Day 35. Caves

Dordogne.
Caves all over.
The most important one is ofcourse Lascaux.
Closed for the public but the secret is still there.

We couldn't leave here without going to one at least.
Very close to where we stay are a few important ones.
The one we choose is named: 'Grottes des Combarelles', with engravings who are 13thousand years old.

Not many people are allowed to visit it during the day.
This cave was allowed 35 people a day.
Seven in a group and a guide.

But getting a ticket took time.
You gave to be there round eight and the ticket office opens at half past nine.
When we arrived at ten past eight there was already a long cue waiting.
We were lucky.
There was space in the group at half past twelve.
At the ticket office we could see some scematic drawings of the figures we would see.

Outside are:
Rocks in various colors.

Plants,

And mosses.

The door to the cave was opened and we stepped in.

Photograhy is forbidden.

Dark and rather fresh.
Damp also.
A long narrow corridor we had to follow with a few lamps.

The first engraving we saw was was from a cow.
Absolutely mindblowing.
We did see reindeers, mammoths, horses, a donkey, fertility signs, women without heads, male and female genitals.
Some of them had still a little bit of color, but most of it is faded during the time.
It was more impressive than I did expect.
To realize that this was made so long ago, and that we were allowed to see it.

A lot of questions came up.

Who made them?
The same human beings as we are?
Did they had the same feelings as we have?
Fear? Anger? Joy?
Why were they made?
Was there a meaning to do it?
Where they shown during that time?
Who did see them for the first time or the last time before it was discovered?

The lines were done so accurate.
How was this possible with the instruments they had?

When we came out the sun was shining.
Light after a dark and touching trip.