Travelling back in time

When we planned our time, prior to the stoppage of Juniper, we had purchased tickets to go to the Grotto at Arcy sur Cure.  We were able to delay using our tickets, luckily, as we needed to get the car to go there.

The Grotto at Arcy sur Cure are the third oldest caves in the world. These caves, according to the guide, are better able to handle visitors as they are large and have high ceilings to make it safe for both the people and to protect the cave.  We were with a group, and our guide spoke English as well as French.  The tour was impressive and very affirming of the creative processes of human beings, going back some 28,000 years ago.  

The cave paintings are far back at the end of the cave, and were discovered as a result of wanting to clean up the caves from all the soot of torches over the years.  Using pressure washers, when red paint started washing out they realized that they were destroying paintings, circa 1970.  Since then, the have uncovered the paintings of animals, mammoths, rhinoceros, and of hand prints by carefully removing the calcium deposits that covered them up.

We were all impressed by the paintings, and the caves themselves were beautiful. Caves-Arcy-sur-Cure.  Photos from the phone will post when we have more internet.

 


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