The 12 kilometre walk on Thursday 14 April from Mairé nearly killed us. Four slogging hills in the route and temperatures in the mid-twenties. In the end Simon totally conked out with just a couple of kilometres of downhill to go. He could have made it back for himself after a little rest, but Joel and Jean-Jacques made the decision to go fetch a car and pick him up at the nearest road. I had to text Christiane to tell her I would be late for the refugee support meeting.
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| The view looking back to Mairé from halfway up hill number one. |
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| Spring Cinquefoil Potentilla tabernaemontani (Fr. Potentille de Neumann). |
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| The grand semi-circular entrance to the 19th century Chateau de Rocreuse, hidden away in the forest. |
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| European Beech Fagus sylvatica (Fr. Hêtre) (left) and Sessile Oak Quercus petraea (Fr. Chêne à trochets) (right) growing side by side on a trackside bank. |
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| Beech leaves, demonstrating the mnemonic Dominique P taught me the week before -- le hêtre a des poils, le charme a des dents (beech has hairs, hornbeam has teeth). |
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| Buildings in a hamlet. |
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| The so-called Pierre du sacrifice, a big rock on the steep hillside associated with a fanciful story of Druidic human sacrifice. More likely is that it was being quarried but abandoned mid-task, hence the various cavities and slots in it. Not for draining blood at all... |
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| Early Spider Orchid Ophrys sphegodes (Fr. Ophrys araignée). |
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| This puddle formed by heavy vehicle ruts was full of juvenile Smooth Newts. |
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| Le Gros Chillou (pronounced 'luh groh she-oo', as pointed out by Dominque when I inadvertedly pronounced it as 'luh groh sheel-oo'. I do know better, but sometimes one just forgets.) I've no idea if it's a prehistoric pile of stones or a modern one. |
8 comments:
"Le charme d'Adam (à dents), c'est d'être (hêtre) à poil" ;) The charm of Adam is to be naked.
Excellent moyen mnémotechnique!
Twelve kilometers, that must have been quite a trek!
fgh: yes I subsequently found that mnemonic too, but to be honest, I'm more likely to remember Dominique's simpler one (which isn't really a mnemonic but still sticks if you are already familiar with the plants).
chm: 10-15 km is our normal Thursday distance.
Wow! Susan. I wish so much I could join you (in my wheelchair!).
chm: that wheelchair had better be powered. No way am I pushing you! :-)
LOL ! Susan. And, BTW, Chillou is pronounced she-you.
chm: I have Australian vowels. She-oo is fine, trust me. She is one of those words which is often pronounced more like she-yeh.
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