a stone church
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Chapelle de Sainte-Macrine (image from Street View)
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On March 13, I strayed from my planned path to take a 3 km side trip to see the Chapelle de Sainte-Macrine. I have seen very few churches on my virtual bike trip, since Street View follows only the main roads – churches tend to be on side streets.
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Maps)
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The first part of my trip was along the Rue des Ouches (meaning garden or orchard). True to the name, many of the properties had neat gardens…
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one of the gardens along Rue des Ouches (image from Street View)
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The church was of stone, cross-shaped, with buttresses and a large rose window. The buttresses project from the sides of the church and serve to reinforce its walls. Saint Macrine was a fourth century Saint who lived in the woods near Niort, France for seven years to escape persecution…
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Chapelle de Saint-Macrine (image from Street View)
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Best View: the rose window in the church…
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I have realised that by following a single route, I have missed many features of the countryside. In Phase 4 of my virtual bike trip, I am going to plan some side trips to see some interesting features of the French countryside.
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Don’t you think that side trips can be the best part of a journey?
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
nichepoetryandprose 
What a beautiful church! I agree about the side trips. Looking forward to seeing where your side trips took you. 🙂
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Robin
April 9, 2013 at 5:09 pm
Hi Robin. Thanks! I have plotted my future trips to take in more side roads (as much as Street View allows) so there will be some interesting things to see. Jane
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jane tims
April 10, 2013 at 10:38 am
“Weigh To Go” Jane.! Absolutely “nothing” feels better than “feeling good”. Your Doctor will be pleased. Keep Going.!
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patsi
April 1, 2013 at 2:02 pm
Hi Patsi. You are so right!!! I’m off for Phase 5 very soon! Jane
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jane tims
April 2, 2013 at 4:00 pm
What a great idea to take a virtual trip- we can get a decent amount of the experience with such tools as Google Maps. Makes you wonder what the future holds!
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Watching Seasons
March 31, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Hi. Google Maps (and Street View) has made so much of the world accessible. It lets us visit places we used to know and go where we have never ventured in reality. I love reality, of course, but a little flight of fancy is OK too. Jane
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jane tims
March 31, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Absolutely! It’s those little detours off the main routes that will have the most surprises, especially in Europe. I love churches – the churches in Australia are modern and don’t have quite the same appeal. Definitely more side trips please!
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Gemma Hawdon
March 29, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Hi Gemma. On my virtual bike trip, I was so taken with the houses at first, I didn’t seem to miss the touristy things. Now I am having a better look at the maps before I choose my path. Side trips, here I come…. Jane
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jane tims
March 30, 2013 at 10:15 am
Beautiful drawing of the rose window, Jane, absolutely beautiful. Yes, there is no doubt that the best part of nearly any trip are the side roads. Just stay away from the train tracks!
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Jane Fritz
March 29, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Hi Jane. Train tracks and streams! You’d think with all the training and experience I’ve had reading maps, I could pick a trail that sticks to the roads! Thanks for your comments on my drawing! Jane
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jane tims
March 30, 2013 at 10:12 am
Like your drawing Jane. This is the sort of stuff I could use for my wood carvings 🙂
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JD
March 29, 2013 at 8:37 am
Hi. Thanks, Denis. Any churches I have seen on my ‘trek’ have been well-adorned with carvings and stone-work. A rose-window like the one I saw on the Sainte-Macarine church would make a beautiful carving. Jane
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jane tims
March 29, 2013 at 1:59 pm
What a lot of energy and thought and time you put into your blogs. I think the side trips will be interesting. I always love your drawings.
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Carol Steel
March 29, 2013 at 7:52 am
Hi Carol. Thanks. It takes me a while to do a trip start to finish. But I feel the time I’ve spent has been worth the incentive it has given me to get myself exercising. I’m glad you like the drawings! Jane
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jane tims
March 29, 2013 at 1:56 pm
It’s an amazing incentive. Creative and worthwhile. Thanks for sharing your journies, both the written and the fitness one.
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Carol Steel
April 1, 2013 at 8:13 am
Hi Carol. I am amazed how far this has taken me. I will be able to go to my Doctor next week and show him two months of exercise, three to five times a week, 30 minutes a session. Easter chocolate aside, I am feeling healthier and stronger. Jane
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jane tims
April 1, 2013 at 10:56 am