After our stay with Maje in Moliets-et-Maa, our journey in France continued. We rented a car in Dax and drove north to visit a bit of the Charente-Maritime region. We initially thought we’d stay in La Rochelle and spend a day on the Ile de Ré, but the more I researched the area, the more attractive the island became as a base. And what a gem it was.
Now accessible by a bridge, the island used to be accessible by ferry only. There are 10 small villages on the long, skinny island. We stayed at a family-run hotel in Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré, which put us near the center. The first thing we noticed was the infrastructure – the roads and segregated bike lanes were well-maintained and well-marked. The second was the persistent breeze / wind, which certainly made sense due to the island’s shape and Atlantic exposure.
Although we arrived in the off-season, most things were still open. But we were disappointed that the local ice cream chain had shut down shortly after we arrived. Reservations were smart for dinner each night at the most popular places, even though the crowds had thinned.
We spent our first day full day in La Rochelle. As we left the island, we noticed a lot of traffic coming over the bridge. As it was Saturday, there were a lot of weekend sports enthusiasts (bikers, surfers, etc.) coming to enjoy the island. Our first stop was the city’s Marche Central. These markets are the best! At this one you could get 6 oysters and a glass of wine for about 5€ and eat them standing up at a small table. Having already eaten breakfast, Jeff took a pass, knowing that there would be many more opportunities to eat oysters. The pastries and fresh produce did not disappoint. It’s fun to wander through these markets even if you don’t buy anything.
As a coastal maritime community, La Rochelle has quite a history. Highlights include (1) its role as a Huguenot power center until 1628, (2) as a base for trade and immigration to the French New World (Quebec), and (3) as a WWII U-boat headquarters. We focused on the third.
At the Bunker Museum, situated in a building used by the Nazis to house their submarine officers with an underground shelter, we learned about La Rochelle’s Nazi built U-boat base that was impenetrable to Allied attacks and the impact this had on the city, one of the last to be liberated during the war. The fully preserved underground bar with sea themed ceilings was fun to see.
We walked around the old town of La Rochelle, which is well preserved as the Allie’s focused their bombing on the submarine base in the port. Since the base turned out to be indestructible, parts of several movies, including Das Boot and the original Indiana Jones movie, were filmed there. Unfortunately, however, you can no longer visit the U-Boat base as it is now on private industrial property.
We spent a full day biking around the Ile de Ré on a route that took us to La Flotte, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Loix and La Couarde-sur-Mer. We were glad we had e-bikes as the winds were strong along the coastal trails.
It was a sunny, yet cool day. Each stone village was charming and unique with a church and main square. We had breakfast in one village, lunch in another, and enjoyed seeing the extensive salt flats and marshes, and biking through the scenic vineyards.
The next day we explored the rest of the island by car, allowing us to get to both ends in one day. On the west end, we saw the Phare des Baleines (Lighthouse of the Whales) inaugurated in 1849. On the east end the L’Abbaye des Chatelier (Abbey of Chateliers) built in 1556 by Cisterian monks, who settled on the island and developed its salt and wine trade, which exist to this day.
Adieu,
Shana & Jeff
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