Looking at Poitiers...

I have always loved maps. As a kid, I loved atlases almost as much as dictionaries. Still do.

So this evening I was exploring Google Earth, which maaseru has, and I was totally fascinated by the details, the easy usability of the program, and the wonderful photos. It played to all my fantasies of flying anywhere, going to any place my heart desires... I checked out London, Lusignan, Poitiers, Ateret (in Israel), and Albany, New York - the last because it's the site of the Donald Strachey movies and books. We found the part where Donald met Timmy (but not the fateful tree), the street with his office, and the street their house was on. Not to mention more obvious places, like the State Legislature.

And France! I was very excited to see Lusignan and Poitiers. Loved the links to details, like this wonderful picture of the doors of the Church of Notre Dame de la Grande, Poitiers, with its gorgeous carving. And that lovely 12th century locality also has places like this and this and this.

I was intrigued by a reference I found in passing (in an item about Poitiers) about Hugues de Lusignan (probably Hugues X?) challenging King Louis of France (probably Louis IX). I wonder what that was about? What does it mean by "challenging"? Must look it up.

Days like this, I love the Internet.