# Name of French village



## dethleff (Jun 25, 2005)

Hi
Can someone remind me of the name of the French
village that was left undisturbed, after Germans committed atrocities there?

TIA


Stan


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Orodour sur Glane

There is an Aires there as well.


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## 96798 (Nov 26, 2005)

Well worth a visit and its free to walk around the "village". The aires is vg but it does fill early, there are 20 spaces but they are in pairs and some motorhomers seem to think they are entiteled to both spaces.

John


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## dethleff (Jun 25, 2005)

Thanks both

Stan


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## dbh1961 (Apr 13, 2007)

holy1hobby said:


> Well worth a visit and its free to walk around the "village". The aires is vg but it does fill early, there are 20 spaces but they are in pairs and some motorhomers seem to think they are entiteled to both spaces.
> 
> John


The problem of some thinking that they're entitled to both spaces stems from the official Aires guide! - The number of places it quotes calculates out at 1 per "bay".

I agree that they should be doubled up.

Oradour is well worth a visit, but very sobering.

If you google Oradour sur Glane, you will find maps, photos etc


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## AlanVal (Aug 17, 2005)

Very sobering place and well worth going into the museum as well it was about 7 Euro each they give you a translator handset .Our visit round the village was spoiled by two french couples who appeared to think the whole thing was funny they laughed and pointed all the way round it was disgraceful..I was scowling at them (as one does )and when we walked back to the Aire we couldn't believe it when they rolled on with two motorhomes and proceeded to create a racket there as well.

Val


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## 106656 (Aug 24, 2007)

To suggest all French seem to display an embarrassingly ignorant view towards sensitive war locations in their own country would be wrong. I have no doubt that a few families were in the Resistance and did what they could during the occupation. 

Nevertheless I have seen the French in action on Pegasus Bridge, Oradour and point du Hoc. In all three locations I had to remind them, in my surprisingly good French, that these were locations where people died and they should have more respect. On Pegasus Bridge I came across two French couples posing for photographs next to the bullet dents in the bridge metalwork. Just another day out, smiling, loud laughing, noisy and bridge-kicking with their shoes showing their wives the bullet damage. No thanks for what the young British lads did there. 
Anyway it got too much for me so I told them they were just a bunch of pigs. They weren't too happy but at times you just have to say it.

In Normandy I came across a coach party of UK school kids. They were interested in the story of what happened there, all of them attentive. A couple of the youngsters left a cross on one of the beaches. I was impressed. Later that day I went to Point du Hoc. French schoolchildren were running between shell hole to shell hole, shouting, screaming. Their Teacher was uninterested in their actions. An American tourist challenged the Teacher and was told to ''mind his own business'.

As much as I like travelling around France I get an uneasy feeling that most of them were quite happy with the German occupation. I may be wrong but I doubt it.


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## Invicta (Feb 9, 2006)

But they do have a national holiday to celebrate the end of WW2 (15th August also my birthday!)Well that is what I was told it was to celebrate when we were returning from Lege Cap Ferret on the Peage and there wasn't a lorry to be seen!


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

We stayed at the free aire there in June last year. It was quite full when we arrived but some bays had doubled up and some (including us )didn't otherwise we would have been on top of a French van with a noisy genny.
There were a few more parked on the gravel outside the sports stadium by the morning. Also a couple of "nomad's" caravans were installed at the upper level and the borne was bust but water available at the sink - and the rubbish bins were overflowing  
but
We visited the museum and martyrs village early the next morning when it was virtually empty and found it a very moving experience.

I've recently put some photos on our website Oradour s Glane

HTH
Steve


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## Pyranha (Jul 4, 2006)

*Resistance Memorial Villages*

Remember that Oradour is not the only one. One I have been to a few times (once on xc ski) is Valchevriere in the Vercors, near Grenoble. As it's in the mountains, it could be an interesting drive in a MH (I've only been by car or foot).

The whole of the Vercors suffered badly and the history makes for a moving read.

It's also a good destination for holidays - skiing, walking, scenery etc.

Damien


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*O/SUR/G*

Are you feeling sorry for them . O-S-G give it a miss , and visit one of the many war grave sites, and say a few words to some of the fallen who gave there lives for these ungrateful people, The Germans enjoyed their stay in france during ww2, with french approval. the word is ' docilite' Sorry to be so blunt.


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## blondy (Aug 23, 2007)

*name french village*

sorry this is off thread.
I think its wrong to criticise the french for the actions of some idiots, there are plenty of idiots in this country.
we go to france to take advantage of their superior roads, camping facilities,
attitude to motorhomers ect so I feel we should treat them all with respect
even if something effects us personally. so far we have been treated very well by the french.
Just my thoughts.
Don


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## AlanVal (Aug 17, 2005)

homenaway said:


> We stayed at the free aire there in June last year. It was quite full when we arrived but some bays had doubled up and some (including us )didn't otherwise we would have been on top of a French van with a noisy genny.
> There were a few more parked on the gravel outside the sports stadium by the morning. Also a couple of "nomad's" caravans were installed at the upper level and the borne was bust but water available at the sink - and the rubbish bins were overflowing
> but
> We visited the museum and martyrs village early the next morning when it was virtually empty and found it a very moving experience.
> ...


We must have been there about the same time we stayed 8th and 9th June.The nomads 2 vans were there with the kids and the borne was bust and the bins were overflowing .. We got filled with water from the sink.we walked to the old village .

Val


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Slightly off topic again but relevant.

We went to Berlin last summer for the unveiling of two stolpe steine - "stumbling stones" (not sure about the spelling), small stones set in the pavement outside the house where my wifes grandparents last lived as free persons before their forced move and ultimate death in the concentration camps. Sounds bad - WRONG - we were welcomed by the Germans, shown around with obvious pride that they are overcoming their bitterly unhappy past, and made to feel valued. All in all an excellent trip - the people we encountered are certainly mindful and regretful of their past and determined that it could not happen again. 

A different view of a country often criticised by people in Britain - a small minority sadly can sour the air for many people, the same is true in France and with British schoolchildren - I know I take them on trips and they can be angels or devils with little effort!

Any exposure to our past can be benficial if we learn from our mistakes. The main thing is to learn from our mistakes - we all make them!


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