls appreciate that versus just 100% frigid hose water. I get in the pool with them - and we splash around laughing while giving dinosaurs swim lessons (they have toys here, some of which are dinosaurs).
Dan made dinner. We ate it on the back deck. Peaceful and nice - we are getting used to this! Of all the places we've stayed on this trip - this feels the most like we are living here - the house is nice and the yard is lovely.
Well, it is time to head to sleep.
Quote of the day:
Sara: "I ran a marathon when I was three and I tripped."
[I had other quotes but they are voice memos on Dan's iPod and he is using it!]
End of Post
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Thursday - Eastern Dordogne "Fairy tale villages"
The first time I glanced at the clock this morning it was 5:13. That is too early for any sort of activity requiring cognition - like walking. Julia was making waking up noises. I closed my eyes again hoping for a bit more sleep, and the next time I looked at the clock it was 8:23. She fell back asleep! Both Dan and I got to sleep in.
After breakfast outside on the back deck (a wooden platform with a wooden slanted roof, with a wooden table and wooden chairs) we packed up and left for a driving tour.
It was in our guide book as "the overlooked Eastern Dordogne." As much as we liked the second driving tour we took in Provence, we were hoping this second tour of the Dordogne would also be a nice surprise. Plus, the description said, "many find this remote, less visited section of the Dordogne even more beautiful than the country side around Sarlat." Then later the tour stopped at "if this is not the most beautiful village in France, I'd like to see the one that is." So with all these thoughts swirling around in our minds we set off.
The trip started on small roads. Past cornfields. Past green fields of long grass. The roads were never straight - they were also bending this way or that way. I guess if there was a tree in the way they just went around it. It was a fun joy ride.
We got diesel at the first chance we had - you never know when it will be tough to find "gas" for the car and we didn't want to get low while in the middle of no where (which is just about everywhere here). Our credit cards don't have the "chip" so Dan had to pay the cashier upon exit.
Our first town was Martel. We got there after we had to stop to wait for a circus to pass by. It was about 30 huge long trucks labeled with different animals. There was police directing traffic. Then later in a small town they were digging up the road. So we actually had to stop at a portable stop light! We've probably seen 10 stop lights (traffic lights) this whole trip so it was notable! Our car automatically powers down when we stop (it is a stick shift that saves on CO2 emissions. When we were stopped our GPS also decided to re-route us. We joked that our GPS was impatient. We are so relaxed that we just sat there in the car and enjoyed the town we were "stuck" in - as if we were at a cafe - hey, life is not a rush! After about 5-6 minutes we were back on our way.
Our first stop was "Martel" a medieval town with a nice pedestrian area - where Sara said, "lets stop at a restaurant" - and so we did. It was the only one. Dan had pizza (with walnuts on it!), Sara had a plain pizza (Dan had to take the olives off it for her), I had a salad with ham, cheese, and grilled vegetables, and Julia had a little of everything.
We continued on to "Carennac" a "jumble of peaked roofs and half-timbered walls." We parked and jumped out of the car to look around. Parking was easy and wandering around was simple - and a delight. We walked up the stone steps to the church "Oh, so pretty" was Sara's comment about the stained glass. It was similar to the other villages we've stopped in, but this one had a serene path along the river - that looked oh-so-inviting for a stroll, but we got back in the car to head to "Loubressac."
"Loubressac" is "mystical" occurring to the guide book and "the most beautiful in France" -- there are many that seem to have that sort of tag associated with it -- and this one was very pretty. It was high up - so when we parked at the village green we were immediately drawn to the ledge overlooking the view. You could see all the way to the end of the world - and then a bit further. Sara and Julia were more interested in exploring than the view, so I walked with them through the story book perfect village. There were no shops. No cafes. Just houses, a church, and perfectness. It was perfect. Can't get much prettier. Sara skipped from flower box to flower box - smelling all the flowers. And when she skips, she *really* skips - becoming airborne as she lifts one leg up and hops with the other. She is one happy kid. Julia ran right behind Sara, trying her hardest to keep up. She made happy squeals as she went what must have felt like warp speed to her tiny self. I trailed them both with a huge smile on my face. It was magical.
We had "Loubressac" almost to our selves. The only people we saw were enjoying the one cafe that was near the village green (the little nest of streets didn't have any cafes, but this one cafe clung to the edge of the ridge so people could sit and fuel up their body or their minds). People were having coffee or whatever. Just seeping up the view and the ambience - really just "being" - just thinking, relaxing, and being mellow. We went to the cafe - just to walk up and down its ramp (the girls enjoy any sort of thing to walk on - and a ramp with steps is worth doing a few times - they also enjoyed a near by tree that had a base you could climb). Our time was limited - since Dan needed to get back to telecommute - we were there for probably an hour - which was enough time to soak in the magic and let it linger in our memories.
The drive back was over an hour. Then we had dinner outside here (gnocchi, green beans, pea pods) and I put Julia to bed when she started climbing the stairs up to her room. (That kid is so subtle.) As reward for a nap today, Sara got to walk into town with me this evening. She had been saying "remember when we walked around Uzes in the dark?" so she remembered the night we stepped out there and danced around to the evening musicians - and Dan said he'd stay with Julia while she slept and he telecommuted - so Sara and I walked to town around 7 PM.
It was just Sara, me, and my back pack. I had a flash light and water. And, icecream money. She chatted the whole way down - happy as a lark to be out on an adventure past her bed time. When we got to town our usual ice cream place was closed so we went to the main square, sat at a cafe table, and watched the sky go from blue, to mid-night blue, to black. As the sky did its evening dance, the gas lights came to life and we filled our bellies with ice cream. Sara had her usual - even though I tried to get her to try something new - she had to have a cone with strawberry and chocolate. And I had apricot and caramel. We laughed, talked, and just had fun. She is a fun person to hang out with. She asks good questions (and sometimes answers them herself) and she loves playing "I notice" where we say different things that we notice. I used my iPhone to record some of our conversation - to try to remember all the cute things she says.
After our icecream she wanted to play hide and seek, so we did. Right there in the main square - lit by gas light and candles on outdoor cafe tables. She raced around finding spots to hide and then saying "Mama! I'm over here!" while I "look" for her. I know we humored people who were enjoying watching us. She had a ball of energy - and only when it was pretty darn dark (yet still festive since there were a lot of people strolling and dining) did she say it is time to go. I think she was just excited about using the flash light.
She carried the flash light all the way up. 23 minutes walk back here. I know that since I recorded her talking the whole time. She chatted about a wide variety of topics (how many people life in Aisa? how does the Earth spin? how is your shadow taller than mine? when will I be as tall as you? how old will you be, when I'm as old as you? lets go to France when you are 74.), and no matter what the topic was her curiosity was genuine -- and sweet.
We got back here at 8:30 - really time for her to get to sleep! I got her to bed quickly, though I forgot to give her "Peep" her favorite stuffed animal - so she called out for "Peep" a few minutes after I said goodnight. Now Peep and Sara are fast asleep.
It is 9:37 now, so time for me to get to sleep - I never know how early my morning will be - so getting to bed as soon as possible is always my goal!
It was a fun day - some driving, some villages, lovely views, and fun with each other.
Quote of the day:
Scenario: on the walk back up to this house after our evening ice-cream Sara said,
Sara: "Why are these pot holes still here?"
Mama: "They will always be there. But maybe they will patch them."
Sara: "Or maybe they will go to Asia."
Mama: "Well no, they are here in France."
Sara: "But they could take an airplane, and go to Asia."
End of Post
After breakfast outside on the back deck (a wooden platform with a wooden slanted roof, with a wooden table and wooden chairs) we packed up and left for a driving tour.
It was in our guide book as "the overlooked Eastern Dordogne." As much as we liked the second driving tour we took in Provence, we were hoping this second tour of the Dordogne would also be a nice surprise. Plus, the description said, "many find this remote, less visited section of the Dordogne even more beautiful than the country side around Sarlat." Then later the tour stopped at "if this is not the most beautiful village in France, I'd like to see the one that is." So with all these thoughts swirling around in our minds we set off.
The trip started on small roads. Past cornfields. Past green fields of long grass. The roads were never straight - they were also bending this way or that way. I guess if there was a tree in the way they just went around it. It was a fun joy ride.
We got diesel at the first chance we had - you never know when it will be tough to find "gas" for the car and we didn't want to get low while in the middle of no where (which is just about everywhere here). Our credit cards don't have the "chip" so Dan had to pay the cashier upon exit.
Our first town was Martel. We got there after we had to stop to wait for a circus to pass by. It was about 30 huge long trucks labeled with different animals. There was police directing traffic. Then later in a small town they were digging up the road. So we actually had to stop at a portable stop light! We've probably seen 10 stop lights (traffic lights) this whole trip so it was notable! Our car automatically powers down when we stop (it is a stick shift that saves on CO2 emissions. When we were stopped our GPS also decided to re-route us. We joked that our GPS was impatient. We are so relaxed that we just sat there in the car and enjoyed the town we were "stuck" in - as if we were at a cafe - hey, life is not a rush! After about 5-6 minutes we were back on our way.
Our first stop was "Martel" a medieval town with a nice pedestrian area - where Sara said, "lets stop at a restaurant" - and so we did. It was the only one. Dan had pizza (with walnuts on it!), Sara had a plain pizza (Dan had to take the olives off it for her), I had a salad with ham, cheese, and grilled vegetables, and Julia had a little of everything.
We continued on to "Carennac" a "jumble of peaked roofs and half-timbered walls." We parked and jumped out of the car to look around. Parking was easy and wandering around was simple - and a delight. We walked up the stone steps to the church "Oh, so pretty" was Sara's comment about the stained glass. It was similar to the other villages we've stopped in, but this one had a serene path along the river - that looked oh-so-inviting for a stroll, but we got back in the car to head to "Loubressac."
"Loubressac" is "mystical" occurring to the guide book and "the most beautiful in France" -- there are many that seem to have that sort of tag associated with it -- and this one was very pretty. It was high up - so when we parked at the village green we were immediately drawn to the ledge overlooking the view. You could see all the way to the end of the world - and then a bit further. Sara and Julia were more interested in exploring than the view, so I walked with them through the story book perfect village. There were no shops. No cafes. Just houses, a church, and perfectness. It was perfect. Can't get much prettier. Sara skipped from flower box to flower box - smelling all the flowers. And when she skips, she *really* skips - becoming airborne as she lifts one leg up and hops with the other. She is one happy kid. Julia ran right behind Sara, trying her hardest to keep up. She made happy squeals as she went what must have felt like warp speed to her tiny self. I trailed them both with a huge smile on my face. It was magical.
We had "Loubressac" almost to our selves. The only people we saw were enjoying the one cafe that was near the village green (the little nest of streets didn't have any cafes, but this one cafe clung to the edge of the ridge so people could sit and fuel up their body or their minds). People were having coffee or whatever. Just seeping up the view and the ambience - really just "being" - just thinking, relaxing, and being mellow. We went to the cafe - just to walk up and down its ramp (the girls enjoy any sort of thing to walk on - and a ramp with steps is worth doing a few times - they also enjoyed a near by tree that had a base you could climb). Our time was limited - since Dan needed to get back to telecommute - we were there for probably an hour - which was enough time to soak in the magic and let it linger in our memories.
The drive back was over an hour. Then we had dinner outside here (gnocchi, green beans, pea pods) and I put Julia to bed when she started climbing the stairs up to her room. (That kid is so subtle.) As reward for a nap today, Sara got to walk into town with me this evening. She had been saying "remember when we walked around Uzes in the dark?" so she remembered the night we stepped out there and danced around to the evening musicians - and Dan said he'd stay with Julia while she slept and he telecommuted - so Sara and I walked to town around 7 PM.
It was just Sara, me, and my back pack. I had a flash light and water. And, icecream money. She chatted the whole way down - happy as a lark to be out on an adventure past her bed time. When we got to town our usual ice cream place was closed so we went to the main square, sat at a cafe table, and watched the sky go from blue, to mid-night blue, to black. As the sky did its evening dance, the gas lights came to life and we filled our bellies with ice cream. Sara had her usual - even though I tried to get her to try something new - she had to have a cone with strawberry and chocolate. And I had apricot and caramel. We laughed, talked, and just had fun. She is a fun person to hang out with. She asks good questions (and sometimes answers them herself) and she loves playing "I notice" where we say different things that we notice. I used my iPhone to record some of our conversation - to try to remember all the cute things she says.
After our icecream she wanted to play hide and seek, so we did. Right there in the main square - lit by gas light and candles on outdoor cafe tables. She raced around finding spots to hide and then saying "Mama! I'm over here!" while I "look" for her. I know we humored people who were enjoying watching us. She had a ball of energy - and only when it was pretty darn dark (yet still festive since there were a lot of people strolling and dining) did she say it is time to go. I think she was just excited about using the flash light.
She carried the flash light all the way up. 23 minutes walk back here. I know that since I recorded her talking the whole time. She chatted about a wide variety of topics (how many people life in Aisa? how does the Earth spin? how is your shadow taller than mine? when will I be as tall as you? how old will you be, when I'm as old as you? lets go to France when you are 74.), and no matter what the topic was her curiosity was genuine -- and sweet.
We got back here at 8:30 - really time for her to get to sleep! I got her to bed quickly, though I forgot to give her "Peep" her favorite stuffed animal - so she called out for "Peep" a few minutes after I said goodnight. Now Peep and Sara are fast asleep.
It is 9:37 now, so time for me to get to sleep - I never know how early my morning will be - so getting to bed as soon as possible is always my goal!
It was a fun day - some driving, some villages, lovely views, and fun with each other.
Quote of the day:
Scenario: on the walk back up to this house after our evening ice-cream Sara said,
Sara: "Why are these pot holes still here?"
Mama: "They will always be there. But maybe they will patch them."
Sara: "Or maybe they will go to Asia."
Mama: "Well no, they are here in France."
Sara: "But they could take an airplane, and go to Asia."
End of Post
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday - Sarlat market day
View as I write this:
(from front porch)
Today I was up at 6:02 with Julia. Then around 8 or so Sara got up. We headed out to market day here in Sarlat, leaving Dan sleeping. [He later thanked me for the nice sleep-in time!]
We are old-pros at market day. Even Sara's first words today were "it's market day!"
Julia loves baguettes!
[Julia is happiest with one piece in each hand! If I only give her one piece, she will reach until I give her a second piece!]
I raided Dan's wallet for cash and headed out. The morning was foggy. Mist was rising up over the hills. I could see my breath as I went down our drive way, being careful not to slip on the dew covered rocks.
Market day
The walk down to Sarlat from this house is tricky. It is a narrow path. It is pretty, but requires a watchful eye. We pass rock walls covered with moss. We pass trees that dip gangly branches down into our path. We pass drop offs, a few houses, and it all ends with a steep slope down. For safety, I have Sara walk. That way the double stroller is less heavy - and I can be safer as I roll Julia down the hill. Sara likes the walk, and she knows that it helps me. My pedometer says that I took over 14,000 steps today. About 7 miles of walking. Sara probably walked at least half of that - so she is a good little walker/explorer.
Once we got to town we had to find the market. It is our first market day here, so we didn't know exactly where it would be. It wasn't hard to find it. We saw market umbrellas as soon as we entered the main part of town.
This market is known as the "food" market - and I think it is smaller than the Saturday market. If this was small, I wonder what the big one is like. I agree that most of the stuff was edible. Strawberries, walnut cakes, garlic, bread, mushrooms (including truffles), vegetables, fruits, and that sort of thing. That may not sound interesting. I suppose it is the market atmosphere that is the most interesting. The buzz of the people as they conduct business. The scuffling of the feet on the cobblestones as people walk looking at the market wares. The sight of people in upper generations filling their well-worn market baskets to the brim.
[Video of market. Please email me if this sort of thing is interesting. I have more videos that I didn't post - not sure if this is interesting to watch or not. Oh, and if you want a postcard from France, send me your address. I didn't bring any snail-mail address information with me.]
When we first got there it was 9:30. We were able to stroll around. By the time 10:30 rolled around (and we met up with Dan) it was packed. I think tour buses were dropping people off. I even think there were a few French school groups. I had left Dan a note to meet us by the cathedral at either 10 or 10:30. I circled by there at both times. At 10:30 I was buying cheese by the cathedral when I noticed he was by my side. We got some truffle cheese and some aged cheese. Was 10 euro for 2 chunks. That is pricy, but it is great cheese.
Now that Dan was with us we started buying more stuff (it is easier with 2 adults, since one can do the buying and one can help with Sara and Julia). We got 2 big things of strawberries, green beans, garlic, onion, banana, tomato, and some walnut cake with honey. (Walnuts are a thing around here. There are lots of walnut trees like in Provence there were a lot of olive trees.)
After we did our buying we sat down at a cafe. What a treat. We usually picnic with stuff we bring or eat here. The cafe we picked was right in the market action. Our seats were outside, and the first row of tables next to all the market goers. We first spotted the cafe at 10:45, and we had to wait 15 minutes for 11:00 when the sign said they started serving. Then when we sat down at 11:00, the waiter said the kitchen wasn't open for another half hour. We have to eat early, since at 12:30 Julia is usually napping - and having her awake at that time would not be fun! (Parents know what I mean!) So we ordered two coffees and relaxed. That in itself is a treat. To just sit and relax with a coffee. Ahhhhh. We let the girls eat strawberries and green beans from the market. That kept them busy, as did some crayons and paper.
Finally at 11:45 we were able to order food. We were having a nice time. Relaxing and just watching the market action from our seats. Very enjoyable and very French -- to just relax with coffee at a cafe.
Our food soon came, an omelet for Dan, a pizza for Sara, a panini for me. Julia got some of everything.
We ate. We relaxed. We enjoyed. That is what outdoor cafes are for!
Then, after we paid, we strolled, the girls slept. Dan and I chatted as we wandered the back streets. The back streets are just as amazing and they have no tourists. Just flower boxes, stone beauty, rock roofs, fountains trickling water, and peace. The streets were narrow. No cars - the streets were so narrow you could hold out your arms and touch the buildings on either side. A car isn't a possibility. Sprinkled in those back streets we found art galleries, cafes, and people dining outside with tiny bouquets of flowers on their tables. Getting "lost" on back streets and exploring a village is a pleasure. No schedule, no "must see," just wandering around, noticing how the sunlight illuminates rooflines, bounces of stones, and makes flower petals glow like stained glass.
Then we saw a gate that said "public garden" in French. We went over and went through the big black iron scroll gate. The rest of the world dropped away and we were in a park. Before long we noticed a playground. It was for 3-6 year olds and Sara's radar went off. She said, "can I play?" and she rocketed out of the stroller and RAN top speed to get to the play ground. I stayed with her; Dan kept walking with Julia who was sound asleep. Sara and I climbed, swang, did the teter-toter, played hide and go seek, and did a lot of laughing. A little girl about Sara's age watched us. Her Mom was sitting on a bench, and I think the other little girl was noticing how Sara and I were playing together - she looked especially at me - probably wondering why a Mom was playing on the playground instead of sitting on the bench! I'll tell her why - it is because it is more fun - and because if I tried to sit, Sara would say, "Mom, why aren't you playing?"
When Julia woke up we were joined by Dan and Julia. Julia loved playing on the playground. Her eyes lit up when she saw Sara and I playing - and she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her to join us. She did everything that Sara did -- even -- going down the slide ALL by herself!! Top to bottom - with no one to catch her! (It was a perfect slide for her age.) But still, sitting on the top of a slide and deciding to let yourself go down takes courage - and she did it!
After that Dan had to start telecommuting (and we were all hot! it is sunny and warm here!) so we walked back. We all put our bathing suits on and went into the pool. That cooled us off quickly, as 65 degree water will do.
As the day went on I played with the girls outside - and we had dinner. There is a fish pond in the back yard so they enjoy that - I'd say they are fascinated by it. Julia especially is fascinated by two huge green dragon flies that hover near the pond - they are friendly - and seem curious about us. I swear they are checking us out as they hover over the pond. I watch Julia's eyes follow the dragon fly - and she gets such a serious expression on her face! There is a wooden bench by the pond and Sara puts her arm around Julia as they sit there together.
I know it is time for Julia to go to sleep with out looking at a clock. She tries to play, but falls over. Or sometimes she'll just put her head down on anything that she is near - two clear signs she is ready! She went to sleep around 6:30 tonight and Sara went to sleep "when the sky turned pink" as she says.
Quote of the day:
Sara: "Mom, can I have a glob of peanut butter?" [time passes] "Mom, I'm waiting for my next glob of peanut butter." [no bread needed, Sara just eats peanut butter on a plate!
End of post.
Today I was up at 6:02 with Julia. Then around 8 or so Sara got up. We headed out to market day here in Sarlat, leaving Dan sleeping. [He later thanked me for the nice sleep-in time!]
We are old-pros at market day. Even Sara's first words today were "it's market day!"
I raided Dan's wallet for cash and headed out. The morning was foggy. Mist was rising up over the hills. I could see my breath as I went down our drive way, being careful not to slip on the dew covered rocks.
The walk down to Sarlat from this house is tricky. It is a narrow path. It is pretty, but requires a watchful eye. We pass rock walls covered with moss. We pass trees that dip gangly branches down into our path. We pass drop offs, a few houses, and it all ends with a steep slope down. For safety, I have Sara walk. That way the double stroller is less heavy - and I can be safer as I roll Julia down the hill. Sara likes the walk, and she knows that it helps me. My pedometer says that I took over 14,000 steps today. About 7 miles of walking. Sara probably walked at least half of that - so she is a good little walker/explorer.
Once we got to town we had to find the market. It is our first market day here, so we didn't know exactly where it would be. It wasn't hard to find it. We saw market umbrellas as soon as we entered the main part of town.
This market is known as the "food" market - and I think it is smaller than the Saturday market. If this was small, I wonder what the big one is like. I agree that most of the stuff was edible. Strawberries, walnut cakes, garlic, bread, mushrooms (including truffles), vegetables, fruits, and that sort of thing. That may not sound interesting. I suppose it is the market atmosphere that is the most interesting. The buzz of the people as they conduct business. The scuffling of the feet on the cobblestones as people walk looking at the market wares. The sight of people in upper generations filling their well-worn market baskets to the brim.
When we first got there it was 9:30. We were able to stroll around. By the time 10:30 rolled around (and we met up with Dan) it was packed. I think tour buses were dropping people off. I even think there were a few French school groups. I had left Dan a note to meet us by the cathedral at either 10 or 10:30. I circled by there at both times. At 10:30 I was buying cheese by the cathedral when I noticed he was by my side. We got some truffle cheese and some aged cheese. Was 10 euro for 2 chunks. That is pricy, but it is great cheese.
Now that Dan was with us we started buying more stuff (it is easier with 2 adults, since one can do the buying and one can help with Sara and Julia). We got 2 big things of strawberries, green beans, garlic, onion, banana, tomato, and some walnut cake with honey. (Walnuts are a thing around here. There are lots of walnut trees like in Provence there were a lot of olive trees.)
After we did our buying we sat down at a cafe. What a treat. We usually picnic with stuff we bring or eat here. The cafe we picked was right in the market action. Our seats were outside, and the first row of tables next to all the market goers. We first spotted the cafe at 10:45, and we had to wait 15 minutes for 11:00 when the sign said they started serving. Then when we sat down at 11:00, the waiter said the kitchen wasn't open for another half hour. We have to eat early, since at 12:30 Julia is usually napping - and having her awake at that time would not be fun! (Parents know what I mean!) So we ordered two coffees and relaxed. That in itself is a treat. To just sit and relax with a coffee. Ahhhhh. We let the girls eat strawberries and green beans from the market. That kept them busy, as did some crayons and paper.
Finally at 11:45 we were able to order food. We were having a nice time. Relaxing and just watching the market action from our seats. Very enjoyable and very French -- to just relax with coffee at a cafe.
Our food soon came, an omelet for Dan, a pizza for Sara, a panini for me. Julia got some of everything.
We ate. We relaxed. We enjoyed. That is what outdoor cafes are for!
Then, after we paid, we strolled, the girls slept. Dan and I chatted as we wandered the back streets. The back streets are just as amazing and they have no tourists. Just flower boxes, stone beauty, rock roofs, fountains trickling water, and peace. The streets were narrow. No cars - the streets were so narrow you could hold out your arms and touch the buildings on either side. A car isn't a possibility. Sprinkled in those back streets we found art galleries, cafes, and people dining outside with tiny bouquets of flowers on their tables. Getting "lost" on back streets and exploring a village is a pleasure. No schedule, no "must see," just wandering around, noticing how the sunlight illuminates rooflines, bounces of stones, and makes flower petals glow like stained glass.
Then we saw a gate that said "public garden" in French. We went over and went through the big black iron scroll gate. The rest of the world dropped away and we were in a park. Before long we noticed a playground. It was for 3-6 year olds and Sara's radar went off. She said, "can I play?" and she rocketed out of the stroller and RAN top speed to get to the play ground. I stayed with her; Dan kept walking with Julia who was sound asleep. Sara and I climbed, swang, did the teter-toter, played hide and go seek, and did a lot of laughing. A little girl about Sara's age watched us. Her Mom was sitting on a bench, and I think the other little girl was noticing how Sara and I were playing together - she looked especially at me - probably wondering why a Mom was playing on the playground instead of sitting on the bench! I'll tell her why - it is because it is more fun - and because if I tried to sit, Sara would say, "Mom, why aren't you playing?"
When Julia woke up we were joined by Dan and Julia. Julia loved playing on the playground. Her eyes lit up when she saw Sara and I playing - and she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her to join us. She did everything that Sara did -- even -- going down the slide ALL by herself!! Top to bottom - with no one to catch her! (It was a perfect slide for her age.) But still, sitting on the top of a slide and deciding to let yourself go down takes courage - and she did it!
After that Dan had to start telecommuting (and we were all hot! it is sunny and warm here!) so we walked back. We all put our bathing suits on and went into the pool. That cooled us off quickly, as 65 degree water will do.
As the day went on I played with the girls outside - and we had dinner. There is a fish pond in the back yard so they enjoy that - I'd say they are fascinated by it. Julia especially is fascinated by two huge green dragon flies that hover near the pond - they are friendly - and seem curious about us. I swear they are checking us out as they hover over the pond. I watch Julia's eyes follow the dragon fly - and she gets such a serious expression on her face! There is a wooden bench by the pond and Sara puts her arm around Julia as they sit there together.
I know it is time for Julia to go to sleep with out looking at a clock. She tries to play, but falls over. Or sometimes she'll just put her head down on anything that she is near - two clear signs she is ready! She went to sleep around 6:30 tonight and Sara went to sleep "when the sky turned pink" as she says.
Quote of the day:
Sara: "Mom, can I have a glob of peanut butter?" [time passes] "Mom, I'm waiting for my next glob of peanut butter." [no bread needed, Sara just eats peanut butter on a plate!
End of post.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tuesday - Scenic Drive; Boat Tour; Castles! (pictures/video)
There is something pretty cool about saying, "look there is another castle!" We did that a lot today.
We did the driving tour in our guide book. Our start was 9:30 (pretty good) so everyone was well fed and happy.
The drive was on small roads. You'd think they were one lane, but they were bi-directional. Good thing there is not a lot of traffic. (We only shared the road with a tractor the whole time.) It was twisty, windy roads, and the destinations were top notch.
First we saw the "fairy tale castle" of Montfort. Then we went on to La Roque-Gageac. It is often on the list for "prettiest village in France." We can see why.
It is built into a rock - and really only has one street - that goes along side the Dordogne River. When we got there, we said, "wow" (we end up saying that alot) and found a parking place. It was easy to park - we just used the first lot we saw - and it had a play ground! Sara got to play a little, while I checked out the boat trip logistics with Julia walking beside me. (If she has her choice she will walk, and she is mighty cute doing it.)
Many people canoe on the Dordogne River. With Julia being just 1.5 years old, we thought a boat trip may be better. It was 9:59 when we arrived and there was a 10:00 boat. I thought about bolting to that boat. Glad we didn't. We bought tickets for the 10:30 boat (8Euro each, and he let Sara and Julia on free, even though the kid price was 6 Euro). With 1/2 and hour before our boat we decided that Dan had enough time to put the stroller back in the car. While he did that, I ran into La Roque-Gageac looking for a bakery. I didn't know where there was a bakery, but we are in France - there had to be one near.
I bolted down the street along the river. How cool it was to dash with a river on my left and a towering cliff to my right. I heard people speaking English and asked them for the bakery. They pointed and I kept bolting towards it. I hopped up the steps, ordered one of everything (something with apple inside, something with chocolate inside, and a baguette) and ran back to the boat dock. My bakery excursion was so quick I beat Dan - who had Sara and Julia - so his stuff took longer.
We got onto the boat. It had wooden seats and no top. It was already occupied by a tour group. We found seats easily (people make room for our cute kids). Dan had Sara next to him and he let Julia walk around. I thought I was going to have an easy breezy boat ride! But one minute later, Sara was sitting next to me, and Julia was on my lap. I don't know if they gravitated to me because I'm their Mother, or because I was the one holding all the stuff from the bakery.
Sara began munching on a bread-thing, and Julia took a piece of the baguette. They are right in the groove with how the French eat. The boat started. The tour was in English! How lucky. The 10:00 boat was a French tour and we some how stumbled on an English tour! The tour taught us a lot and helped us understand more about the River Valley and the Dordogne River itself.
The view from the boat was spectacular. We passed castles, we passed greenery, we passed river wild life, and by the time we saw the Chateau de Castelnaud (an incredible sight from the river!) we were in awe. It is medieval. The girls did great. Julia just sat on my lap perfectly. Sara talked to the guy next to her (poor guy, he said hello to her and so she talked to him the whole time! He was of Grand-father age so he got a kick out of Sara, and even began pointing things out to her!). So I enjoyed having my girls right by me. (Dan was in the seat just in front of us.)
The boat turned around after giving us an eye-full of Chateau de Castelnaud (people took a lot of pictures) and we went back to La Roque-Gageac. For a spur of the moment boat ride in the South of France, it turned out to be a marvelous way to spend our morning!
Then we walked around La Roque Gageac, where people from the boat said, "Hi Sara! Hi Julia!" we were local celebrities since they were so sweet on the boat. (Julia smiled and did her cute wave to everyone on the boat - so they thought she was so cute. Sara was a charmer too. Then we hopped in the car and continued our driving tour.
Our next (and last) stop was Beynac. It is only 4 miles downstream from La Roque-Gageac. Our book called it "a picture perfect Dordogne village." We paused briefly at the parking lot at its base. But after climbing up, up, up, up, a LOT of towns we now know to look for a higher parking lot. So Dan went up, up, up with the car instead of our feet. We ended up at the castle - way up top. It is a cliff-clinging chateau (castle) 500 feet above the river.
Lucky for us, the castle was closed for visits. That kept us outside! It was closed due to them filming a movie. I looked for movie stars. We did see a lot of actors - in period costume (dressed like Knights) outside eating lunch. I wanted to join them, their lunch looked pretty good! There were also horses around for the movie.
Staying outside on our beautiful sunny day we took a short hike up to a view point. We stayed there probably an hour. The valley view was jaw dropping. You could see the twisty river, four castles in the distance, and loads of green, green land. While we soaked in the view, the girls soaked in bread with peanut butter, and they also played in the sandy gravel. That was fine with us. Dan and I sat on a bench and just took in the scene. People came and went (also looking at the view) but we just stayed up there. No need to rush. We just breathed, enjoyed it, and let the kids play a bit.
(A video of the view is above)
Then we got back to the car. They didn't sleep for the 10 KM back to Sarlat ( a quick drive) which was good since Julia napped when we got back here and Sara was able to relax on an out door deck chair for a bit. Lucky me, I got to nap for about 45 minutes too!
Then we walked to town while Dan telecommuted. It was similar to our other walks to town - except no ice cream (!) I gave Julia a pear and Sara an apple. The town was percolating with people strolling around. Cafe tables were full of people enjoying a drink outside. Restaurants were closed of course. They don't open 'till 7PM, which may as well be mid-night for us. Both kids are asleep by then - so that isn't really an option for us! (If we wanted to eat out we'd likely do it for lunch or find a cafe that serves an early dinner.)
When the cathedral bell tolled 5:30 we walked back up the hill to our house. Dan made bacon wrapped pork medallions, and broccoli. When I asked Julia if she wanted any she said, "yeah" she is a good eater! After dinner the girls played together on the lawn. Running up and down the hill chasing each other, their shadows, and butterflies.
Fun day.
Quotes of the day:
Scenario-On the boat ride, it was a clear blue sky (no clouds) but we could see the white moon. We were gliding along the water with the moon hovering above the trees.
Sara: "Papa the moon is moving."
Papa: "It looks like it is. But we are moving not the moon."
-----
Scenario-Way up by the castle Chateau de Beynac we enjoyed the view while Sara and Julia ate. Sara ate up on a rock wall near Dan who was sitting on a bench.
Sara: "This is like a picnic on a wall." (see picture above)
-----
Scenario- Walking to Sarlat from our house with Sara and Julia in the afternoon while Dan telecommuted. Sara was asking why there were holes in the road.
Me: "Those are called pot holes."
Sara: "When I go to Kindergarten, I'm going to tell them that I went to France when I was four and a half and that there were holes in the road. And that I brought a chicken named Peep."
[Note: she loves "Peep and the Big Wide World" so she has a Peep toy that she loves - and Peep is a chicken.]
----
Scenario-Sara climbed on to my lap, curled up into a ball, and relaxed.
Sara: "This is the love-y-ist day ever."
-----
Scenario - There is a Doctor kit here so the girls are playing with the plastic doctor stuff. The stethoscope is the favorite toy (you should see how cute Julia looks walking around wearing a stethoscope!). They took it with them on our walk to Sarlat this afternoon.
Sara: "Mama, sometimes people listen to their bladders, with a stethoscope."
-----
Scenario: In Sarlat
Sara: "Mom, everything can break. Except the sky."
---
Scenario: Talking about naps
Me: "Naps are a great chance to re-charge your batteries."
Sara: "Mom, I"m already at 100%."
[she knows the iPad is fully charged when it is at 100%]
------
(She knows where her bladder is (see one of the quotes above). I asked her to move her hand for this picture!)
End of Post
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday - Cave paintings from 15,000 years ago (photo/video)
Today was a fun day.
(The view out the window as I write this.)
Our day started with me looking at the clock at 8:23. The house was quiet. Julia was still quiet, and Sara was still quiet. That meant that Dan and I both got to sleep 'till 8:23! Wow.
After eggs and oatmeal for breakfast we packed into the car. We were headed to "Lascaux II" known as the best cave art in the world. Instead of me trying to tell about it, if you have time, read this quick bit about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux
Lascaux’s modern art . . .from 15,000 years ago. .
Photo courtesy of Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door.
This area where we are (the Dordogne River Valley) has many caves. Our guide book mentions several that are options to see. We decided to start with "Lascaux II" since they are supposed to be among the best. What is interesting is that while the originals are 200 meters away, what we see today is a copy. (The orginals were hurt by so many visitors breathing in the caves.) They built the cave, and reproduced the art. But even with that in mind, it is still highly recommended - and is actually known to be hard to get a ticket!
We got there at 11:10 parked and walked to the ticket office. I thought there would be a chance we'd maybe get a ticket for the afternoon - and surely a French tour. But it was our *Lucky day!* we got an English tour at 11:30! We went right over to the waiting area with ticket in hand - and huge smiles on our faces. We fed the kids (bread with peanut butter) so they would be quiet in the cave.
Okay, stop reading! *Please* go to this site:
http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/fr/00.xml
When you get there, look at the pictures they show you, then click on the tiny words "visite de la grotte" that appear under the big word that says "Lascaux." By clicking that you should see a video.
What an awesome place! To think that cro magnon man did these 15,000 years ago is mind-boggling. And to get a tour in English only 20 minutes after arriving made us feel lucky.
They called our group at 11:30. We lined up. All the other people crowded by the door, we were last in line. We went inside. The first part of the tour was explanation - that is a good thing, since seeing cave art does deserve some understanding before you see it.
They used 3 colors (in this cave). Black, yellow, and red. The limestone absorbed the colors. That is way it lasted 15,000 years. They drew animals. Some are stationary, and some are running. And, they are HUGE. These are not small drawings. In this introductory part Julia was not quiet, so Dan left with her. That was a bit sad, but he got to go on the next tour solo and so he probably enjoyed that more anyway, even though it was in French.
The Introduction was probably about 20 minutes I'd say, we learned about the techniques, we learned about how they made the reproduction (this cave has amazing art, but it is a reproduction) and had a chance to ask questions. I think also, the introduction was a good chance to get used to the dark, and a good chance to get used to the chilly cave temperatures. Sara given priority by the guide. She kept inviting Sara to come up front and look at things (rather being lost in a sea of adults). That was a nice touch. Sara never wanted to go up front by herself (it was dark) so she always asked me to come along. I did. Sometimes I had Sara up in my arms, sometimes she was by my side holding my hand, and sometimes she was on my lap. It was a dark enclosed space so I was glad she didn't seek independence while we were in the cave.
Finally it was our time to go into the cave! (The introduction was over.) Sara and I held hands tightly. We took tiny steps. And then, right before our eyes were the cave drawings. "Wow" Sara said. "Those are cool!" and I agree. We were looking at the output of people 15,000 years ago - a look into the distant past! We were leaving our world, and stepping into their world.
The guide used a flash light to point things out. There were four HUGE bison/bull type animals. I mean they were 16 feet tall! HUGE art. But that is not all, around the huge animals were other huge animals - they used all the space they had. It was covered with drawings. They also used the relief of the caves - so indentations were bellies - and so forth. There were huge horns, ancient black brooding animal eyes, and running feet. I really liked a set of 4 black horses that looked like they were in motion.
We weren't allowed to take pictures. That is a good thing. Everyone was focused on looking and not snapping photos. Sara was up in my arms for this part of the cave. That way we could whisper to each other about what we were seeing. She'd ask me to turn in different directions depending on what she wanted to see. We listened to the guide, who had interesting things to point out that we would not have noticed otherwise.
We moved to the second room. It was very narrow. Sara and I were near the front. It is amazing that all those years ago they could see well enough in there to make these drawings. They used candle type things by burning fat and using tree sticks as wicks. The tree sticks did not leave behind soot. The second room was just as amazing - with all sorts of animals above us, around us, and everywhere.
At the exit we climbed out of the cave and back into the real world. We met up with Dan, who went right back in the cave on the next tour. I waited with the girls outside the cave, which was easy to do since we had food and that always makes it easy to pass time!
After that we enjoyed the setting a bit - it is in the middle of a pretty forest - and then left. I've read that it is packed in July and August (the busy months for tourism) so we were so glad that we came in September. I'd say the parking lot was maybe 15% full up near the site. The whole thing cost us 9.20 x 2 Euros, the kids were free.
Whew. After we started breathing again after seeing that, we drove the 30 minutes or so back here. I put Julia down for a nap and Sara and I played, read, molded clay, and ate lunch.
Julia woke up *so* happy (she is a happy baby in general, but she was glowing) and we hung out a bit and then I took the girls for a walk to Sarlat. It was our first time going there alone (with out Da) - and only our second time there. When we were in Uzes we were able to leave our apartment and be right in the main walking area. In Vaison la Romaine, we were right by the cathedral. Here in Sarlat we are about a 15 minute walk on a tiny winding foot path (down, down, down) to town. Sometimes the path goes right along a drop off that would be severe if we lost our footing. There is no railing.
The first part of our walk is pictured above. It is the driveway from our house.
The video above is part of the walk, near the beginning of the tiny foot path to town.
When we got there we walked around. The cafes were full of people relaxing in out door tables, the cathedral's bells rang out 5 o'clock, and there were several musicians. I didn't have any goals in mind - just to stroll. Sara asked very nicely for ice cream, so I said she could have some in "2 minutes" after 2 minutes she said, "come on Mom, I'll lead the way, follow me!" and then she skipped up the cobble stones to get right back to the ice cream place. That kid is a scammer. She got her usual cone (chocolate on the bottom and strawberry on the top) and Julia had banana and caramel. They shared nicely, but always retained control of their own cones. ;)
Videos of town (above and below this text).
After that we walked back up here. I asked Sara to walk so it was easier for me to push the stroller/Julia up. I was nearly diagonal as I used every muscle to go up, up, up.
Picture above, Julia happy in the Bob-double stroller.
I made dinner while the kids played. Steak, snap peas, sliced apple, and some ravioli. The gobbled everything up.
After dinner while the sun headed down Sara and Julia had the best time ever playing in the yard. Sometimes they played ball. Sometimes they explored the fish pond. And sometimes they just chased each other with squeals of joy. I watched it all while grinning. No need to interfere, they just enjoyed each other. I loved it.
Video above - a few seconds of the kids playing.
Then I put Julia to bed. Took 2 minutes. Then Dan read a world atlas to Sara (upon her request, she still loves geography) and she is now sleeping too.
It was a pretty amazing day.
Quotes of the day:
-----
Scenario - upstairs giving Sara a bath
Sara: "Mom, how does the downstairs of the house hold up the upstairs?"
-----
Scenario - Sara/Julia playing ball outside
Sara: "Mom, we are great soccer players!"
-----
Scenario - at lunch time
Me: "Sara, do you want to eat stay in here or go outside by Dad?"
Sara: "I want to stay with you Mom, so you can keep an eye on me."
End of Post (all those videos were taken by my phone, I know they aren't the best, but they show a bit!)
Our day started with me looking at the clock at 8:23. The house was quiet. Julia was still quiet, and Sara was still quiet. That meant that Dan and I both got to sleep 'till 8:23! Wow.
After eggs and oatmeal for breakfast we packed into the car. We were headed to "Lascaux II" known as the best cave art in the world. Instead of me trying to tell about it, if you have time, read this quick bit about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux
Photo courtesy of Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door.
This area where we are (the Dordogne River Valley) has many caves. Our guide book mentions several that are options to see. We decided to start with "Lascaux II" since they are supposed to be among the best. What is interesting is that while the originals are 200 meters away, what we see today is a copy. (The orginals were hurt by so many visitors breathing in the caves.) They built the cave, and reproduced the art. But even with that in mind, it is still highly recommended - and is actually known to be hard to get a ticket!
We got there at 11:10 parked and walked to the ticket office. I thought there would be a chance we'd maybe get a ticket for the afternoon - and surely a French tour. But it was our *Lucky day!* we got an English tour at 11:30! We went right over to the waiting area with ticket in hand - and huge smiles on our faces. We fed the kids (bread with peanut butter) so they would be quiet in the cave.
Okay, stop reading! *Please* go to this site:
http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/fr/00.xml
When you get there, look at the pictures they show you, then click on the tiny words "visite de la grotte" that appear under the big word that says "Lascaux." By clicking that you should see a video.
What an awesome place! To think that cro magnon man did these 15,000 years ago is mind-boggling. And to get a tour in English only 20 minutes after arriving made us feel lucky.
They called our group at 11:30. We lined up. All the other people crowded by the door, we were last in line. We went inside. The first part of the tour was explanation - that is a good thing, since seeing cave art does deserve some understanding before you see it.
They used 3 colors (in this cave). Black, yellow, and red. The limestone absorbed the colors. That is way it lasted 15,000 years. They drew animals. Some are stationary, and some are running. And, they are HUGE. These are not small drawings. In this introductory part Julia was not quiet, so Dan left with her. That was a bit sad, but he got to go on the next tour solo and so he probably enjoyed that more anyway, even though it was in French.
The Introduction was probably about 20 minutes I'd say, we learned about the techniques, we learned about how they made the reproduction (this cave has amazing art, but it is a reproduction) and had a chance to ask questions. I think also, the introduction was a good chance to get used to the dark, and a good chance to get used to the chilly cave temperatures. Sara given priority by the guide. She kept inviting Sara to come up front and look at things (rather being lost in a sea of adults). That was a nice touch. Sara never wanted to go up front by herself (it was dark) so she always asked me to come along. I did. Sometimes I had Sara up in my arms, sometimes she was by my side holding my hand, and sometimes she was on my lap. It was a dark enclosed space so I was glad she didn't seek independence while we were in the cave.
Finally it was our time to go into the cave! (The introduction was over.) Sara and I held hands tightly. We took tiny steps. And then, right before our eyes were the cave drawings. "Wow" Sara said. "Those are cool!" and I agree. We were looking at the output of people 15,000 years ago - a look into the distant past! We were leaving our world, and stepping into their world.
The guide used a flash light to point things out. There were four HUGE bison/bull type animals. I mean they were 16 feet tall! HUGE art. But that is not all, around the huge animals were other huge animals - they used all the space they had. It was covered with drawings. They also used the relief of the caves - so indentations were bellies - and so forth. There were huge horns, ancient black brooding animal eyes, and running feet. I really liked a set of 4 black horses that looked like they were in motion.
We weren't allowed to take pictures. That is a good thing. Everyone was focused on looking and not snapping photos. Sara was up in my arms for this part of the cave. That way we could whisper to each other about what we were seeing. She'd ask me to turn in different directions depending on what she wanted to see. We listened to the guide, who had interesting things to point out that we would not have noticed otherwise.
We moved to the second room. It was very narrow. Sara and I were near the front. It is amazing that all those years ago they could see well enough in there to make these drawings. They used candle type things by burning fat and using tree sticks as wicks. The tree sticks did not leave behind soot. The second room was just as amazing - with all sorts of animals above us, around us, and everywhere.
At the exit we climbed out of the cave and back into the real world. We met up with Dan, who went right back in the cave on the next tour. I waited with the girls outside the cave, which was easy to do since we had food and that always makes it easy to pass time!
After that we enjoyed the setting a bit - it is in the middle of a pretty forest - and then left. I've read that it is packed in July and August (the busy months for tourism) so we were so glad that we came in September. I'd say the parking lot was maybe 15% full up near the site. The whole thing cost us 9.20 x 2 Euros, the kids were free.
Whew. After we started breathing again after seeing that, we drove the 30 minutes or so back here. I put Julia down for a nap and Sara and I played, read, molded clay, and ate lunch.
Julia woke up *so* happy (she is a happy baby in general, but she was glowing) and we hung out a bit and then I took the girls for a walk to Sarlat. It was our first time going there alone (with out Da) - and only our second time there. When we were in Uzes we were able to leave our apartment and be right in the main walking area. In Vaison la Romaine, we were right by the cathedral. Here in Sarlat we are about a 15 minute walk on a tiny winding foot path (down, down, down) to town. Sometimes the path goes right along a drop off that would be severe if we lost our footing. There is no railing.
The video above is part of the walk, near the beginning of the tiny foot path to town.
When we got there we walked around. The cafes were full of people relaxing in out door tables, the cathedral's bells rang out 5 o'clock, and there were several musicians. I didn't have any goals in mind - just to stroll. Sara asked very nicely for ice cream, so I said she could have some in "2 minutes" after 2 minutes she said, "come on Mom, I'll lead the way, follow me!" and then she skipped up the cobble stones to get right back to the ice cream place. That kid is a scammer. She got her usual cone (chocolate on the bottom and strawberry on the top) and Julia had banana and caramel. They shared nicely, but always retained control of their own cones. ;)
Videos of town (above and below this text).
After that we walked back up here. I asked Sara to walk so it was easier for me to push the stroller/Julia up. I was nearly diagonal as I used every muscle to go up, up, up.
I made dinner while the kids played. Steak, snap peas, sliced apple, and some ravioli. The gobbled everything up.
After dinner while the sun headed down Sara and Julia had the best time ever playing in the yard. Sometimes they played ball. Sometimes they explored the fish pond. And sometimes they just chased each other with squeals of joy. I watched it all while grinning. No need to interfere, they just enjoyed each other. I loved it.
Then I put Julia to bed. Took 2 minutes. Then Dan read a world atlas to Sara (upon her request, she still loves geography) and she is now sleeping too.
It was a pretty amazing day.
Quotes of the day:
-----
Scenario - upstairs giving Sara a bath
Sara: "Mom, how does the downstairs of the house hold up the upstairs?"
-----
Scenario - Sara/Julia playing ball outside
Sara: "Mom, we are great soccer players!"
-----
Scenario - at lunch time
Me: "Sara, do you want to eat stay in here or go outside by Dad?"
Sara: "I want to stay with you Mom, so you can keep an eye on me."
End of Post (all those videos were taken by my phone, I know they aren't the best, but they show a bit!)
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