Thank you for joining this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
I saw this story on someone's Facebook page, then realized it was a year old. Whether it happened last month or last year, though, it's still worth sharing.
The BBC did a story on cave paintings that were discovered 20 years ago in Chauvet, France. It's northwest of Avignon and not too far from the area we plan to move next year.
The paintings are perfectly preserved and give a glimpse into a life that we can only imagine or read about.
Although not quite the same as viewing the real thing, I'm looking forward to seeing the recreation in France some day.
Here's the BBC video on the paintings in Chauvet.
Thanks so much for playing along with Dreaming of France. I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you'll visit the blogs of the other people who play along too.
5 comments:
I don’t blame the French scientists, that’s a natural treasure worth preserving. Is it our breath that’s toxic for the drawings or do they fear people might deface them. If the latter I’d think they could solve that with plexiglass and security guards like they do at museums. Not much we can do about our toxic fumes though:)
This week’s Dreaming of France post is about the very English Grantchester but believe me, there’s a teeny French twist. And, voila, thanks to you ...
Here's my contribution to Dreaming of France
I also am eager to see the new museum. And glad they made it--I wouldn't want to be part of the paintings' demise by changing the atmosphere in the caves. Yes, Sim Carter, you're right about our breath and sweat. I think it's a matter of humidity rather than outright toxicity, but the upshot is still that our presence makes the paintings deteriorate.
There are other, less famous cave paintings nearby in Ariège that I haven't yet been to but really want to see.
Beautiful and truly amazing. I can respect the desire to preserve. I've always wanted to see the giant trees out west but I recently saw a program that pleaded "if you love trees don't come". They showed a video of all the tourists and I could honestly relate.
I was lucky on a tour in the 90's that went to one cave where you squeezed through to see the paintings - there was a limit to how many people and how long you could be in there with the guide. Then on another tour 10 or so years ago we went to a place where you take a little trolley into a cave to see the paintings. My most vivid memory is stopping halfway to see whorls on the floor and marks on the wall - where bears had hibernated.
Sim, Yes, in the video they show how mold started to grow on the cave paintings in some places. I don't think they mentioned any graffiti. Can you imagine?
Taste of France, I saw your post on the Visigoths. The history all over France is astounding.
Just Me, I hadn't hear that about the Redwoods. Oh, no. I want to go see them. And Glacier National Park before it disappears.
Silly Girl, How lucky that you saw cave paintings -- the real ones, not recreations. Funny that you remember the bear markings more.
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