La Vie En France
Cycling the V94
I
vRÉJvÉÉ]}v}(TRÉDɢrSÉM}vRo˙UI wrote about our excitement at discovering a new long]vÉ˙oÉ}ÉURÉVıURulÉ]`˙(}uRÉ CRÉvÉR}PRCRÉ(rB}}vvÉUB]}˘rrB}}vvÉU MÉooÉUCÉooÉrrBÉooÉUPRÉv]v}N]}U`RÉÉ] i}]vRÉV o}FvÉ'ÉU}VXWÉooUur}oooÉÉU`É now have a V94 in the Deux-Sèvres too, how lucky are we?
F}RÉu}uÉvURÉVı]}vo˙i}ÉluU(}uRÉ Vienne border near the Tumulus du Bougon museum to RÉV o}FvÉ'ÉR] E U]vuÉ]`]oo}vvÉ }É ÉvoFvÉXWÉ}ov[É]˙}}v RÉ]lÉ}(}oo}`]vÉ`o˙]vooÉ]PvU}lÉ ]v]v}+ É }vvÉvÉX Oi}vÉ˙ÉPvRÉ }É}(RÉSÉN]}]É river, near Sepvret in the Pays MÉoo}]Uv`É(}oo}`É the river where possible to E˘}vXTRÉ(}v]v RÉ}'}u}(ooÉ É ˙ uÉÉ v˙ÉuR criss-crossed the narrow ovÉU«vPR}PR.Éov`}}ovU}]]vP '˙ É lr}(}RÉ]oP]u`ol]vPR]R }vRÉCRÉu]vÉSJÉXIvE˘}v}Éu R}uÉ É ]ÉR`uRÉ]É(}RÉ˙oÉ }É}(}oo}`URÉo]PRo˙ R]oo]É]v É `u}É}( RooÉvPÉ(}RÉoÉPXTRÉ .}`v`ÉuÉ]v}` LM}RÉrS]vrH ˙U`R]RU ](˙}Éol˙Rv three boulangeries to ensure ˙}É˙(}RÉvɢo]u R}PRRÉHÉu]]v(}ÉX WÉlol˙`]R}+ÉÉ]v the sun, but sadly picked a day when all the boulangeries `ÉÉo}ÉXTRÉOvPÉ˙]vLM}RÉrS]vrH ˙] É(o]o]vPRv}`R}Évvo˘R]]}v É É˙uuÉvo}vP`]RRÉ]}voÉ PÉvR]É(}uRÉvl}(RÉSÉN]}]ÉÉ well worth a visit. We planned our lunch stop in the military college town }(S]vrM]˘Évro[E}oÉUv without the morning croissant I[Évo}}l]vP(}`}UI was more than ready to eat when we arrived. We diverted (}uRÉulÉ}É} }ÉÉ oÉ}lÉ(}u a boulangerie on the main road, that was open, and the 8`]ÉR}lLÉÉo˘]vPu}v]vPÉv ˙o]vP}v]É}`]R nothing but cows, donkeys and a Rv(o}(]oP]u(}}uv˙X WÉ[lÉ]v]R`É Évi}˙É}vÉvR˙RÉ]ÉU RÉÉ]P}}R}]É}( restaurants in Saint-Maixento[E}oÉX
˙JÉo]vÉ}`v B
RÉ(ÉooÉvÉU] was back on the bikes with the Sèvre and the bike }É}vv]vP}PÉRÉ o}}(`Éu]oov '˙ É ]É]É]XIv recommend the boulangerie i˙}]É]vLRÉ C WRÉGv`ÉÉo]]}Uv `ÉÉ]ÉRÉ}vv}]É }(}ovPÉ]ÉGvRÉ˙ ÉRÉÉ(É(ÉÉ oo]vP treat on a bike ride. We (}v'˙ É l]vL RÉ C }l]v}}GvU }vÉ˙G}`É]vP dandelions – who are not weeds in my opinion – and ÉovÉ]vU}vÉ(}ÉRvÉ`˙}v]vRÉ commune.
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TRÉ}É(}uRÉÉ(}oo}`}+r road white tracks that were well u]v]vÉvÉ˙(o É U`]R the only sound being a cuckoo oo]vP]vRÉ`}}XWÉÉri}]vÉ RÉ}]ÉG˙UR]vPRÉu `]RÉ}v}(}RR (É}v É RÉııvT} ÉFvÉ}ÉU`]Év ou(}}]]XWÉ}É(} R}}}(R}É`R}É`oo`ÉÉ hung with painted bicycles in reds, whites, blues and greens, a tribute
A large compass painted on the crossroads by the ruined remains }(RÉRÉv˙RÉ C}˙rSo]vR] E Uul the point where the V94 meets RÉVÉo}FvÉ'É~VZUvRÉ oÉ'É]vP}oo˙o]uS`]Éov meets the Channel meets the ov A XIu]PRRÉÉvou} RÉÉv}(}ÉvÉU crossroad like that holds promises }(}uv˙u}ÉRi`]vP to be explored. WÉ}vvÉ}]Éo}vPRÉSÉv]v}N]} v}R]vP]É]]vP É ]vui}}`vo}vPRÉ vl}(]]ÉUvÉvLÉou}É]PRÉÉv˙É o]]vP]vRÉÉRÉÉ]}uR}(RÉ}`v}(N]}I have yet to explore.
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, August 2022 | 25
