Take a Hike

Who knew at age 76 I would find a new hobby?  Walking has always been for me solely a utilitarian function - to get from the car to the house, down the grocery aisle, etc.  Now I find myself looking forward to putting on my boots (thank you Keen) and walking out the front door of my gite.  Five miles later I return pleasantly tired, in a good mood, and ready to cook.

I am no stranger to a bicycle and have often remarked that you see so many things going down the same road on two wheels that you missed when you have passed down it on four.  But on two feet you see even more than on two wheels!  I invite you to go on a walk with me.

First, a little about the roads.  Once you leave the network of narrow roads that connect the villages you plunge into a web of smaller single tracks.  They are poorly kept,often asphalt abruptly disappearing for some feet before reappearing again.  They wend serpentine about the countryside flanked by vineyards on either side.

The only sound aside from birds yesterday were workers in the vineyards talking in a loud voice to each other.  The loud voice was necessary because the coworkers were some rows away.  Now is the time to prune some of the more vigorous vines so the energy of the plant concentrates more in the fruit.  Here is example of the road network through the vineyards



So, what catches your eye as you stroll along at a leisurely pace? (that is a kind way of saying my speed as a fledgling hiker is about 2 1/2 mph).

 A blue flower surrounded by bright orange poppies.  I wonder if it is having an identity crisis.

A fig tree that is surviving in the middle of a stream.  It must have taken root during the dry season and continues against the odds to flourish.

A cute stone house arising from bedrock at the edge of a stream.  This is someones 'dream escape'.

A field on one side of the road with a rocky terroir.

A little further down the road and on the other side, a vineyard with terroir of mostly soil.  Even though they are close together and perhaps the same variety there will likely be a difference if the grapes from each were made into a separate wine.  Likely here, though, they will go in the same vat together.

Vineyards in the foreground leading the eye to a small village in the distance.

This scene below was common in Kentucky when I was growing up.  Blackberry bushes line portions of the roadsides.  Here in July there will be buckets full for pies, and my favorite jam.  I had the opportunity the other day to taste some locally made jam.  Delicious.

Sadly, a lot of those bushes in Kentucky are long gone, often due to spraying pesticides on crops or vigorous roadside maintenance.

This is wild asparagus.  In the spring you clip the tips off and eat it.  Tastes just like asparagus.

And the last photo is of one of the two small sour cherry trees I came upon.

My total harvest amounted to about a cup and a half.  But that will make a nice small bowl full of slightly tart cherry jam to put on my roasted baugette.   Oh well, while we are on the topic of food, one more photo to share.

This is a local treat.  You mix chestnut puree with goat yogurt.  Ooh La La!