Archive for April 2013
bringing nature into the town
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rows of trees and flowers along la Place de la Mairie in Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Maps)
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On my virtual bike trip on April 3, the images made me think about how we bring nature into our cities and towns (or allow it to stay!). Sometimes, the only bit of nature is a stray weed, growing in a crack in the pavement…
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streetscape in Grande Rue, Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud – actually, there is lots of greenery in other parts of the town (image from Street View)
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Sometimes, property owners try to leave trees, only to have them toppled – perhaps a wind storm blew through Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud …
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toppled tree (image from Street View)
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Sometimes people bring the country into the town – all part of eating local …
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this is the first time I have seen chickens in a yard in a town on my virtual bike tour (image from Street View)
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Of course, I have seen a lot of vegetable gardens in France, planted in every available corner …
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vegetable garden in Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud (image from Street View)
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Best View: a small yard overflowing with greenery in Saint-Hilaire-la Palud…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
fields of green and marble statues
fields of green on the road to Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud (image from Street View)
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On April 1, I biked along the road to La Rivière and Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud. Lots of green fields and flat land …
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At an intersection, I saw a shrine, indicating the strong Catholic roots of the area. I have seen these shrines at several locations in central France on my virtual travels. Sometimes the shrine is a crucifix …
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shrine on road to Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud (image from Street View)
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sometimes a statue of Christ …
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a statue of Christ at corner near La Roche (image from Street View)
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Sometimes the shrine shows a Saint. In Maillezais is a statue of Mary holding the body of her son Jesus in her lap, after the Crucifixion. It is similar to the famous 15th century statue of the Pietà by Michelangelo…
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statue in Maillezais of Mary holding Jesus in her lap – the image is not easy to see, but Google ‘Pieta’ to see the beautiful statue by Michelangelo (image from Street View)
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Best View: entry to a field by a vine-covered building…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
a side trip to an old abbey
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wall around abbey in Maillezais (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Maps)
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On March 29, I completed my side trip to see the Abbaye St Pierre in Maillezais. Maillezais is a charming town with the narrow streets I am growing used to…
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street in Grande Bernegoue (image from Street View)
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Not much greenery in this town – this vine looks like it is hanging on by a thread…
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vine struggling to survive (image from Street View)
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The Abbey St Pierre was certainly worth the virtual side trip. It was built in 989 AD on an island, a rocky outcrop, in the Marais Poitevin (the Poitevin Marsh). The Benedictine Abbey and Cathedral were destroyed in 1562 during fighting between French Catholics and Protestants.
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At the entryway to the Abbey grounds is an old building, one of a few still standing on the site…
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view of entryway to Abbey (image from Street View)
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The aerial view of the grounds shows the extent of the Abbey …
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map of abbey – the standing cathedral ruins are the dotted area and the grey wall to the upper edge of the ‘dots’ (former cathedral pillars) (map from Google Maps)
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The ruins of the abbey form a majestic silhouette above the walls surrounding the site…
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ruins of cathedral (image from Street View)
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Best View: the silhouette of the Abbey
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
marigolds, roses and stone
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red gate north of Grande Bernegoue (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Earth)
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On March 27, I biked through the countryside…
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rural area east of Grande Bernegoue (image from Street View)
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I stopped briefly in a small village called Grande Bernegoue…
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Grande Bernegoue (image from Street View)
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I passed an interesting building in Grande Bernegoue, with many of the features of old buildings in this part of France. It’s made of stone, with a clay tile roof. The walls have projections to support an addition that has been removed. Empty niches may once have held beams. Iron ‘X’s are embedded in the walls, part of a system to fortify stonework. In this case, an old entryway has been filled in with stone.
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old stone building (image from Street View)
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I stopped ‘for the night’ at a stable beside the road. There seemed to be no one about…
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stable (image from Street View)
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but a closer look showed me I was not alone…
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beside the stable, to the right, is a big black draft horse (image enlarged from Street View)
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Best View: roses and marigolds in bloom in Grande Bernegoue…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
don’t open your door too quickly!
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houses along the river (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Maps)
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On March 25, I biked again along the Sèvre Niortaise. The houses are so close to the road! Opening a door or shutters too quickly would be a bad idea!…
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look closely to see the metal birds on the walls of the house, used as decorations (image from Street View)
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Damvix is a charming town with an old church and narrow streets…
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narrow street in Damvix (image from Street View)
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Outside Damvix, I encountered another quick change of seasons. As I approached a corner it was January and the fields were plowed, ready for planting…
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winter field (image from Street View)
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By the time I had gone another two meters, It was fall! The corn had been planted and it was ripening in the field… (Street View had photographed the blooming in April, 2010 and then recommenced in winter, January 2011) …
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fall field with corn (image from Street View)
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Near the end of my trip, I saw this stone tower on the side of the road…
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stone tower along road (image from Street View)
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Best View: a house in Damvix with a painted yellow sidewalk and lime green trim…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
stopping to fish
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cows along the road outside Arcais (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Maps)
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The first part of my trip continued through the old town of Arçais. If ever there was a town I wanted to linger in…
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old stone walls along street in Arcais (image from Street View)
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Arçais is an old town, but it also had a recreational area where you could rent a boat, have a cool drink and stay a few days…
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recreation area in Arcais (image from Street View)
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Beyond Arçais was a riverside road, with small groups of five or six closely-spaced older houses at intervals…
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groups of connected houses along the river (image from street View)
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Of course, I stopped to talk to a fisherman I saw along the way…
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fisherman along the river (image from Street View)
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Fisherman: ‘Bonjour! Est-ce que vous voulez rester ici et pêchez avec moi? J’ai une autre canne à pêche!’ (Hi. Would you like to stay and fish with me? I have another fishing rod.)
Jane: ‘Mais, est-ce que vous avez un autre moulinet?’ (But, do you have another fishing reel?)
Fisherman: ‘Bien sûr!’ (Of course!)
Jane: ‘Mais, est-ce que vous avez une autre ligne de pêche?’ (But, do you have another fishing line?)
Fisherman: ‘Certainnement!’ (Of course!)
Jane: ‘ Est-ce que vous avez des autres hameçons?’ (Do you have other fish hooks?)
Fisherman: ‘Oui, j’ai trois autres hameçons.’ (Yes, I have three other fish hooks.)
Jane: ‘Mais, est-ce qu’il y ont des poissons?’ (But, are there any fish?)
Fisherman: ‘Non, il n’ont pas des poissons aujourd’hui. Mais, vous savez, les poissons ne sont pas l’objectif de pêcher!!!!’ (No, there aren’t any fish today. But, you know, fish are not the main purpose of fishing!!!)
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Best View: a quaint lane in Arçais and a house with purple and blue shutters…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
old stone town
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old Arcais (image from Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Earth)
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The first part of my trip was through the countryside near Sainte-Sabine. The houses in this area are generally more modern and smaller than those I saw further to the east…
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smaller, one-story houses line the country road … notice the shadow of the Street View camera (image from Street View)
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Arçais is an old town, with stone buildings and narrow streets…
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I found another house to buy, a charming two-story with a tiny front yard and an old gate – it may need a new roof…
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Best View: yellow flowering bush in Arçais…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
sky on water
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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Earth)
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Although only part of my path was along the Sèvre Niortaise, the wet landscape was obvious everywhere. There were so many canals, houses appeared to be on islands…
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is all land surrounded by water an island??? (image from Street View)
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I was tempted to go ‘off-route’ by the entrance to this bike trail, but, ever afraid of getting lost, I peddled on towards Sainte-Sabine…
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entrance to bike trail (image from Street View)
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Best View: reflection of sky on water along the Sèvre Niortaise…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
an abandoned house
On my virtual biking trip along the Sèvre Niortaise in central France, I saw an abandoned house. Its roof had collapsed, its side buildings were reduced to ruined stone walls and its windows and doors were empty eyes …
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It reminded me of a painting of an abandoned house by Liam Rainsford (published as ‘Abandoned’ on his Blog on April 15, 2012). You can see his painting at http://liamrainsford.com/2012/04/14/abandoned-oil-painting/
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I have been writing a series of poems on the theme of abandonment and Liam’s haunting painting inspired this poem:
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abandoned house
– response to the painting ‘Abandoned’ by Liam Rainsford (April 15, 2012)
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stone ruin,
vacant, a shell
disinterested (since they went away)
in the state of the road
or comings and goings
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only the fence posts have opinions
one, a stoic, is the neighbor’s boy,
waits by the gate
one post swoons in disbelief –
roof fallen in, garden weedy,
fields overgrown
what’s a good fence for, but to keep hunger away?
keep people in?
fence wires lead off, toward the east
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walk through the front door, into open air
views unobstructed
tree tops, remote hills, expanses of sky
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ghosts are lonely here,
peering into windows, entering
the lean-to door
with a basket of eggs,
over and over
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
a sudden change of seasons
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a pleasant bike trip along the river (image by Street View)
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map showing distance travelled (map by Google Earth)
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On March 18, I spent my time biking along the river (the Sèvre Niortaise). I loved the reflections on the water and the boats docked along the shore …
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boats along the river (image by Street View)
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Along the road, I was delighted to see a house draped in blooming Wisteria…
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in the distance, a house with blooming Wisteria (image by Street View)
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But by the time I got there, the seasons had changed, the blooms were gone and I was so disappointed not to see the flowers. I should have peddled faster!!! (Street View had photographed the blooming in April, 2010 and then recommenced in winter, January 2011) …
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Wisteria, no longer in bloom (image by Street View)
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winter vines (image by Street View)
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I also saw a fisherman along the river. He was fishing in January!
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fisherman and his truck (image by Street View)
We had a short conversation:
Fisherman: Bonjour Madame! (Hello madame!)
Jane: Bonjour. Est-ce que vous avez attraper des poissons? (Hi. Have you caught any fish?)
Fisherman: Bien sûr! Il y a un grand poisson dans mon camion … voyez-vous que les ressorts à boudin de mon camion sont en bas? (Of course! There’s a huge fish in my truck. Can’t you see how low the truck springs are?!)
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Best View: an abandoned house along the river…
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Copyright Jane Tims 2013
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