Round and About - Post 86

I'm delighted to say first, that we did not get  bombarded by hail the other night as 'promised' by the forecast, but we did get 24mm of rain in half an hour!  There are still a few storms predicted for a couple of days this week, but hopefully they will not be violent.


On Sunday, while out cycling, I was surprised to see one field of sunflowers just coming into bloom. All other adjacent fields do not look even remotely like flowering yet, so these must have been planted well before the usual time.

The grapes are looking particularly healthy; hopefully 2010 will be a good vintage  for wine

The maize seems to be doing particularly well with all the rain we have had; it will be cobbing very soon.

Heat haze over a field of wheat.

 and last, but certainly not least, I passed by this little chapel in a very small village with  beautiful roses clustered around the doorway.

Round and About 4 - Blog 64

Thursday I decided that it was time I really did a bit of energetic exercise on the road, so for the first time since last August I removed my bike from its covers. The reason it is so long, is that I went down with pneumonia last August, and then when I returned to the UK the winter weather did not encourage me to get back on my bike. I feel now that I have most things here under control, (including the rabbits), I can enjoy the countryside on two wheels, and build up those muscles and lung capacity again.

Well, I only managed 15 kms, and as I stopped to take several photos along the way I don’t think I did very much in the way of building up too much muscle or lung capacity, but I did discover that the seat seems to have got quite hard! I will obviously have to work up the mileage slowly and try to forget taking my camera along with me. I know though if I do the latter something will crop up that I really want to take a picture of, it always happens!

Anyway here are a few of the pictures I took along the way. Also one previous picture taken several years ago when I was cycling the Argus in Cape Town. South Africa's Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour is the world's largest individually timed cycle race. The idea for the race can be traced back to 1978, when Bill Mylrea and John Stegmann organised the Big Ride-In to draw attention to the need for cycle paths. The Ride-In, held under the auspices of the Western Province Pedal Power Association, was well received and drew hundreds of cyclists, including the Mayor of Cape Town. In 1978 The Argus, Cape Town's largest newspaper, agreed to sponsor the 'Argus Cycle Tour'. The inaugural event was held on 28 October 1978 and attracted 525 entrants. In 1991 the 15 000-entry mark was passed as Pick 'n Pay (a large supermarket chain) became a naming rights sponsor, resulting in the event becoming "The Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour". In 2009 nearly 30 000 braved the start and just under 27 000 finished. The event is over approximately 105 kms, but the route occasionally varies, as in some years there has been a danger of falling rocks in the mountains.

Climbing Chapman's Peak in Cape Town with the Atlantic Ocean in the back ground.

This looked a bit like the sea, the crops were blowing in the strong wind and the silver and green looked like waves, it was really quite stunning but the photo does not do it credit.

Baling already, it seems like the crops were only planted a few weeks ago! Note the poppies by the side of the field.

This small château is just down the road from us and is owned by an international horse owner and three day eventer.

I was quite glad there was a fence between me and these two billy goats. They were quite stroppy, stamping their feet and threatening me with their horns. They look quite harmless here, but this was after they had got a bit bored with me and had moved away.

Wild flowers at the side of the road. Due to the very strong wind it was almost impossible to get a good photo as everything was constantly on the move!

Round and About 3 - Part 60

Hurray, the wire netting has at last arrived, so watch out bunnies, you soon will not be able to get into my vegetable garden!!  The problem is that it has been too cold to work outside, so not much progress has been made.   I have managed an undercoat of paint on the trapdoor, and one coat of gloss, but it is still in need of one or possibly two more coats.  

I took these photos last week, so thought that this may be a good time to put them on the blog before they are well and truly out of date.

The wheat fields just before the rain came down.

The grapes are now shooting well. The last picture I took they were only thinking about it!

The newly planted maize.

Calf 9337 so his 'earrings' clearly state if you zoom in.  He was so cute and was very interested in what I was up to.  Mum was also watching me closely to make sure I made no false moves.

I saw this in a shop window in Chasseneuil and thought it was 'something different'.

and lastly, but probably the most important. The war memorial in Chasseneuil where the wreaths had been laid in memory of all who lost their lives in WWII. (Photo taken Victory Day, May 8, 2010)

The Scenic Route Home - Part 47

After a trip to the supermarket yesterday, I took the scenic route home.

Rapeseed is grown for the production of animal feed, also vegetable oil for human consumption.

Wheat about 8 cms (4 inches) high.

Grapes grow well in this region and they are just beginning to shoot.  We are not that far from the famous area of Cognac.

Who can resist this little chap? He made photos very difficult as he just wanted me to keep rubbing his ears!