Under Domme
Just to be boring. we went back to Domme yesterday.
Just to be even more boring, I took a load more photographs.
Herself wanted to spend a shed-load of my hard earned pension, so I fucked off on my own. I’m not stupid enough to hang around and become a pack-horse for all those parcels.
This time, I wandered a bit off the straight and narrow [which isn’t a first?] and I moseyed down some back streets.
Now there are a couple of things I want you to notice about these photographs.
Do you see all that litter? Everywhere you look there is litter, or weeds, or something untidy?
No? That’s because there isn’t any. Not just in Domme, but anywhere. This is the tidiest fucking country I have ever seen.
Another thing to note is the width of the streets, especially in the third photograph. All the streets are like that in Domme, with the exception of the main street, and that ain’t no O’Connell Street, I can assure you. Driving in Domme is a bloody nightmare, as you have to turn left or right at every crossroads. This is a map of Domme –
You can take it from me that every single one of those streets is a fucking one-way, and there is no rhyme nor reason to the layout. It is quite literally a maze. Even poor Roger got a headache.
That last photograph is of the Top Square. The old Market Hall there holds a very strange secret. If you look closely at the photograph, you can see what looks like a cage inside. That, in fact is the entrance to The Grotte de Domme.
Not many of you know this, but I used to be an avid caver [or speleologist, if you want to sound posh]. I have explored caves throughout Ireland and in The Mendips on Somerset. Now that I am beginning to show the odd grey hair, I am having to confine myself to the show caves. I have never ever seen a show cave entrance like that before though. They are usually miles out in the countryside somewhere.
I bought a ticket and took the trip. Well worth it. I was expecting some hacked out hole in the ground, but this was the real McCoy. Beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, curtains, the full whack.
I met up with Herself after a couple of hours.
She was bollixed after lugging her parcels around all afternoon.
One of these days she’ll learn.
Dordogne is a good area for caves alright.
Spent years 4-6 in the Mendips, near West Harptree.
Thrifty – I’m getting a little creaky for caving these days which is a pity. I was in the Cheddar area in ’67 and ’68.
I’m usually in the Cheddar area once I open the wine.
Seriously though, visited the Melissani Caves in Greece last year – stunning. Limestone is one hell of a rock.
I’m hugely confused, Grandad.
There’s no litter, but at the same time, there isn’t a bin ever ten metres either. We’ve been told for yeeeears that the cause of litter was a human incapacity for carrying rubbish.
Have I been lied to all this time? My faith in our public representatives is shaky enough without another blow. 🙁
Andrew – I am sort of confused myself, as litter bins are quite hard to find. If you look through all the photographs I have posted of Domme, there is only one wheelie-bin visible. Maybe the French just don’t create as much litter?
Perhaps the town, being a tourist trap, employs a lot of street cleaners ?
TT – Not so. Or if they do, I never saw any, and that goes for any other town I have been in.
I recall in Moscow in the Soviet days seeing an army of cleaners come out in the wee hours and sweep the streets and the underground. But I guess the French are simply a tidy lot.
Done any pot holing in your caving days ?
Your the best tour guide around.
Nice to see clean streets and roads for a change, not so here. The riff-raff around here just dump their old furniture, appliances, cars, trash along side the road. Makes me sick. Have they no pride, guess their to busy going to pickup the Welfare checks to swing by the transfer station with their crap.
If you think Roger gets confused, you should try his cousin Tom.
My sister from Engalnd and her husband decided that Tom could find his was from Ballybrack to Glendalough. They put in Glendalough and Tom suggested somewhere in Waterford, so, instead, they put in Laragh, the nearest village. Tom took them through the city centre to Lucan (they had no idea where they were meant to be going), apparently there’s a Laragh out there somewhere.
Give Tom ‘Domme’ and he could probably take you anywhere in Europe.
TT – The women street cleaners? I did a bit of solo pot holing once in the Mendips. A stupid thing to do, and I nearly came unstuck so I tended to stick to the more horizontal ones after that!!
Brighid – Thank you. If you lot have a whip around and send me the cash, I can do this on a more permanent basis? 😉
Ian – There was a lovely story in the English papers during the week about a bloke who followed Tom to the letter. He ended up hanging off the edge of a cliff, and they had to tow him back. He got done for careless driving!!
Ya know the towns you highlight look like anyother European towns that people have lived in for too many years. The panoramic pic could be almost any area around here (Central Pa) The big plus is we speak english and drive on the correct side of the road. I have no doubt the weather is better than in Oirand but so it is here too.
Sorry no whips and the cash is for emergencies only.
Boy does Brianf have a burr under his saddle or what!
Brighid – Don’t mind Brianf. He’s just insanely jealous. Or just insane. I’m not sure which.
I fear it’s the later.
Brighid – The jury is still out.