Wednesday 20 March 2019

Walking With Giants Around Oyre


The last day of February saw us walking with our local club around Oyré, across the border in Vienne, and clearly Poitevin, not Tourangeau. Here some photos of the afternoon.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
A view over the countryside near Oyré.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
We passed an equine pension and said hello to this big mare. 
I reckon she was at least 17 hands high, maybe more.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
The entrance to the equine pension, with horseshoe knocker plate.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
A group of wind turbines, ideally placed in agricultural land. 
They were working steadily as it was a windy day, with gusts of up to 45 kilometres per hour.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
Another view of the wind turbines. I like them, and do not feel they are despoiling the countryside. They were also silent (if they make as much noise as some claim I would have expected to hear them, as I could clearly hear the hunt going on at about the same distance).

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
Giant Silver Grass Miscanthus x giganteus (Fr. Herbe à éléphant), 

This robust grass is grown in France as a biofuel, mulch and animal bedding. It is a sterile hybrid perennial, non-invasive, doesn't need as much water as traditional crops and is not fussy about poor, contaminated or saline soil or cold weather. It is particularly productive in France and much encouraged by agronomists. There is a very thorough discussion of its many benefits (and a few problems) on Wikipedia. The French Wikipedia page, in contrast, whilst positive about the plant, is much more forthcoming about possible negative consequences of its widespread cultivation. In the Brenne particularly there is concern about the crop's potential to drain parcels of land and modify them from the traditional unimproved prairie grassland (the most rapidly disappearing habitat in the area, which the local authorities and conservation organisations are working hard to maintain).

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
Polly the Airedale emerges after a brief dip.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
Babette and Aline walk under a very unsafe looking tree.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
A view across Oyré.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
Oyré is on the border of Poitou and Touraine. 
The roofs on these houses reflect that mixture, with both Poitevin canal and Tourangelle flat tiles.

Photographed by Susan from Loire Valley Time Travel. https://tourtheloire.com
A last wind turbine to see us out.

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4 comments:

potty said...

Ted Says: Is this the group with the English Setter (like me)?
More photos of the canines please.

Susan said...

Yes Ted. Her name is Dora. She's in England at the moment. I'm not sure when her family are returning, but likely soon. I'll do my best to get more canine photos, but they are often too quick for me or I'm looking the other way :-) The other little dog in the photo is called Caline ('hug').

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Susan, that tree is downright dangerous!! It has broken fully free on the field side and is hinged on the path side... I presume that it is snagged on vegetation on the opposite side... which may, or may not be strong enough to support the tree once the extra weight of this years growth is added!
Needs reporting... and don't assume that someone else has... often not the case, because they too presumed that!

Susan said...

Yes, I thought it looked really dodgy.

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