Friday, May 08, 2020

Main street

This is the main street through Rocamadour -- la rue de la Couronnerie -- on a bustling spring day in 2006. I was surprised when I looked on Google Maps streetview to see that the street looks a lot less colorful now than it did back then. Their views are from October of 2019, so it was fall. But still.

 My shot from April 2006. The building with the flags is City Hall.

The biggest difference I noticed is that the restaurant, Chez Anne Marie (from Philly? LOL) is gone, replaced by another establishment called la Table du Curé. Below is the screenshot I took from Google Maps streetview, captured in October 2019. The Google image may have been taken earlier in the day before many of the shops opened up. That could explain why the street looks so quiet.

This is very close to the point where I took my photo. Quite a difference! The white "BAR" sign on the right is in both shots.

Nothing is more constant than change. Tastes change, businesses come and go, buildings are renovated, and on and on. I've been to so many places in France that have dramatically changed since I first saw them. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. C'est la vie !

10 comments:

  1. This town looks incredible... except for all the tourists and especially the "tourist bikers." Of course, I'd be a tourist, too, but I'd still want the place to myself. Locals only... and me.

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  2. Great comparison shots, Walt.

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  3. Love being in Rocamadour once again!

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  4. I wouldn't be surprised if many shops had closed up for good. It's amazing how fast town centers have emptied out, although Rocamadour is not a big town with a surrounding industrial/commercial zone.
    We've seen Villefranche de Rouergue empty streets. The storefronts are filled with craft work, but that's just to have something in the window -- there's no shop. Each year, another few shops are missing as we make our rounds.

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  5. Looks like Restaurant Chez Anne-Marie was the colorful one!

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  6. mitch, I think you've started a #metoo movement for tourists.

    bettyann, thanks to Google maps!

    evelyn, good!

    ellen, that happens in Saint-Aignan as well. The fate of small towns up against la grande distribution.

    judy, looks that way! :)

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  7. bwhahahahahahaha! nope, not me. I don't mind cooking for spouse and I, but that's about it. I am no gourmet chef, just a comfort food type person. thanks for the shout-out, walt!

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  8. Lovely photos just what I would suppose the place looks like. I always appreciate your photos.

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