Market day! Again! We’ve gotten to look forward to the thrice-weekly visits to the local market. Fruits and vegetables are always super fresh and the people watching is hard to beat. Today’s hunt is easy – a baguette and items for a dinner salad.
We fired up the rental car and took a short drive into the Aix suburbs to the ‘Site Memorial du Camp des Milles’, an internment site during WWII with an interesting and sad history.
Originally, the structure was a tile factory. At the start of the war, the French government interred 5th column suspects – foreigners (mostly German) who might work behind the scenes against the government. Unfortunately, most of those jailed had fled the Nazi regime and many were well-respected artists and scientists (including a few future Nobel prize winners). No matter. Later in the war, the Vichy French government collaborated with the Nazis and used the camp as a deportation center for Jews. Some 2000 were sent to Auschwitz. Quite moving and sad what these people did to their own countrymen.
It’s a quiet night with a nice salad and wine for dinner.
D.
Even though we go 3 times a week, the market is a different place every time. Today, we just need some simple things, eggs and some salad mixings. Dick had spied a cheese when he was there a couple of days ago – he thought it was a blue. Went by the vendor today, not a very friendly Frenchman (unusual on this trip – most have been very friendly) and we couldn’t sample it. At 25 Euros a kg, we weren’t willing to buy it taste unseen, so his loss.
We had talked about going to Camp des Milles for a while. It is the only remaining internment and transit camp (to Auschwitz) in France today. Certainly not a pleasant holiday experience. But, as travelers, we owe it to ourselves to not just visit the ‘fun’ stuff, but to also experience an area in its entirety.
This part of French history (The Vichy period) is not a pretty sight. Refugees from Germany were originally allowed to immigrate to this area in France to be safe. After the capitulation of France to Germany, most of those that had immigrated here, were persecuted and many deported to Auschwitz to be executed. Of note, on the remaining train car that survived the journey, capacity is listed at 40 men or 8 horses. I think the horses had a better deal.
Anyone who is engaged in identity politics today, should visit this area and the history. We should remember the famous quote “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it”.
We decide to have a nice salad at the apartment and spend a quiet evening at home.
M.