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Un temps d'été

C'est un mois d'avril pas comme les autres. Ici à Puyravault le soleil reste au rendez-vous et on se croirait au mois de juillet. Hier on est allés à la plage sur l'île d'Oléron avant de faire escale à la citadelle de Brouage. Aujourd'hui on a fait une belle promenade à vélo dans les marais, c'est-à-dire dans la Venise Verte près d'Arçais. 25 km a travers champs, villages et bois. Une curiosité: on a traversé la Sèvre-Niortaise en prenant un "bateau-chaînes". Le bateau est attaché à chaque berge par une chaîne qu'il faut tirer. On fait la traversée en tirant sur la chaîne. Très amusant. On reste debout et bien au milieu de la barque.

La région a été transformée, principalement au dix-neuvième siècle, par la création de centaines de cours d'eau. Au lieu d'un marais inexploitable, on y trouve du bois, de petits villages un peu délabrés mais pleins de couleur, du bétail, des oiseaux, et des touristes qui se promènent en barque, à pied ou à vélo. Pour passer un moment dans le calme et la verdure il n'y a pas mieux.

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