Friday 5 August 2011

Exideuil

In May, I visited the small town of Exideuil which is situated in the department of Charente, with the beautiful Vienne River running through it.  It is also on the main railway line between Limoges and Angouleme.  The inhabitants of Exideuil are called Exideuillais, and the town is on the edge of the world famous meteorite crater at Rochechouart.

The meteorite that hit the Earth between Pressignac and present day Rochechouart, is reputedly part of one of the 15 largest ever meteorites to make contact with our planet's surface (source: museum Paul Pellas, Rochechouart).

In 1969, scientific researchers in the region advanced a theory of a meteorite which hit about 214 million years ago, at the end of the Triassic age.  It was about a mile wide or 1.5km in diameter and weighed some 6,000 million tons and hit at a speed of 20 km a second. The energy released was some 14 million times that of the Hiroshima bomb. A crater 20 - 25 kilometres wide was formed within 42 seconds of impact, vaporising some 8 cubic miles of the earth's crust and vitrifying a further 42 cubic miles. Phew!! All life within 300 miles of the impact at modern-day Rochechouart would have been wiped out. (Source: Association Pierre de la Lune). 
For further reading please see HERE

 The Mairie (Town Hall / Mayor's office)

The Vienne river which runs along the rear of the Mairie.
 Houses in the main street. Note the well outside in the pavement; I bet this was a great meeting point in years gone by.
 I just loved these roses that ran along the fence where I had parked the car
and I was completely fascinated by these two small doors under the fence with beautifull initials on them.  The mind runs wild dreaming up what they may be there for, or what is behind them!
An attractive corner in the centre of town.  Note that the streets were very quiet as I was there during the French 2 hour lunch break!
Of course, no town in France would be complete without its own war memorial.
The Church door
 L'église Saint-André d'Exideuil
The steeple from various angles



Photos inside were far more difficult; the only light came from the doorway and I do not like using flash in these buildings. Many people object, and I do not want to incur the wrath of the locals!


I hope that you enjoyed this small tour. At some stage, I would like to go to the Rochechouart Meteorite Museum when Nigel is here and I will to do a post with more information on the Meteorite. 

89 comments:

  1. How interesting Diane... I wasn't aware of the huge meteorite which hit this region. I'll ask Clive, he may remember it :)
    I love the church steeple, it's quite unusual.
    Many thanks for the tour.

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  2. I am with you , Diane... what's with those adorable little doors! I never knew about a meteor strike in France but it seems that its ill effects were softened by time and all was well in the end because it is a lovely area. I was also charmed by that pump.. I bet many a thirsty citizen and horse stopped by for a drink... does it still work, I wonder??

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  3. Craig, is Clive that old..... LOL. I agree that steeple is quite different to the norm. Diane

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  4. lostpastremembered I would love to know the story of those doors...... I often see these wells around but I have never had the cheek to go and try to see if they work. Yes, time has definitely softened the effects of the meteorite, certainly there is nothing obvious around but I am looking forward to a trip to the museum some time. Diane

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  5. It's official. I'm going to retire in South of France. Your blog is giving me the opportunity to pick not only the village where I'm going to live, but the exact building :)

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  6. This place has an old world charm with the war memorial and the beautiful church door...
    What you said about this meteorite is really so interesting. loved the post.
    http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com

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  7. Look lovely Diane I always loved antiques churchs, lovely post, gloria

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  8. When I saw the title of this post, I got so excited. I went to "colonie de vacances" (youth camp) in Excideuil in the Dordogne region when I
    was a teenager. Different Exideuil, with a different spelling. Both beautiful towns. We used to have little doors like this when I lived in the countryside for coal delivery. The coal was just empty from the outside directly into the basement. (Still watching Pete's pond in Botswana. There is a woman on the chat room who lives in Ixopo. We get to learn a lot from her about South Africa).

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  9. What a beautiful tour Diane, thank you - how amazing about the meterite - yikes
    Mary

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  10. Olga I am not quite in the South but about 2/3rd of the way down. LOL Let me know when you move and I will come and visit you. Diane

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  11. Purabi Naha I am looking forward to a visit to the museum to learn more about the meteorite. Thanks for the kind comment, have a great weekend. Diane

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  12. Gloria thanks for the kind comment, have a great weekend. Diane

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  13. Nadege wish could watch the video cam but this slow connection I have here just will not allow it!!! Aha, coal in the cellar could be the answer but why the fancy initials! Have a great weekend. Diane

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  14. Mary Mum's Kitchen, Yikes is about it, can you imagine the damage it would do today!!! Take care Diane

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  15. Thank you, Diane for pointing out all these beautiful places to visit!

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  16. Hello Diane:
    What an interesting and informative post. We have loved our tour of this exceedingly pretty town and we loved the empty streets during siesta time. This gives it such a european flavour and could never be mistaken for anywhere in England.

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  17. Wow, that was an interesing post on a lovely wee town and what a history it has! I love to learn about places I don't know about. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. As the saying goes "you learn something new every day" and I have today!

    Lovely photographs again, Diane.

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  19. By the way, a bunch of people in the Southwest
    departments saw a "UFO" 2 days ago. It was a meteorite that eventually exploded in the air and scattered around the Andorra, Perpignan, Carcassonne area.
    Why can't you get a faster connection to the internet? Have a good weekend too!

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  20. It looks like an idyllic little place, esp. along the river. Happy weekend!

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  21. Your photos in the post are wonderful...they really convey a charm that I'm sure you see every day.

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  22. Beautiful interesting photos Diane. I love the fence with the roses and those little doors.

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  23. So,so beautiful Dianne! Those French towns where made for strolling around.

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  24. Cuisine de Provence it is a pleasure as long as you enjoy :-) Diane

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  25. Jane and Lance, you are so right, only places where they have a long (important)lunch break could be empty like this! The UK would never have villages this quiet. Diane

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  26. Ellie glad you found it interesting, there are many villages in France with fascinating history. It just a case of tracking them down and they are usually in French!! Diane

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  27. Gaynor I only discovered about the meteorite a couple of years back and it is not that far from us!!! Diane

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  28. Nadege I have just looked up the information on the meteorite over SW France, thanks, interesting, I had not known about it.
    So far as the internet connection is concerned, we are in a small hamlet quite some distance from a town where we are connected, so it has a long way to get to us. There are only about 5 computers in the hamlet and all have the same problem. The Dr, who has 3 children who all use computers, has tried various connections but they are still slow. When we move here on a permanent basis we will see what else is available, but I think we should thank our lucky stars that we have at least got adsl. We have such a fast connection in the UK that I find this infuriating at times, but as I say at least I have a connection. When I first got here I only had a dial up and that was hopeless! Take care Diane

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  29. Joyful the Vienne is a beautiful river and it is always so relaxing next to it. Take care Diane

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  30. Thanks Deb from WhatsInMyAttic, your kind comment is much appreciated. Have a great weekend Diane

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  31. Lyndsey I was totally fascinated by the fence, roses and the little doors. Have a good weekend Diane

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  32. Liesl, I can spend hours walking around the little villages in France they all have so much character. Take care Diane

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  33. What an interesting little place!

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  34. Merci Diane, je ne connaissais pas l'histoire de la météorite! Un très joli village Exideuil! Eh oui, en France entre 12 et 14 heures , c'est calme , tout le monde est à table!
    Bonne fin de semaine à vous!

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  35. Great pictures of this town as usual!
    WOW, I never new about the meteorite story.
    There is a famous one about 1H30 from Joburg:
    Two billion years ago a meteorite 10km in diameter hit the earth about 100km Southwest of Johannesburg, creating an enormous impact crater. This area, near Vredefort in the Free State, is now known as the Vredefort Dome.
    Very impressive too!
    Cheers, Diane!

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  36. Peggy it is pretty and the fact that is right on the Vienne River makes it a beautiful spot. Have a good Sunday Diane.

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  37. Noushka now I did not know about the one in the Freestate so I have learnt something new today. Very interesting. Keep well. Diane

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  38. Fabulous places to visit .. maybe a spring visit ..:-)

    Hope all is well with you and that NIgel has recovered now .xox

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  39. Lucie merci pour votre aimable commentaire. La météorite a été intéressante. Bon dimanche. A bientôt. Diane

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  40. Hi Anne spring sounds good. I will email you tomorrow. Nigel is over the virus but just wants to get out of there! Take care Diane xx

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  41. Nice shots...looks a lovely place.

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  42. Kalyan - Thanks so much for the visit to my blog and the kind comment. Much appreciated. Diane

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  43. I like Those roses running on the fence, look so beautiful !

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  44. Hi Diane. I've left you a comment on my blog explaining why you didn't get a phone call from me. It is wonderful seeing your pictures. You mention some towns we got to see. I'm also very intrigued by those doors. They'll turn up in a story one day I'm sure. So lovely.

    Thanks for being the first to visit my Paris blog since I've been back.

    Denise

    http://pichetsinparis.blogspot.com

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  45. Sonia the roses were quite stunning Take care. Diane

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  46. Denise, oh nothing worse than renting a car that gives trouble, so sorry. Yes I am sure you loved Sarlat I think it is a very special place. Take care looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. Diane

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  47. What a beautiful town you are in. Your pictures remind me of a little town in India called Pondicherry, which was a French colony. It is about 100km or less than from the city we live. And they still have the beautiful French style houses and villas. I like the beautiful rose bushes too. You are lucky to be living in the most stylish places.
    Cruise Pictures

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  48. Sailor I also think we are lucky to be in such a beautiful part of France. Thanks so much for the comment. I am glad to say I can at last get back onto your blog once more. Diane

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  49. Stumbled across your blog and the pictures here are lovely... so tranquil and quaint.
    Karen Xavier

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  50. Karen so glad you stumbled across me LOL. Thanks so much for your kind comment, hope to see you back sometime. Diane

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  51. Hey Diane, what we call maida is 'all purpose flour' for you... it's the same thing. Well, nice chatting with you...

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  52. Thanks Karen you have solved the Maida problem for me LOL. Diane

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  53. A perfect French village to while away the time, so thanks Diane for sharing it with us. How intriguing those initialed doors are :)

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  54. I love exploring your area through your posts. Those two little doors (with the letters on them) would have intrigued me too!

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  55. Hi Diane, what a lovely place you visited and the wealth of information you provided.
    A personal thank you also for your kind thoughts you posted on my blog. Have a great day.

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  56. Dolly, Nadege's idea of the coal cellar sounds about right BUT why the fancy initials on the door !!!!! Guess we will never find out :-( Diane

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  57. Pam, very intriguing as I have just said to Dolly I guess we will never have an answer. If my French was a bit better I might try asking someone but ..... Take care, Diane

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  58. Marco Pasha, Thanks for the comment but not necessary at a time like this. I know you must have much on your mind. Take care. Diane

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  59. What a delightful place, very interesting about the meteorite!

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  60. Love the structural details of the church, thanks once again for the tour Diane.

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  61. lovely pictures
    the previous post turkey looks wonderful

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  62. Linda it is a lovely little place and being on the Vienne gives it something special. It will be interesting to go to the museum and learn more about the meteorite. Thanks for the visit, take care Diane.

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  63. chubskulit I loved the steeple on that church it was different to the norm. Diane

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  64. Torviewtoronto thanks for the comment, I bought some more wings on special yesterday :-) only just managed to squeeze them into the freezer but made it. Diane

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  65. What a wonderful post Diane, thank you!
    Zambia

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  66. Zambia thanks for the visit and the comment. Take care Diane

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  67. Diane, this is interesting as usual. For some weird reason, doors always fascinate me and I love it when you include pics of great European doors!!! I too wonder what's behind them. That's amazing and a little scary with that large meteorite. Thanks for another great tour and history lesson!!!

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  68. What a lovely village. I can't imagine how they could figure out something from 214 million years ago. Amazing.
    Sam

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  69. Pam those little doors are a complete mystery to me!! As you say the meteorite is a little scary, to think that this could happen!! Diane

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  70. Sam, History is one thing, but as you say, that long ago, how do they figure it out!! As my mother-in-law used to say they are 'clever clogs' LOL Diane

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  71. Diane thanks for taking me to another interesting trip. I love everything I see and learn something new about something old.

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  72. Quay Po Cooks, glad you enjoyed the trip. Take care Diane

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  73. Hi Diane, lovely post and photos. Just what I needed to see this evening. I'm sure you understand. x

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  74. Diane, thanks again for taking us along the trip. I'm looking forward to your museum trip. I'm sure it going to be fun.
    Blessings, Kristy

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  75. Fernando Santos,Saudações, obrigado pelo comentário. Diane

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  76. Froggy, glad you enjoyed the little tour round a small town. Yes I understand :-) Take care and don't over do it. Diane

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  77. Kristy I am also looking forward to the museum trip but not sure when it might be. Take care Diane

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  78. Another lovely French village! I've not been to that area yet, but we've been looking at real estate (just dreaming, of course) in the Charente area just out of curiosity.

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  79. Cameron, our was just a dream as well but it has almost come true. We have the house in France, just need now to sell the one in the UK and for Nigel to join me in retirement :-)) Diane

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  80. hi diane, looking at the roses in the fence photo, it reminds me of the fairytale story, snow white and rose red. In the book , they always have pictures of roses garden and bushes something like these..

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  81. I am so happy I could give you a virtual journey of the US so nice to know I can view France from your beautiful blog :)

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  82. Lena pity there were not some white roses there as well and it would have really been a fairy tale :-) Diane

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  83. Marla it is amazing how I get to see other peoples countries through their eyes and photos, certainly a cheaper way of travelling !! Diane

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  84. Hi Diane!!

    What lovely photos and a really cute village... It's really funny, but I was thinking about meteorites just a few days ago and wondering what spots they've hit.. Now, I know one, for sure!!

    Hope you've been having a lovely summer and now I'm going to be catching up on my reading so I'll be back soon...
    Thanks for stopping by my blog today, too.. It's been a while since I've been posting regularly but I suppose I'll be back into it this month and in Sept!
    Hugs,
    Leese

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  85. It is always great visiting these unknown-to-me French towns through your lovely photos.

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  86. JM I am glad you enjoy the visits to these little towns, I enjoy taking photos and looking them up on the internet to see what interest is there. Diane

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  87. Hi, I have just come across your blog when doing some research for my website and was very excited to see your pictures of exideuil and of my house... I live in the house with the "little doors". They lead to the cellar so I presume they were used for coal or wood delivery in previous years.

    We are opening a chambre d'hôte here in the summer 2012 so I hope our visitors enjoy exideuil as much as you and I do.

    Our website is www.labellevienne.com

    I look forward to following your blog.
    Louise

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  88. Hi,
    I was just doing some research for my website and came across your great blog and was very excited to see your pictures of the "little doors" as they belong to my house !! The doors lead to the cellar so I presume they were used for coal or wood delivery in previous years.
    We are opening the house as a chambre d'hôte in the summer of 2012 so I hope our visitors will enjoy their visit to exideuil as much as you did.
    Our website is www.labellevienne.com
    I look forward to following your blog
    Louise

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  89. Louise I have sent you an email which I hope that you receive. Very exciting to find out what was behind the dear little doors :) Diane

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