Disclaimer: I might as well be known as “the person who can’t finish their projects” but that isn’t important right now. This isn’t one of my old RTW projects with a lot of planning, a lot of rules, me claiming there aren’t any rules and I wasn’t obsessively overthinking every detail. TLDR: I am finally recovering and working on my mental heath issues that led me to this cycle of obsessing over and then abandoning any larger project I’ve started - including my “world trips” in this forum.
Now I made this stupidly simple for myself: I fly my Grand Caravan from city to city. On the way I might take pictures of interesting (!) sights - not breathtaking landscapes but things I’ve noticed on the way as somehow “special”. If I feel like it I’ll even include some research about what we’re seeing. But I won’t force anything. That would just lead me back into the cycle I’m trying to break out of.
Anyways, please enjoy the images and perhaps even the writing in this thread!
Abandoned (?) facility northwest of Cérans-Foulletourte.
The camp-like structure to our left seems to be an abandoned facility. I couldn’t find any informations on it, but you can visit the southern entrance via StreetView. It looks like an old military base, but I’m not sure.
Chateau de La Motte Lubin near Crosmières.
Another eye-catcher on which I couldn’t find many informations: The Chateau de La Motte Lubin with its prominent horse track. The only thing I could find was a notice about a horse purchase by Johanna Ullström, a notable trainer, who seems to have resided at some point at La Motte Lubin.
Hippodrome d’Éventard in Angers.
Apparently horse racing is a major sport in this region of France - the next notable sight on our way was the Hippodrome d’Éventard in Angers, which seems to be the leading horse-racing track in France for three disciplines: Trot, Galop and Obstacle. I just like the aesthetics with the ponds in the center!
Île aux Prunes near Montjean-sur-Loire.
A beautiful river island in the Loire River on which I found exactly nothing. Apparently it shares its name with an island near Madagascar so you won’t find much about the French one. But it’s beautiful and I’m honestly a bit sad that there isn’t any StreetView coverage of it. The closest thing you can get is a point near the bridge to the pretty little village of La Corvée.
Moine River near Saint-Crespin-sur-Moine.
To be honest I’ve taken this shot mostly because of the great lighting in it. But it shows that beauty can be deceiving: The green line to our right is Moine River, a sub-tributary to the Loire River. It is well-known for its tendency of severe flooding during winter and its large fluctuations in speed and flow during the year.
Place Travot and Notre Dame Church in Cholet.
Do you see the small white-and-green rectangle diagonally above our left wing tip? That is Place Travot, the cultural center of Cholet since the 19th century. The large brown-ish church at its lower-right corner is Notre Dame, rebuilt in 1820. This city center underwent major changes since then - first the local industries were removed to free up space, then it was redesigned as a car park in the early 20th century, nowadays it is a recreational area after the car park was moved underground.
Château des Dorides to the southwest of Voultegon.
You can spot the castle directly left of our left wing tip. Sadly the only informations I found were that it was constructed during the 14th or 15th century and that it was owned by a cadet branch of the noble La Ville dynasty of Poitou. The branches’ name “La Ville de Férolles des Dorides” is a combination of the titles used by Nicolas de La Ville, Seigneur de Férolles and his wife Charlotte de Herbieres, Dame des Dorides.
Chateau de Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet in Saint-Loup-Lamaire.
Originally I took this picture of Saint-Loup-Lamaire because I liked the location of the town on a small river islet within Thouet River. But the highlight is definitely the Château de Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet, clearly visible on the left side of the town. The first castle was built in the 11th century by a Lord Drogon and later housed both French kings and English princes before being rebuilt by Claude Gouffier, Comte de Caravaz during the 16th century. Later it changed hands between multiple local and national familiies like the Lepage dynasty of Farmers General.
Landscape near Vouneuil-sous-Biard.
Not much to say about the eye-catching bridge of L’Aquitaine Highway near Vouneuil-sous-Biard at the southwestern rim of Poitiers. Just a beautiful sight.
Sky above Saint-Julien-l’Ars.
Today isn’t the best weather for exploring Western France due to the heavy fog and cloud cover. Still it makes for some pretty “sky shots” like this one just after take-off near the town of Saint-Julien-l’Ars.
Vienne River at Valdivienne.
The Vienne is the main river in the Northern Nouvelle Aquitaine region, supporting multiple hydroelectric dams as well as the nuclear power plant in Civaux. But despite its role as a trade and transport route it posed a danger for the French interior as seen in the Vienne Raid in 879 when a Viking raiding party led by a certain Hasting entered deep into Carolingian territory before being ultimately destroyed by King Carloman.
Medieval tin mine near Le Repaire.
Originally I took this shot to a) show you the pretty little village below and b) to show you the annoying fog thwarting my attempt to make it look good. But after some research I found out that this is also a historical location of regional importance: Here, a vein of Cassiterite was mined to produce high-quality tin. Sadly the area is currently inaccessible due to dangerous terrain and it being on private property.
Dordogne River near Trémolat.
During another heavy rain shower we crossed the River Dordogne. Connecting the Auvergne with the Atlantic harbour of Bordeaux, the Dordogne was used as a major trade route back in Roman days. Despite its importance, it was not very navigable until major construction works during the 19th century and even then its fluctuating water level required a very specific kind of vessel - the so called “Gabares”.
Église Saint-Avit in Saint-Avit-Sénieur.
Event through the rain and fog you can make out the massive shape of the Église Saint-Avit, a romanesque church and the last remnant of a famous abbey of the Benedictine Order. It was founded on a spot to which Avitus, a former soldier of the Visigothic king Alaric II., retreated as a hermit during the Merovingian era.
Fields near the Château d’Arasse.
Originally I took this shot due to the beautiful scenery with the small pond embedded in the hilly fields. After some research I found out that I stumbled over a major crime location: Here, north of Foulayronnes, which served as a resting spot for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela during the early 18th century, highwaymen dug hideouts into the hills to rob unsuspecting travellers who stopped to visit the local healing springs.
Beaumont de Lomagne on Gimone River.
Another town on which history didn’t went easy: Beaumont de Lomagne was founded during the 13th century during a rapid urbanization of Southern Occitania. It grew in importance and wealth until the catastrophic wars of religion in France led to multiple sacks and occupations due to the cities’ support of Catholicism. As a hub of viticulture (wine-production) it suffered massively during the early industrialization which led to an explosive growth of unemployment as the winers and their farmhands couldn’t compete with industrial production.
Les Minimes district in Toulouse.
Apparently the rain is moving with me, otherwise I can’t explain why I’m still stuck in it after three days. Anyways, in this shot you can (kinda) see the Les Minimes district of Toulouse. This part of the city serves as link between the city center and the entire Haute Garonne region. Its name stems from the Minimes order which was granted a shrine dedicated to Saint Roch in this area during the late 15th century. After its dissolution during the French Revolution market gardeners settled here, who remained the most populous group in Les Minimes until the 1960s.
Alzonne to the west of Carcassonne.
This town dates back to the 9th century when it was first mentioned as a viguerie or administrative court. Its position remains until today - Alzonne is still the administrative center to its canton. Due to its strategic location of Fresquel River and its fertile soil Alzonne was often fought over: First as an outpost against the Albigensians, later as a stronghold during the Wars of Religion, when it was sacked three times in a single war.
Lauquet Valley near Verzeille.
The beautiful Lauquet Valley belongs to Aude Département, a regional unit stretching from the Mediterranean Coast to the Corbières with the latter one being a prominent foothill region of the Pyrenees. It can be seen as a “mountain wall” in the far background of this shot.
The Corbières near Cubières-sur-Cinoble.
Cubières-sur-Cinoble and its surrounding area are part of the Corbières region and as such provide a safe home for a huge amount of rare animal and plant species that can’t be found easily in other parts of France. The commune of Cubières-sur-Cinoble itself is home to one Natura 2000 protected area and four ZNIFF areas of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest.
Mountain paths near Glorianes.
There is not much to find about the area except for the closeby village of Baillestavy, which developed from an 9th century abbey by the name of Valle Stavia.
Can Fornaca to the southwest of Girona.
Another mysterious place and our first picture taken in Spain. This area is called “Can Fornaca”. The only thing I found were Google Maps reviews for a real estate agency, the administrative building and the sewage system. Apparently the agency is reputable, the urban center is a dilapidated mess and the emergency system for the sewage pumps often malfunctions, keeping the entire urbanization up all night.
Port de Badalona in Badalona.
The coastal city of Badalona was founded as a Roman settlement by the name of Baetulo during the 1st century BCE in Roman-occupied Iberia. Due to the rapid romanization process the local Iberian culture mixed with the imported Roman one, creating a lively and diverse trade port which kept its importance and wealth well into the Early Medieval era.
Barcelona-El-Prat Airport in El Prat de Llobregat.
The airport of Barcelona is part of the comarca El Prat de Llobregat and covers approximately a quarter of its entire territory. Therefore it is a main source of income and employment for the municipality, complemented by several airport-related businesses and agencies. The airport itself was the result of fusing two local aerodromes into a single international airport in 1948.
Formentor Peninsula.
Approaching Mallorca we arrived at the headland known as Formentor, the northernmost part of the island. Known by locals as “the meeting-place of the winds” it inspired its major landowner, the Mallorquin poet Miquel Costa i Llobrera, to write his masterwork “The Pine of Formentor”. After his death in 1922 the land was dissolved and the parts were sold.
Port de Pollença near Formentor Peninsula.
The “Harbour of Pollença” - visible at the right edge of the picture - developed into its own entity during the onset of tourism in Mallorca. But instead of the usual appartment blocks and all-inclusive resorts that shape the island’s image, the town kept its historic charm with multiple smaller vacation homes and owner-operated hotels.
The market town of Inca.
Every major town in the world has a marketplace - but few are famous for theirs! Inca is known as THE market town of Mallorca with its weekly sales attracting buyers from across the entire island. Even more famous are the annual fair days of “Good Wednesday”, known for its concerts and local festivals and the following “Good Thursday”, where the actual fair takes place in Inca.
Palma (De Mallorca).
This is Palma, formerly known as Palma De Mallorca with the latter part being scrapped in 2008. Originally a Roman city found by Consul Metellus after his conquest of Mallorca, Palma developed into a prosperous Islamic township after the Arab Conquest of the Baleares. During the late Medieval Age, Palma became capital of the Aragonese Kingdom of Mallorca and an important fortified outpost of Spanish influence in the Mediterranean Sea.
Puig de Ros in Llucmajor municipality.
Llucmajor is the largest municipality on the Baleares, consisting of the town itself as well as several smaller communities. In this shot you can see (in order from bottom to top) Maioris Dècima, Puig de Ros, Sa Torre, Badia Blava and Badia Gran. Formerly an unremarkable area, it blossomed during the early 20th century as a center for Balearic shoemakers.
Cloud formations above the Western Mediterranean Sea.
Not much to say, just an impression of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea between Mallorca and Algeria.
Bologhine to the northwest of Algiers.
The township of Bologhine was founded by medieval ruler Buluggin ibn Ziri and developed into a suburb of Algiers during the Ottoman rule in modern-day Algeria. Here, the diplomatic quarters were located as well as several forts, protecting the western entrance into the capital city of Algiers.
El Magharia district of Algiers.
A central district of the Algerian capital, El Magharia belonged to the northern Hussein Dey district before being separated during the 1980s. Sadly there isn’t much to see here due to the bad weather that struck us just outside of Algerian waters.
