A Walk in the Creuse Valley

We've joined the local ramblers association. We've been to see the doctor and get our health certificates and we've handed over a cheque for €54. That gets us membership of the Féderation Française Randonnée and the Comité Cycliste et Pedestre Pressignois. On Thursday 27 April the walk was in the Creuse Valley, near Yzeures-sur-Creuse.

Checking the route.

The walk began with Simon and David 'helping' walk leader Denise to refresh her memory of the route.

Walking close to the river, towards La Roche Posay (on the other side).

Rabbits in hutches in a farmyard we passed. These will be for the table, not pets.

Looking out over the Creuse Valley.

To the left, on the horizon are the wind turbines at Pleumartin, and on the other side of the river the spa town of La Roche Posay. Between us and La Roche Posay the fertile river flats are verdant with winter wheat, barley and canola.

Knife grinding wheel.

This old knife and tool sharpening wheel was sitting outside a barn in the hamlet of Cormier. We were intrigued by the oval, not round, profile. Perhaps there is some techical reason for it.

Cornflowers on the margins of a canola field.

Bright blue Cornflower Centaurea cyanus (Fr. Bleuet) and Bugloss Anchusa arvensis (Fr. Buglosse des champs) contrast strikingly with the acid yellow of the canola flowers. Cornflowers are an 'arable weed' that have greatly declined due to modern farming methods. This particular field must never receive too hefty a dose of modern herbicides, as it always has a nice selection of arable weeds growing on the margins. The Bugloss is common, but particularly favours sandy arable soils such as this field.