Limoges, continued

Splash of color

        The center of Limoges looks unchanged from centuries past. Virtually every building is in traditional Tudor style, while the outer walls that may once have been stark white have been stained a soft coffee hue by weather and time. We happened upon another festival (we had the best luck with this somehow), one focusing on dance, theater, music, and the diverse cultures mingling in Limoges. Bastien, his girlfriend Lucie, and their cat Lulu were fun and gracious hosts. Both of them do environmentally-focused work, both are talented performers, and we pretty much have identical taste in music but with much to share and exchange. (Um, did we just become best friends?)

Cheesier than fontina in this one =]

  

"Les Francophonies en Limousin" line-up

Arriving at the start of the weekend, we were able to have them as our guides throughout each day. We dove into so many facets of the local culture, from sneaking samples of culinary herbs in a botanical garden, to swapping recipes with Bastien and Lucie's friends and washing it all down with bitter red wines; sharp, creamy cheeses; and flaky breads that melted on our tongues like cotton candy. 

Yes, nearly everything we did in Limoges involved gastronomy.

Fish pond at the Gardens

The Cathedral's Botanical Gardens

But if there was one place that affected me the most on this trip, it would be the town of Oradour-sur-Glane. A short drive from Limoges, it was the site of unspeakable atrocities during the Second World War.

It deserves a post all its own.