Halfway there

Heading west from our house, it’s about a mile to the nearest ‘main’ (everything is relative) road. This stretch of the glorified track is at about the halfway mark.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Roads

Wherever The Road Leads

Cee’s Black & White Challenge for this week is to show places to walk or hike. Out here in the French countryside the ‘proper’ roads are few and far between, but there are many mysterious-looking tracks, used only for farmers’ access, that are well worth exploring on a country walk.

In this case, I particularly liked the strong shadows of the trees across the path, which look almost like railway sleepers as they recede into the distance .

Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Places to walk or hike

Circulation Perturbée

Down here in la France profonde, the more common causes of circulation perturbée (traffic problems) – such as roadworks or a jack-knifed lorry – are just as likely to be supplemented by finding yourself on a country road  behind a local farmer in the process of moving his flock of sheep from one field to another.

The ubiquitous white van is the modern-day sheepdog.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: must end in ‘ock’

Muddy tracks

There are many ‘roads’ like this one around here – access tracks for agricultural equipment. You certainly wouldn’t want to try and get your shiny new roadster along here, or even your flash SUV, probably.

It has been a very wet winter here and the ground is very muddy, which accounts for the almost three-dimensional set of tractor tracks in this image.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Roads

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Road

Out here in the French countryside there are many roads like this: leading who knows where and accessible only by tractor.

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Road

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Rise

“May the road rise up to meet you..”

 – traditional Irish blessing

Walk a mile west along the track that runs through Tranquility Base and you’ll reach this ‘main’ road, heading north to Saint-Martial-sur-Isop and points beyond:

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Rise

Porte de l’Officialite

The little Rue Saint-Yves lies within the bounds of Chartres cathedral. The gateway dates from 1257. It is known as the Porte de l’Officialité because in medieval times it provided access to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.

My thanks to the unknown lady who appeared from around the corner just as I was taking the shot. She made all the difference, not least in giving an idea of the scale of the Cathedral itself.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Roads

Road, Side

A different perspective on this litle track that runs off the road between here and the next hamlet:

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Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Perspective

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror

A pretty straightforward response to this week’s challenge subject of ‘Mirror’, but I like the way that (fortuitously) the reflected clouds blend with the actual clouds beyond, while the blue sky between the clouds in the mirror itself reflects the curve of the road.

This mirror is at a particularly awkward junction in the nearby town of Le Dorat, although the road was clear when I took the photograph: just as well, because I was probably standing in the middle of it at the time.

Mirror

And here’s another mirror image, also from Le Dorat and already published in another post, with clouds reflected in one of the metal discs that demarcate parking spaces in the main square:

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror

The Road To Brokedown Palace

This little turn-off from the rue that runs through the little hamlet we call Tranquility Base is probably my favourite stretch of road in the world. That’s our house – Brokedown Palace – at the end of it.

And that’s why.

Road

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Roads of any kind