Catching the Sun: Josephine Baker

What a day, dodging downpours. Chateau des Milandes was a fascinating place to visit. I had heard of Josephine Baker but discovering more about her story was both inspirational and sad. From a poor background in the US, married twice before the age of 16 she found huge success in Paris on the revue stage. She lived in the Chateau des Milandes in the Perigord region of France for many years with her 12 children, 10 of whom were adopted. She worked tirelessly for the French resistance during the war years and was given the Legion of Honour in recognition of her work. Her dedication to the care of her children led her to leave the stage and eventually lead to financial problems until she was eventually evicted from the chateau. She died age 62 from a brain haemorrhage just one day after returning to the stage for a celebration of 50 years in the theatre.