nichepoetryandprose

I can’t belive it – I have completed the third phase of my virtual bike trip through central France.  In this phase,  I biked (virtually) 36 km in 12 days from Exireuil to Magné just west of Niort.

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Phase 3 map (map from MapQuest)

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On March 10, I continued my virtual biking through the pretty town of Bessines and into the river town of Sevreau.  

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It was pleasant to be back in the rural areas – I appreciated the flat land – biking where there are a lot of hills is not fun!!!

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The town hall (mairie) in Bessines had red shutters and a big town bulletin board…

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town hall in Bessines – note bulletin boards

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I think the bulletin board must tell people to be on the look-out for a crazy Canadian lady pretending to bike through the French countryside…

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Town Hall – not ‘Mairie’ in stone over door

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The final stretch of the trip was in a shaded road called the Rue des Trois Ponts…

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one of three bridges

Log Book:  March 10, 2013

Area travelled:    ‘outskirts of Magné’ to ‘town of Sevreau’

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Best view: house with blue shutters along the Place de la Mairie

Notes:    took a shortcut to Sevreau along the stream!

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Total distance in Phase 1 (Jan 30 to Feb 11): 14.0 km (145 minutes of stationary biking)

Total distance in Phase 2 (Feb 12 to Feb 18): 17.8 km (180 minutes of stationary biking)

Total distance in Phase 3 (Feb 21 to March 10):  36.0 km  (360 minutes of stationary biking)

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Total Distance:  67.8 km  (685 minutes or 11 hours and 25 minutes of stationary biking)

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This ends Phase 3 of my virtual biking adventure.  I plan to continue this virtual bike trip in Phase 4, a 10 day trip from Magné to Ferrières.

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Eventually, I want to reach the west coast of France and see an island called Îsle de Ré.

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I hope you will continue to follow me as I travel virtually through central France.  I want to make my posts more interesting, so I would like to know what you would like to see in a posting of my Log Book.

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013

Since February 21, I have been in 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.

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On March 8, I continued my virtual biking through the city of Niort to a town on the outskirts called Montamisé.  Only 1 more day to go before Phase 3 of my virtual biking adventure is over.

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I will always remember this as the ‘day of the traffic circle’.

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completely understandable (%^&#$@$!) traffic circle sign (image from Street View)

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I didn’t get lost because I took some shortcuts … directly across the island in the middle of each traffic circle!

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one of a few traffic circles I negotiated – notice my red ‘path’ goes directly through the middle of the circle…I love shortcuts!!!! (image from Street View)

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The traffic was intimidating and I especially worried about the big trucks who couldn’t see me at all (because I wasn’t there)…

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truck traffic

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Log Book:  March 9, 2013

Area travelled:   ‘in the city of Niort’ to ‘town of Montamisé’

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Best view:  white house on la Rue de la Rochelle

Notes:    in real life, I vow to be more considerate to cyclists!

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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Mar 9: 33.0 km  (330 minutes of stationary biking)

Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Mar 9 :  64.8 km  (655 minutes of stationary biking)

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Do you prefer driving through a traffic circle or a regular intersection?

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013

Welcome to my report for Day #10 of 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.

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On March 6, I continued my virtual biking through the city of Niort.

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map showing distance travelled (map from Google Earth)

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Niort is a city of older buildings, most 2 or 3 stories in height.  There was lots of traffic but I remembered the sage driving advice … ‘go with the flow’…

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buildings and traffic on l’Avenue de Limoges (image from Street View)

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There were some interesting architectural surprises…

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narrow building along ramp from highway to city street (image from Street View)

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And beautiful flower gardens…

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flower garden along ramp (image from Street View)

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I encountered a mystery as I biked through the streets.  Along the Avenue de Limoges, I saw a man in a uniform and his scooter…

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uniformed man and his scooter to the left (image from Street View)

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But in the next Street View frame, he had disappeared…

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where did he go??? (note the palm tree in the yard) (image from Street View)

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I think he must have stepped out to talk to the odd-looking ‘Street View camera car’ and then scooted off before the camera commenced its photography!!

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Log Book:  March 6, 2013

Area travelled:   ‘in the city of Niort’

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Notes:   I saw an apartment for sale on la Rue de la Rochelle and thought hmmmmm……… 

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a place to buy (image from Street View)

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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Mar 6: 30.0 km  (300 minutes of stationary biking)

Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Mar 6 :  61.8 km  (625 minutes of stationary biking)

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Best view:  a lady buying coffee at a shop in Niort

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 Do you think I should have bought that apartment on la Rue de la Rochelle ???

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013

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

Welcome to the continuation of 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 February 28, I was half way there!

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Most of my virtual biking trip on February 28 was through the town of Chavagné.   I am still very motivated by my virtual travels through France.  In February, I have biked on my stationary cycle 17 days out of 28.  To compare, in January, I only biked twice.

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Day 6 map showing route followed (map from Google Earth)

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Town of Chavagne, showing stone houses and walls (image from Street View)

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Log Book:  February 28, 2013

Area travelled:   from ‘east of Chavagné’ to

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Best view:  house with red shutters in Chavagné

Notes:  the properties very neat and bounded from the road by stone walls 

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Imagine my surprise when I discovered part of my planned travel route diverges onto a train track!  From n-n-ow-ow   on-n-n-n    the route will b-b-b-be   b-b-b-b-bumpy-py-py-py…

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when I plotted my path, I didn’t realise that part of the travel distance would be on a train track!!!! (image from Street View)

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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Feb 28 : 18.0 km  (180 minutes of stationary biking)

Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Feb 28 :  49.8 km  (505 minutes of stationary biking)

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Have you ever biked or walked on a train track???? 

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013

This is the continuation of the third phase of my virtual bike trip through central France.  For Phase 3, I plan to bike in 12 days from Exireuil to Magné just west of Niort.

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My February 26 bike ride took me from La Crèche to Chavagné.

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Day 5 map showing route followed (map from Google Earth)

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First, I biked along a country stretch of road lined with stone walls, orchards and gardens…

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walls and gardens along Route de Tressauve (image from Street View)

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I travelled beneath an impressive stone arch train bridge…

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Then I biked for about 15 minutes along the A 10 highway…

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along the A 10 … all the lines painted on the road are white … the yellow line is from Street View and shows the path of the camera car … the red line is my bike path

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Log Book:  February 26, 2013

Area travelled:   from ‘La Crèche’ to ‘east of Chavagné’

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Best view:  stone arch train bridge

Notes: The A 10 highway was so boring, but it made me pedal faster!  In France, highways are painted with solid and dotted white lines.  In Canada, the painted line between opposing directions of traffic is yellow.  I guess it was not surprising that I strayed to the left side of the road on the highway!

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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Feb 26 : 15.0 km  (150 minutes of stationary biking)

Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Feb 26 :  46.8 km  (475 minutes of stationary biking)

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How are the highways marked where you live?

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013

On February 21, I began the third phase of my virtual bike trip through central France.  For Phase 3 of my trip, I plan to bike in 12 days from Exireuil to Magné just west of Niort.

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Day #4 of my adventure followed a virtual path along a country road, past large fields, over the Sèvre Niortaise River, and into the town of La Crèche.

Day 4 map showing distance travelled (map from Street View)

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My trip ended at a Chocolatier/Patissier in La Crèche … yum!!!! 

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patissier in La Creche (image from Google Street View)

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Log Book:  February 25, 2013

Area travelled:   from ‘a field south-west of Kadore’ to ‘La Crèche’

Distance:  30 minutes      3.0 km

Best view: man on bike in Rue de l’Aumônerie

Notes:  Tried to talk to the cyclist … a chance to practice my French!!!

Jane:  Bonjour, Monsieur!  (Hello Sir!)

Man on bicycle: Quoi?  ???!?  (What?!)

Jane: Bonjour, je m’appelle ‘Jane’.  Je viens du Canada!  (Hi.  My name is Jane.  I come from Canada.)

Man on bicycle:  Qui est là?  Qui dit ça????!?  (Who is there?  Who said that?)

Jane: Il fait beau temps, eh?  (It’s nice out, eh?)

 Man on bicycle:  Aghhh!  C’est un fantôme! Au secours!!!!!  (Aghhh!  It’s a ghost!   Help, Help!)

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Distance Travelled Feb 21 to Feb 25 : 12.0 km  (120 minutes of stationary biking)

Total Distance Travelled Jan 30 to Feb 25 :  43.8 km  (445 minutes of stationary biking)

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Do you think the Rue de ‘Aumônerie is haunted????

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013