nichepoetryandprose

I am still continuing on the third phase of my virtual bike trip through central France.  For Phase 3 of my trip, I am biking in 12 days from Exireuil to Magné just west of Niort.  As of March 1st, I was over half way there!

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Unfortunately, all of the trip of March 1 was along a railroad track!

It was bumpy and boring.  Big fields, no houses, few trees to give me shade and no Street View images.

Day 7 map showing side trip (marked A to B) (map from Google Earth)

So I did what all virtual bikers are able to do.  I ‘flew’ a little to the south and followed a route from Villeneuve to Le Pont d’Homme, along two country roads: Rue du Moulin and Rue du Marteau.

Rue du Moulin (image from Street View)

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These were hilly, winding country roads, bounded by small fields and interesting fences.

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Log Book:  March 1, 2013

Area travelled:   from ‘east of Chavagné’ to ‘field south of Trévins-le-Bas’

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Best view:  vine-covered gate on Rue du Marteau

Notes:  I have discovered that most yellow fields in this part of France are Colza (Brassica rapa), a relative of Turnip, grown for oil.  

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I saw a runner in the Rue du Marteau…

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We had a brief conversation (please excuse my poor French!):

Jane: Bonjour! (Hello!)

Runner: Lentement, Madame, lentement!  Tu manques tout le paysage!  (Slowly, Madame, slowly! You are missing all the countryside!)

Jane (able to see the future):  Tu dois courir plus vites!  Il y a un diamant dans l’arbre tout droite! (You’ve got to run faster!  There’s a diamond in a tree straight ahead!)

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diamond in tree on Rue du Marteau (look closely – probably a drop of water on the Street View camera!) (image from Street View)

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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Mar 1: 21.0 km  (210 minutes of stationary biking)

Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Mar 1 :  52.8 km  (535 minutes of stationary biking)

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Do you think diamonds grow on trees in France?? 

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013