Our Ninth Week Working In Camping Le Moulin In Chef-Boutonne, France

This week is a short one as we were away (see last week's post) on Monday and came back on Tuesday afternoon. We wild camped by the Étang La Féculerie near Étagnac on Monday night after having visited Rochechouart with bunting gone crazy for the Ostensions Septennales. Placed on the World Heritage List, the latter are religious processions venerating the numerous Saints that have lived and played a great part in the Limousin region since 994. Celebrations are happening all across the Limousin every month until the last event in November.

Bunting gone crazy for the "Ostensions Septennales" in Rochechouart.

All the streets were covered of the red and white bunting, colours of Rochechouart's coat of arms.

The next day and on our way back to the campsite, we walked through the eerie ruins of the town of Oradour-Sur-Glane. Oradour is unfortunately famous for baring witness to one of the most horrific massacres carried out on civilians in France during the Second World War. On 10 June 1944, 642 people including 247 children were shot or burnt alive by the Nazi forces. The act is said to be in retaliation to resistance activities in the region. After the war, Charles de Gaulle ordered that the remains of Oradour-Sur-Glane become a memorial for all to visit and forever remember. (For those interested in visiting the site: the ruins are free. The museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions are 9Euros per person).

View of the main street of the martyr village of Oradour-Sur-Glane.

One of the many facades still standing.

Plaques can be seen throughout the site. This one reads: "Site of torture, a group of men were massacred and burnt, collect your thoughts."

Many cars like these, or should I say their remains, can be found across the site.

Jamie's standing in front of one of the many shop fronts still standing, here's a butcher.

The church of Oradour-Sur-Glane where women and children were gathered in and put on fire.

The small train station and tramway line.

Back to work, we managed to maintain the grounds in between showers (rain that is!). We got on with the usual weeding, grass cutting, strimming, cleaning and rubbish emptying. I also continued painting one of the mobile homes’ decking which we’re getting paid for, but hadn’t managed to finish due to the weather. And we had fun working in both front and back of house for our second Camping Le Moulin's Friday night quiz (The first Friday of the month, 10Euros for the game and your meal of either moules or homemade breaded chicken breast both with chips)!

Jamie and Stuart clearing the bin area of huge logs.

And piling them altogether neatly.

Painting the decking; a long way to go!

Dinner with Stuart before the quiz night.

Traditional English Eton mess cups, one of the succulent deserts available at the restaurant.

Alex and I, doing the washing up at the back!

It's full house for the quiz night, many mobile home owners, campers and locals have come out to win the pot!

Who's the winner?! Alex and Sarah are counting...

I finished the week baking as it rained most of the day. I tried my hands for the first time at making a banana loaf/cake using some over ripe bananas that I didn’t want to end up throwing away. We’d run out of digestive biscuits so I made some shortbreads too. It goes so well with a nice brew!

A few shortbreads and banana loaf have already gone missing, I wonder where it's gone...

Last, but not least, the campsite’s not so quiet after all as five caravans joined us on Sunday and may well all be staying for at least a couple of nights!