War and Peace in the Vercors
The plateau of Font d’Urle on horseback
Font d'Urle means literally : «the door of the wind»... A well-chosen name for a plateau constantly pounded by winds.
Gusts that tear hurriedly between the rock faces to whip the faces of men and the snouts of animals. Winds that bend the body as it struggles to hold its footing. Winds that come in bursts, whistling like cannonballs, and winds that cleanse, transport and purify. Winds of war, and winds of freedom... evoking both the Vercors of the past, the theatre of bloody battles, and what it is becoming in order to wash its wounds : a space of liberty.
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The plateau of Font d'Urle is a vast upland pasture of 400 hectares where about 60 horses, nearly two hundred cows and herds of goats roam freely. In mid-June, the breeders leave them here with the shepherds, who will lead them back down at the end of September to spend the winter in the valley, until the following summer. The animals graze, the tourists walk around, taking advantage of the breeze that sweeps away the clouds.
All is calm, restful. At first sight, nothing reflects the painful past which this place conceals.
