05 August 2018

A trip to the coast

It's so hot here in Saint-Aignan that our tap water — the cold water tap — is tepid. In other words, we have hot and warm running water, but no cold water flowing. We also have three more days of high heat to endure, according to forecasts. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the afternoon high temperature is supposed to fall from the mid-90s in ºF down to the mid-70s. Yesterday's high, according to Accuweather, was 34ºC — between 93 and 94ºF. Walt and I both a much happier when the temperature is in the mid-70s.

Partly because of this summer's extreme heat, we've been contemplating a car trip to the coast this fall, after we've finished harvesting and processing vegetables from our back-yard garden. For 10 years we've been talking about finally going to see the cities of La Rochelle and Les Sables-d'Olonne, and the island called Noirmoutier. Yesterday I took the first step toward that goal. I reserved a gîte rural for a week's stay over that way in October. The rent for the week is about $400, everything included.

The web site says it's an 18th-century house on two levels with a big living room and a spacious kitchen on the ground floor, and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. I'm happy to have found a place that meets three or four of our must-have criteria. First, the owners must allow you to bring your dog with you. Tasha will be happy to go for a long ride in the car. Second, we need to have internet access. Third, we want TV so we can watch Télématin in the morning for news and weather before heading out for a day of touring around. And fourth, we need a convenient location from which to do day trips.

A gîte rural is not necessarily a luxury accommodation. It's a place to stay in the country, and sometimes just one step up from camping. In British English, the translation is "a self-catering cottage in the country." In American English, it's a small vacation rental in a rural area. Gîtes come with different levels of what is called confort, or modern conveniences. This one has a decent kitchen, if the photo reflects reality, and there are two bedrooms, one with a queen-size bed. Sheets and towels are provided, though for us that's not crucial because we can pack and take our own — we'll be driving, after all.

This gîte — it's pronounced [zheet] — is near the big town of Fontenay-le-Comte (pop. 13,640) on the edge of the area known as the Marais poitevin, a big marshy region described on Wikipedia as having a western zone called a 'dry marsh'... “used for farming and breeding, and ... an eastern zone called the 'wet marsh', a maze of islets criss-crossed by picturesque canals now used for tourist rowboating...” It's a three-hour drive from Saint-Aignan and about 35 miles from the beaches along the Atlantic coast. The historical average temperatures for the area in October are highs of 16 or 17ºC (mid-60s in ºF) and lows around 10ºC (50ºF). I want to be able to walk on the beach and see, smell, and hear the ocean. I want to eat seafood.

20 comments:

  1. It looks pretty and comfortable, and maybe quiet, too.

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    1. There's a boulangerie just 4 kms from the gîte, and all the shopping we would ever need is available in Fontenay. Besides, we'll be out driving around every day, so we can always get something to cook for dinner. With the dog, we probably won't go to restaurants much.

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  2. I look forward to see La Rochelle through your camera.

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  3. La Rochelle is great! Stop in at le Café du Port -- the vieux port on the walk towards the aquarium and TGV station. Say hello to Irène for me.
    There is also a wonderful ice cream place, Ernest. At the Natural Science Museum, they've got Zarafa, the first giraffe ever brought to France. There's quite a stuffed animal collection, in fact, if you're into that kind of thing. The aquarium is excellent and reasonably priced. Of course, we visited when the grandchildren were 8 1/2 and 4, so we viewed a lot through their eyes.
    If you wander farther, I highly recommend La Corderie at Rochefort and visiting l'Hermione. Also Saintes. And, while you're at it, the oysters around Marennes -- more for the adult tourists.

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    1. L'analyse d'Ellen est parfaite ! Belle balade et bon séjour à vous.

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    2. Thanks. Our museum and boat visits will be limited by the fact that we are traveling with the dog. We've been to Saintes before (years ago) and we spent a week on the île d'Oléron 10 years ago. This time, we want to see things slightly north of those places — La Rochelle, of course, but also Les Sables-d'Olonne, La Roche-sur-Yon, and Noirmoutier. And maybe Niort — why not?

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  4. If you go to Les Sables, dont’t miss the Puits d’enfer. It’s a nice walk on the beach; the dog will love it. We spent at least two summers in Les Sables in the late ‘20s. Or favorite beach was near the Phare Rouge. Memories!

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    1. Le phare Rouge dont je parle est une tour blanche, carrée, qui se trouvait (se trouve-t-elle encore?) sur le remblais à une des extrémités de la rue des Deux Phares.

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    2. Il n'y a pas mention du phare Rouge dans mon Guide Vert Michelin (qui date de 1986). Je ferai des recherches...

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    3. Here it is on Google Maps Street View, if the link works. Why is it called the red lighthouse?

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    4. The Google Maps Street View worked and, yes, that is the phare Rouge I know. On your other link you can see that same phare Rouge as it looked in the early 20th century. In my days, only the square tower was left and was probably no longer a lighthouse. There is no old photo of the « other » phare Rouge that is probably much more recent.

      I wonder if my phare Rouge was so called because it emitted a red light?

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    5. The phare Rouge is also known as the feu de l’Estacade or feu du Rembai. It is aligned with the phare de la Poterne at the other end of rue des Deux Phares. It is not clear if its light was [is?] red. The entrance to the Sables d’Olonne harbour is very hard to navigate because of shallow waters and rocky shoals.

      If I’m not mistaken, that’s where the run Vendée Globe originates.

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  5. This sounds like a fascinating way to take a vacation....Good that Tasha does not mind traveling. Hope you have fabulous seafood.

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    1. We did a similar but shorter trip in March, going to see the Allier area and Beaujolais. The gîte we rented there was only about half the size of this one in the Vendée. It was very comfortable though, and Tasha seemed to enjoy the trip.

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  6. Oh, this is exciting! I look forward to seeing your photos, and reading your stories... and smelling the ocean air vicariously.

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  7. A good trip, to be sure. That part of France, the Deux Sevres and Vendée, are on my to-see list, so I look forward to your photos.

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  8. The trip sounds wonderful and the gite is beautiful. We'll all enjoy seeing the photos!

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