This morning we woke up early as we had to travel quite a bit. We started our day in Pithiviers, the town that was home to the French Internment camp, le Camp de Pithiviers where my grandfather was imprisoned for more than a year before he was sent to Auschwitz. There is a small memorial to the people who were deported to their deaths from the camp. The structures of the camp are long gone but the train station was just rediscovered and will be turned into a memorial.
We got back in the car for a two plus hour ride to Beaufay, a very small town near Le Mans. My mother was hidden there by my grandmother and they were eventually reunited on the farm during the Nazi regime. The town historian, George BIGOT and I have been in contact for many months and he helped put together an unbelievable day.
We started at the actual farm house where my mother was hidden. Some structural work has been done since that time but the old house on the property was identical to the pictures that I found in my mother's safe deposit box. People from all over town joined us as we had coffee with the owners, Patrick and his family.
We then went to Le Mans and toured the old city and the cathedral. The group then went to the Le Mans racetrack and Museum. We had to rush through as we were meeting a group of over twenty people at what seemed to be the only restaurant in a village of 1400 residents. The group asked that I tell my family story with two translators. I showed them pictures of my mother and grandmother on the farm called "le Jarrier". The historian, George, introduced us to a woman who knew the family that who owned the farm and spoke fondly of them. After Jonathan and I were interviewed by a reporter, the people of the town gave us a beautiful gift to remember our visit.
We ended the day in front of the Eiffel Tower, taking in the light show.
This day was extraordinary! The people of Beaufay are incredible and we thank them for everything that they did for my mother, grandmother and us.