nichepoetryandprose

~

On April 27, I took a short detour on my virtual bike tour, to find a field of poppies.  I love poppies and I’d like to find a field of them on my virtual visit to central France.

~

~

map showing red field … could it be a field of blooming poppies? (map from Google Maps)

~

I started by scanning the maps to the south of the area I have been visiting.  And I found what looked like a red field just south of my bike path.  Side trip!!!!

~

map showing my quest to find a field of poppies (map from Google maps)

~

At the first of my side trip, I saw a lady, picking flowers along the roadside …

~

looks like she is picking daisies … (image from Street View)

~

I stopped to ask her if she knew any poppy fields in the area …

~

the lady stops to talk (image from Street View)

~

Jane to Lady-picking-flowers: Bonjour Madame! (Hello Madame.)

Lady-picking-flowers: Bonjour!  (Hello!)

Jane: Je pense que vous aimez les fleurs! (I think you must like flowers!)

Lady: Oui.  Je trouve un bouquet pour la table!  (Yes.  I am getting a bouquet for the table.)

Jane: Est-ce que vous connaissez s’il y a un champ des coquelicots dans cet territoire?  (Do you know if there are any fields of poppies in this area?)

Lady:  Oui.  Dans le printemps, il y a un grand champ des coquelicots just à côté de cette route.  Il n’est que deux kilomètres vers l’est.   (Yes.  In the spring, there is a big field of poppies just beside this road.  It’s only two kilometers to the east.)

Jane:  Bon!  Merci!  Bonjour!  (Great!  Thanks!  Have a good day!)

~

So off I went, peddling madly between fields of grain and plowed soil on a very narrow dirt road …

~

the poppy field must be just up ahead (image from street View)

~

It was boring, but I was watching for that gorgeous field of poppies …

~

it should be just off to the left … (image from Street View)

~

When I got to the area on the map where I was sure there was a poppy field, I saw only plowed field …

~

I’m sure they should be just over there (image from Street View)

~

As a reward for my search, I saw two poppy blooms in the grass beside the road …

~

two poppies beside the road (image from Street View)

~

I realised then, the Google Map and the Street View images were taken at different times of the year.  So sad.

~

Best View: imaginary poppies …

~

~

Copyright  Jane Tims  2013