I am at a loss to understand, in this advanced century of advanced technology, advanced living conditions and advanced health-care, why so many young people wear spectacles.
Is the advanced generation genetically dis-advanced in someway?
Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that there is very little wrong with the eyes of so many young people, I fear it really is just a continuation of the 'must have' syndrome that plagues our societies now. Designer labels? Surely, instead of them expecting people to pay way over the true value of these often poorly made products, there should be a commission payed to the wearer for advertising the goods?
Enough of my cynicism, I made it into Le Buisson de Cadouin this day. The town-centre is set a little back from the Dordogne, sitting on a cross roads of main routes to Paris; Spain; Bordeaux and Toulouse. It boasts an exceedingly large railway station and one of the finest, and busiest, cinemas in the region.
The town square plays host to an exceptional, genuine, farmers market, as outlined in yesterdays post, and sitting just outside of town is quite possibly one of the most opulent hotels I have ever come across. Hotel Manoir de Bellerive.
There are bars; cafes; domestic electronics-store; computer-stores; hairdressers; bakers; grocery-stores; clothing-store; restaurants; shoe-store; builders-merchants; garden-centre; car showrooms; hotels; guest-houses; gites; camping-parks; canoe-centre; school; tourism office....
The list goes on. Hold-up. This place must be huge... The traffic horrendous... Teeming with people.
Actually. No. The population is around 2000 souls and is spread over an area of some 41sq km.
It is a town for local people but also welcomes visitors with open arms.
As for things to do and see, well, where do I start. I guess the most important sites (apart from me just out-side of town of course) include the Caves at Lascaux, Beynac, Sarlat, Bergerac, Abbey at Cadouin, just to give you an idea, are all with-in 20/25 minutes drive of the town. The pre-historic inventory of this region is endless and doesn't start or end with the cave paintings at Lascaux.
Night-life, clubs and shows for all ages, abound in this area. The villages and bastides from the middle ages are all around and you could spend a year here as a tourist and still not get to see everything.
That's my sales pitch for Le Buisson over with, don't even get paid for it!
Red Frame is not about the towns, its about the people. I like the people here abouts. Don't see much of them, probably because of where I live out in the sticks.
When I used to come this way as a tourist, it wasn't unusual to have people wave to you as you drove through the more rural villages, particularly when in an English registered right-hand drive car. It wasn't 'quaint', it was actually really pleasant.
I have to confess, even now I live here, I struggle with the French Language but it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem on a day to day basis, as people are quick to help and my sign language, even though self praise is no praise, is pretty damned mustard!
Today's poignant moment for me was coming across a very simple memorial for what was clearly an incredibly brave man.
His name was Robert Mathe and he was a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. All I know at this time is what I read on the plaque attached to the memorial which, in my basic French, translates to...
'In homage to the resistant Robert Mathe, child of Cadouin, that in this place on October 22 1943 was cut down during the course of the first mission against the Nazi in Dordogne'
Forget the politics of it, at the risk of seeming to be dismissive, it's too long ago to judge people and those responsible for that episode in human history are either gone from this life or of no consequence any more.
What struck me about it was standing in a place where someone with a true belief and a genuine courage of conviction attempted to carryout an action in support of that belief and died in the process. Added to that is the fact Roses are attached to the stone, so some-one clearly remembers this man, some-one clearly still loves this man and marks that love on a regular basis with a rose. I know its regularly because some there are three roses on there this day, one is fresh, the other two are at various degrees of fading, leading me to believe the roses are placed there on a weekly basis.
Essentially, he sacrificed his life for something he believed in. Does this still happen? Are there people still strong enough to be as this man was? True to himself?
I sometimes wonder, given the state of the world today and the over-riding importance given to the materialistic must haves that seem to pervade, not only our lives, but our very personalities.
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