The day after we went to see Vouvant, we drove about an hour south to the city of La Rochelle. I had always wanted to see the place, and finally had a chance to. We had tried to got there by boat from the Île d'Oléron a decade earlier, but the region's commercial fishermen were on strike had blocked the entrance to the port. The ferry service was shut down. It wasn't too easy to walk around in La Rochelle with Tasha the Sheltie on a leash, but it worked out fine. The city (pop. 77,000) crowded on a beautiful late October day.
La Rochelle has been a major port city in this region since the 12th century. In the 16th century it became an important Protestant stronghold in the French religious wars.
La Rochelle was a fortified city in the Middle Ages. The fortifications were demolished in the 17th century — the two towers that guarded the Vieux Port remain. The entrance to the port was protected by a chain that stretched from the Tour de la Chaîne to the Tour St-Nicolas (the taller one) to the south, preventing invading ships from entering.
Walt, Tasha, and I stayed close to the old port when we were there. We didn't venture into the old city, where streets are narrow and we were afraid the dog would be spooked by cars and crowds. She loved La Rochelle, as you can see. It was the first time she ever went to a restaurant with us. We had lunch outdoors in a sidewalk café where Tasha was comfortable and calm.
The chain prevented ships to enter the harbor, but it also prevented ships to go out. I guess the chain could be removed as necessary!
ReplyDeleteYes, it was deployed at night and at other times when there was a threat. Otherwise, it was hauled in from dawn to dusk.
DeleteI bet moving that chain around took some strong men!
ReplyDeleteI imagine.
DeleteInteresting about the chain at the port entry - I wonder if that was done elsewhere at the time?
ReplyDeleteI wonder too.
DeleteI love this stuff!
ReplyDelete: ^ )
DeleteIt's funny about picture no. 3 (the big one showing the two towers protecting the port) is one I found at the last minute. I had spent 15 or 20 minutes making a composite image using the two previous photos. I finished and thought the result was not bad. Then I opened the next photo in the archive, and that is the one I posted. It was better than the composite image.
ReplyDelete