Afternoon cycle ride in the Marais Poitevin

   Yesterday we decided to continue our `Fitness through cycling` programme with another trip through the Marais. Preparations had been made the night before, picnic made by Kim, while I strapped the bikes on the rack behind the long-suffering 106.We were going after Choir -practice at Matha so all had to be ready for the off afterwards. Our joy was  somewhat diminished by some shocking news:- Yves, the Matha Pasteur, came into church during the session looking distracted as well he might. One of our parishioners, Max, had just been found dead by the side of the road along which he was cycling. The police had been unable to contact his wife Edith, and had sought the Church`s help in locating her mobile number. It appears to be due to a heart attack rather than a traffic accident.The Choir practice terminated abruptly while Yves and Jacques left to try to find Edith and break the awful news to her. We held a short prayer session for both persons involved.

   In a sombre mood we set out to drive to Maillé, the town we had chosen from our new map to start our ride. There was a circuit shown called the Circuit des Ecluses, or canal locks, which at 20 kilometers would be ideal. But having arrived at 1.30 lunch called first! Maillé is a quiet little town and we ate our lunch on the green next to the church before demounting the bikes and putting the necessary items in my improvised front cycle-bag, which is working quite well. We were then ready to set out.

Ready for the off, in front of the Mairie. Note the cycle bag ( no, not Kim!!)

    We started in what we thought was the right direction, but the path soon turned to a narrow footpath along the canal, so narrow in fact, that we were fearful of landing up IN the canal, (See the header pic.) Kim pointed out that the first section was supposed to be `goudronné` or paved so we retraced our path to Maillé and set out in the opposite direction along the marked cycle route. Although this did in fact cross a canal lock, it turned out to be part of a long-distance path leading far to the north. Never mind, we decided to follow it through Maillezais to the village of Liez and then join a cut-off back to Maillé by a different route. We very much enjoyed our ride on a roughly paved farm access road along the water-ways with small bridges leading to the fields on the other side. We passed two remote cottages whose only access was via several kilometers of this small private road, how they cope for deliveries and emergencies Heaven only knows.

    Having reached Liez we continued on a bit but were unsure of our route and having already covered well over half of our allocated distance, we felt it safer to retrace our path by the same route, which we did after having a drink and our dried apricots, energy food! Near Liez, we spotted this strange Dryad near a country cottage

  We found our way back to the car, there was so much to see that we didn`t mind re-covering the same route Kim. spotted three ragondins beside the canal, who promptly leapt in and swam across to their burrow, we also saw an impressive Abbey beside the road in Maillezais. When we had finally arrived back at the church car park, we found we had done 25.5 kilometers so we were quite proud! It only needed energy for the one and a half  hour drive home, luckily by an easier route than the outward leg this time via the outskirts of Niort.

Altogether, a VERY happy day!!

   Bye for now, breakfast calls.