Off in the battered old Volkswagen to the county town . The town hall wrapped up in pink wrapping paper for a wedding. The wrapping paper looking damp and decidedly unromantic after bearing the brunt of an overnight shower.
A restaurant advertising its speciality ' the foie gras club sandwich '. The attached newspaper article explains that the chef uses sliced bread and has opted to dispense with the chicken filling in order to make room for a third layer of foie gras. In fact all relationship to a club sandwich seems to have gone. Perhaps they should call it ' sweetness on toast '.
By the car park a sign on a church. ' In memory of Andre Delacourte ... killed for France in this church on October 9th 1943 ' . Assassinated in a church ? Sometimes you wish signs would tell you more.
Back to the last day of the neighbouring villages pottery festival. Pitoux, the very old character laden dog, is standing in the middle of the market square. This being France people bend down to speak to him. He pointedly ignores them all. Canine ennui. He has the wizened , no nonsense , look of a dog who will only acknowledge strangers carrying sausages.
I found
ReplyDeleteAndré DELACOURTIE (Boulevard, 1945)1922-1943 Turner/fitter at the aviation factory Breguet, engaged in the Young Communist League, he participated in the action against the arrival of Petain in November 1940. "Arthur" then joined the F.T.P.F. Lot et Garonne with whom he organized sabotage groups in the factories and in the cities of the department. He was in charge of the young communists of Lot et Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne. He was betrayed and killed by the Vichy police in St Jilaire church in Agen, October 9, 1943.
and, in an obituary for Yves BETTINI who died on 23 November 2008:-
Yves was just 15 years old when, member of the Union of Communist Youth of France, he began to campaign for solidarity with Republican Spain. He was part of the group which distributed leaflets against the Vichy regime during the visit to Toulouse of Pétain in November 5, 1940.
This group of young communists included André Delacourtie, his wife Angela, Jean Bertrand, Marcel Clouet, Caussat Robert, Marie-Angèle Del Rio. Robert and Marie-Angèle are the last survivors of this memorable act which marks at
Toulouse the public start of the Resistance. The leaflets were dropped from roofs on the rue Alsace, through an ingenious system.
Every so often in our little south west village, I see a funeral cortege for a hero of the resistance. Very moving. The "crowds" following eh coffin get smaller every year.
What a travesty!
ReplyDeletePictures of Pitoux bring a lump to my throat. He is so very like Argus, the mother of two lovely dogs we had in France, when we first bought our old convent. We named them Bubble and Squeak. They were lovely girls and were with us for about a year. We were forced to return to the UK for an indefinite period and had to, for their sake, give them up to the S.P.A. We paid for their bed and board for about six months until we received a letter to say they had both been adopted by two lovely families. I cried with relief, regret and an immense feeling of failure which will never completely leave me. Consequently I am probably over-protective of Merlin. Oh dear what a spillage! Apologies.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day all.
Teena and Merlin.
x
your spillage was very dear teena.
Deletei'm glad it had a happy ending. you should carry no guilt now.
hugs,
tammy j
Thank you Tammy. You are lovely.
Deletex
Pitoux, a wise old dog. Perhaps he'd like the foie gras club sandwich.
ReplyDeleteXXXOOO Daisy, Bella & roxy
Wow, what a sad story associated with young André DELACOURTIE,....he and his band of friends fighting for what they believed in...very touching.
ReplyDeletePitoux reminds me somewhat of the patriach of my the bow wow crew that I had...his name was Shaggy, and for good reason.
If you run into the old potter again, mention he should have Pitoux's nails clipped soon.
Also, something that has never happened on this blog before (at least that I know of), a minor error in spelling (change pilk to pink above).
Love,
Virginia
Thank you - Change noted and applied . Pilk to pink.
DeleteAmazing stories you get from the bones of a church!!! Pitoux is such a grand canine! V. regal!
ReplyDeletePitoux looks like he is thinking serious thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHello again Pitoux!! No foie gras for me, no sir.
ReplyDeleteSerious grumpy old dog - always have a treat with you when you encounter him so he lightens up a bit.
ReplyDeleteLove from the furcrew and myself - Susanne, dAisy, Foxiie, Kiri
Lovely photo. The cobblestones echo the coloration of the old dog's coat.
ReplyDeleteYou can have my sandwich. Foie gras does nothing for me!
ReplyDelete