It felt a bit like international travel on the drive to Giddings, dropping south from Bonham through some interestingly named Texas towns en route to my final destination. The weather is in the mid twenties, warm and the harsh wind out of the north has stopped. Motorcycles are out in force, winter coats have disappeared and I have never seen grass grow so fast.
Many of the small towns here have a design similar to what I have seen in Mexico, Central and South America. The basis of the town being the central square – often occupied by city hall (as in Bonham) or just a lovely green space with a large central fountain and benches. One can imagine the evening strollers at the end of a long hot day a century ago. The square itself is surrounded by shops of all types and restaurants. My first stop today was Paris, a busy prosperous town boasting its own Eiffel Tower and one of the best designed veterans memorial I have seen in a long while. The Paris Eiffel tower is a 100 foot exact replica of the real deal in France – with one exception – see if you can spot it ????
The title of the photo above left can only be – “Thank Heavens for GPS”
The hwy from Paris to Athens is a patchwork of small shuttered, decaying towns, farms and larger holdings. After picking up fuel and passing through Athens, things changed. The beautiful Texas landscapes of oaks and open rangeland greeted me as the road turned south towards Palestine, passing cattle ranches, horse operations and prosperous small hamlets. Palestine itself is known for a Dogwood festival as well as for the several dozen lovely murals that can be found in the downtown centre – a similar vibe to Chemainus on Vancouver island.
The Giddings Paige area greeted me with its usual incredible vistas. Sitting with friends, enjoying a G and T, listening to dove calls – while looking out over the valley – brought back some lovely memories of the Africa. I head back to Bonham after training here tomorrow. This is a beautiful part of the State.
