KARIN CAVES IT; THE DAY IS SAVED!

May 1. "May Day." Nearly all of Europe closes for the holiday. BUT the fates took pity on us. If yesterday was Araby Day, today was one of triumph.

We started out early (for us) to see if we could get tickets at Lascaux II, the exact replica of a cave discovered in 1940. It is covered with prehistoric paintings, but so many people visited it after the war that the increased humidity began to destroy what had lasted for at least 18,000 years. So, the government closed the cave permanently, but allowed scientists to photograph it and create an exact replica that has become so popular that it's hard to get in to see it. But we lucked out and got three tickets for 2:42 pm on an English tour.

Rouffignac Entryway

It was then about 10:00 am, so I suggested we drive to a much smaller, but real cave, Grotte de Rouffignac. Suzanne obliged, and with her help, Bob made it there in half an hour, leaving twenty minutes before the next tour was to begin. Since Bob and I had visited the cave before, we sat in the warm car, reading, while Karin took the tour. She emerged an hour later raving about the cave drawings, and marveling at how “primative” people could

Karin about to enter the cave

have created such beautiful things so long ago.

This left us enough time to return to the Lascaux area, have a leisurely lunch, and make our 2:42 appointment. Sadly, Lascaux II turned out to be a bad imitation of a Disney exhibit with crowds of people and an “English-speaking tour guide” whose accent was so

strong, I could make out only every third or fourth word. She admitted it was her first tour, so I guess we could have cut her some slack, but Bob and I could not wait to get out of there. Karin, however, was impressed. Having just viewed some originals, perhaps she could better imagine what the real cave paintings must have looked like.

No pictures were allowed inside so we only have two shots of the impressive exterior of Lascaux.

When I say this was our day of triumph, I should mention that the weather went out of its way to cooperate. Driving to and from the museum and grotto, we went through downpours, but when we had to walk to one of our destinations—a cave or lunch—the sun would come out. The only down side was that on May Day, the supermarkets were closed. Mon Dieu! And here we were without the essentials of life: bread, milk, and—if you can believe it—wine! So, the sun came out, we walked in town, found a couple of places open, and bought enough to keep body and soul together for another day.