La Rochelle and Ile de Ré.....a trip to the Atlantic Coast

emblem of La Rochelle

Haven’t been posting much lately as the weather has been miserable for months. “Unusual” so everyone tells us. We decided to take an overnight break and see a city that gets great reviews but that we hadn’t managed to visit before.

La Tour Saint Nicolas and La Tour de la Chaîne at the entrance to the old harbour and no they are not leaning.

The port is made up of  a series of small 'bassins' 

La Rochelle is on the Atlantic coast in the Bay of Biscay and is an old port town. The romans brought vineyards and harvested salt from the coastal saltpans. This made the area an important trading centre for centuries. It was once a major port for the french navy and the setting off point for journeys to the Americas and beyond. Now La Rochelle and it’s sister port, Rochefort, are well known for yacht building.

Yachts, yachts and more yachts

The Marquis de Lafayette left from here for the American colonies to provide french support for the war of independence against the british. A replica of his ship, the “Hermione”, has been built at Rochefort near La Rochelle and is on exhibition for all to see before it sails for the US in May.

the replica of the Hermione 

The ‘old town’ is built of beautiful white stone and features the usual narrow cobbled streets and colonnades. These days there are many restaurants, clothing and decorator shops to entice tourists to spend – the locals are still trading.

white stone, pale grey shutters and black ironwork - perfect

The town is built of a white stone so, no doubt, very beautiful in the sunshine with the sea as it’s background.

along the harbour front 

 The harbour front is lined with seafood restaurants for every budget.

gatehouse into the 'old town'

the clock tower

The Café de la Paix is in a building constructed in 1793 and is now classified as an historic monument. During it’s life it has been a hospital and a theatre before being reincarnated as a café in 1900 and redecorated in the Belle Epoque style. A more beautiful spot to stop and enjoy a coffee, as we did,  would be hard to find.

Cafe de la Paix

Cafe de la Paix interior

The land around La Rochelle is flat, marshy and scrubby. Over the centuries the locals have dug ditches in an effort to drain the land, but farming isn’t in much evidence. The saltpans, especially on the Ile de Ré are world famous and the local pineau des charentes is an excellent aperitif and well worth trying. But it’s the seafood that the town is probably best known for, especially the oysters.

The bridge to Ile de Ré is 2.9km long and the second longest bridge in France

The Ile de Ré is well known in France as a holiday island. Celebrities have been coming here for generations to enjoy the sea and the seafood and the relaxed lifestyle. There is no high-rise and the scattered villages are made up of white painted cottages behind high walls and narrow lanes leading to the beaches. In the summer the lanes and gardens are filled with flowers, and artists capturing that summer beach atmosphere. 

There are three lighthouses on the most western point of Ile de Ré. One built in 1682 , one in 1854, and another off the shoreline and about which I can’t find any information. When the tide goes out the beach almost reaches this little lighthouse so a very necessary warning to ships.

Graham's thoughts on our local dining experience :

Well it is true that the countryside is flat and a little marshy, but the same cannot be said about the food!

As a coastal town, seafood is high on the agenda of many of the local restaurants and of course we felt inclined to go with the majority and try the local seafood at Les Flots.

While Kerrie is allergic to oysters (huitre) the same does not apply to myself and I love them. I have tried the fabulous degustation of oysters at the “Boatshed” at Glebe and thoroughly enjoyed the variety.

However,  this night I tried 9 of the size No 3 oysters from the Ile D’Oleron (just off the coast)  and I have to say that they were the best oysters I have ever tried. Same flavour and texture as a Sydney Rock oyster, but twice the size. Absolutely wonderful, but I was left thinking that maybe I should only have had 6 of them.

Main courses consisted of oven roasted Sea Bass with a cuttlefish and crab ravioli and a celeriac mousseline for me and lightly seared scallops with a black truffle risotto for madam. Both were exclaimed as excellent.

The Fromage chariot and dessert (for Madam) followed.

This was all washed down with a pleasant 2005 Alsace Riesling which really complimented the meal. The service and knowledge from the staff provided a not unpleasant experience compared to many of our local restaurants.

If for nothing else, the trip was worthwhile just for the food.

The weather wasn't so good last week, but on Sunday the sun came out ! Perhaps spring has arrived at last 

Bonne semaine mes amis