"I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine."
~Caskie Stinnett
Lyon – Montpellier – Bordeaux – Périgueux
The trains come and go so quickly
here that there is something old inside me that worries about missing a
connection. Of course I never do,
so why the concern?
 |
| Montpellier from the train station |
Leaving Montpellier we pass
through a marshy lowland area with vineyards (which we have passed through all
day, of course) but also water marshes with ducks and ibis, and flamingos. Scrubby vegetation and dry,
early-spring fields, accented by pine and cedar trees. The buildings which put their butts
toward the train tracks are usually covered with colorful “tags” and graffiti. The sun is warm here as we pass by the
coast. (I thought I had an aisle
seat? But so happy to find myself
in a window seat watching the landscape pass - there are only about five or six people in this train car!). There are factories and port machines and a distant tanker
on the bay. Canals guide the water. When we enter cities there are parallel
tracks that stretch 20 wide. A
marina where it is difficult to see the actual boats but the masts announce the
location of each. Sete – if I read
the sign correctly.
 |
| Vineyard |
A city with canals, limited, and
some hills on the outskirts. Life
for many people. Again it makes me
wonder what makes people settle where they choose to settle? Or is it a choice? Or is it one chooses and then the
family and friends follow and subsequent generations remain … Bamboo bunches beginning
to leave. Schools with children in
varied colored uniforms practicing “foot” (soccer) Housing developments with multiplicities of houses in
slightly different colors.
Stockyards, gravel piles, new constructions, boxy little homes that
remind me of a futuristic sci-fi movie.
And the beach. Pretty much
empty now except for the three layers of sand fences and shrubby grass. In Maine we would be lounging in the
sun. Here .. well, it must be too
cold to sunbathe. Large
intermittent parking lots on the other side of some dry vineyards, both are
pretty much barren now. Then a medieval stone tower maybe two stories high
appears in the center of … not much.
Still, I am fascinated by all the
diversity of landscapes through which I pass. Almost everything is interesting to me. I enjoy the changes, the details, the
different elements. And at the
speed of a TGV, the landscape is constantly changing. Wait about seven minutes and we are away from the coast and
into a brown, beige and caput mortem scrubland with a trailer park. Radio towers on the hillside and
boxy industries and houses are the norm.
Soon a flooded vineyard and the grassy areas become greener with trees
and orchards.
The sun continues to shine as we
head west-northwest toward Bordeaux.
I watch a bit of Bucket List on my Mac until
my battery is low. Why do people
wait until they are nearly dead to live?
Another confirmation to continue traveling …
There are times when I remember
that what I am doing now is something I have thought of doing most of my
life. Even when I was very young I
felt I would not have to worry about money, that I would travel freely and a
feeling of a full life.
 |
| Sunset en route to Bordeaux |
A bit like Tuscany now.
And, pop!, a chateau in the field. Fruit and nut trees in bloom. Some
sort of grey low bushy plant in fields. (?). Workers in the vineyards checking
the vine stumps or lowing between the rows. Another solitary watchtower. Or is
it a pigeonniere? Hills become mountains. Cities give way to towns and
countryside. Vineyards fit into every irregular quilt-piece of land. All
the different types of vines. Short stocky new thin fanned flat branching.
There is an impressive castle and walled town on a hill somewhere between
Montpellier-Toulouse. I imagine
visiting and discovering the secrets.
So green. Spring green. Grass? For feed? Then a wide flat area
between blue-grey-white hills distant on either side. Trees divide fields and
cuddle around farmhouses. Clean newly plowed deep-brown dirt. Huge
fields.
Is there a limit to my time on the road? Or am I just tired from being on a
train all day today? It is good to have a change now. I'm nearly ready to
go home so a change will keep me going for a while. Three weeks. I plan to get
a lot of painting done during this time.
Or perhaps it is simply time to get out of the cities. It is now the last train and I'll be in
Périgueux soon. Vivi or Denis, my wonderful friends, will pick me up at the
station then back home to Payenché to a shower and bed. Ahh….
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| Payenché |
~
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