Wednesday, July 31, 2013

My Favourite Road.


A car fan may spend lots of time in their garage, but to truly appreciate their car they need to hit the road too. I consider myself very lucky, as I have a super road not too far from my house.
The 'Departmental Road 6' runs from Blérancourt to Soissons, in the north of France, starting in the Oise department (equivalent of a small province or state) and finishing in the Aisne department. It is a lazy, meandering 2-lane country road that crosses through a dozen villages and towns along its 40 km path. A good part of the countryside is relatively flat farmers fields, though it rises up a first time to cross one plateau and then back down into the Aisne valley before climbing up over a second plateau and then going back down one more time at the city of Soissons.
While I rarely have any real reason to head that way, I'm not against taking a drive out that way just for fun. Any time I am looking to purchase a new car I make a point of testing it out on that road. With lots of good curves and hairpin turns and long straight stretches, it really is a great way to put a new ride to the test. When you're as much of a car geek as me, it's nice to have a road that you know very well when trying out a different car. It lets you get a feel for any differences or problems. And while one must always fall all rules and laws in the name of safety, a road like this can be rather entertaining.

Not only is the road itself enjoyable to drive, but the scenery is quite lovely. This time of year it is especially nice, as the yellow canola flowers in the fields really catch your eye. The small towns offer lots of traditional stone houses, some well maintained and others falling apart, to add to the visual enjoyment of the drive.
For those that consider driving a chore this may sound like crazy talk, but I think that most of the dedicated cars fans like me out there would understand, and probably have their own favourite road.

 

1 comment:

  1. Got to enjoy my road today, and while it was a greay sunny road on the start of my trip, the sun was shining and the lane was clear as I hit this stretch of road! I think it was a sign!

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