Postcards From Susan: La Vendee Redux

Our second visit to the Vendee included a few high spots other than Puy du Fou. we made a trek to Lucon, a nearby small city, in part to visit a favorite depot-vente (consignment store) which was unfortunately closed for vacation, and in part to visit the cathedral for the first time. It was a lovely cathedral, as it should have been given that it was cardinal Richelieu's first posting -- and he made the best of it, beginning his rise to power in the church as well as in politics. The attached cloister is under repair, but we were able to get inside for a brief visit.

We got ourselves up a little early one morning to say goodbye to Paul, who was leaving for New York. He had been up for hours doing chores, and was at a full run when it came time to drive off. and a good thing -- we heard later he had to run to catch the train to Paris and the airport!

So a little out of focus --

We made dinner for the ladies one evening, and had a grand time under the trees until almost 11 PM -- Italian sausage soup, salad, cheese, and the remains of the last kouign amann cake from Brittany. Of course, before making your Italian sausage soup, you should check to see that you can actually find Italian sausage -- turns out it is unknown. So a little fennel to spiced sausage and you are good to go!

Another day Ann joined us for a visit to Le Lucs sur Burlougne, a fitting counterpoint to the Puy du Fou history of the Vendee. In 1794, republican forces continued their genocide of the Vendee people, who had revolted at the central government's demand for soldiers and taxes. What occurred throughout the countryside was no less than genocide, as men, women and children were all killed, farm animals slaughtered, and fields salted. In Les Lucs sur Boulougne, many people were lined up against a wall and shot. Others took refuge in a church. They were all killed. One of the priests of the parish was away, and when he returned a few days later all he found were bodies. He made a written list of some 564 names, that survives. Because of that list, Les Lucs sur Boulougne was chosen as a memorial to all of the murdered Vendee peoples, perhaps as many as a million. It is now home to a new museum of the Vendee, and a moving memorial to the dead, and all victims of political genocide.

Our last day we went off to see another part of the countryside, where flooding last winter made international headlines. We drove into the town, and saw many modern, well-painted and maintained houses, perhaps hundreds, but all of them closed up. We then noticed barriers at the ends of the drives, and eventually we figured out that these hundreds of houses were condemned. So this explained why no one was making any repairs, and why the shutters were all closed. As we drove through I then noticed a few with second stories where windows were missing -- the flood waters were so high and came on so quickly that people had to break their second story windows to get onto their roofs -- if they were luck enough to have a second story. Some 60 people died from flooding in this village. The houses will not be rebuilt.

That sent us off in an unexpected direction. The land near the Atlantic is below sea level, and protected by levees. We had learned a few years ago that the entire area had been a marsh and underwater; mere islands emerged from the sea. Several of the islands were given to religious orders of monks who set us a system of locks to keep rising salt water out, and drain fresh water from rivers. eventually -- over about 200 years, the entire area was drained and became productive farm land. Of course, the monks were entitled to rent, and became among the most prosperous in France.

So as we looked across the flat land, we saw one of the old islands emerging, and so we went to take a look.

Pretty darned flat!

From there we went to St. Michel-en-herm, the location of the abbey that took on the marsh draining project. The village was on a small hill (naturally) nearby. We visited the village church first, then bought tickets at the Tourist Office (mere moments before it closed) for a tour of the abbey, which is now in private hands.