It’s difficult to imagine what another person has endured, or suffered, without having gone through the same. Likewise, it can be difficult to grasp how a community can survive; even flourish and prosper in places and under circumstances that by today’s western comfortable standards seem far inadequate, or inhabitable.
Yet, they have and still do, in innumerable places around the globe.
Today’s short traverse of 105K to Camping Le Bois Vert in Parthenay is enhanced with a stop off at the Troglodyte village of Rochemenier. Now a museum housing two of the forty underground farms that used to occupy this area. A village of medieval troglo (cave) dwellers. Still inhabited into the early 20thC.
The fascinating museum exhibits, furniture, tools and photographs describing the lifestyle of the last inhabitants. Living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, wine cellars, ovens, stables, barns, chapels – all bespoke made and cut out of the stone by the residents – as one does.
Our visit follows a clearly marked route of twenty ‘rooms’, with plenty of English, so no head scratching.
The soft tufa stone made it easy should a new born, or two, come along. No need to sell up and move. You’d simply dig a little further into the rock and create an extra bedroom – sorted!
Without seeing and witnessing how the construction of these caves was accomplished, it’s difficult to believe that they managed to conceive and build such underground structures. Yet somehow they did.
“Now go and play, mummy’s got work to do” . . .
Living so close to the elements often creates the need for innovation . . .
Our visit nears its end requiring a stretch of the imagination – not seeing, yet believing.