Charente Maritime or how I'll enjoy the Atlantic coast

*This beautiful photo is courtesy of www.whereonearthgroup.com

As I stated before, I changed my mind and decided to ignore all wisdom around me while taking my son to the French Atlantic coast. I will be on a writing vacation which will surely influence my choice of accommodation and places to stay but you may find a thing or two for yourself. If you have a two-year old torpedo, I'll be considering this too when making my travel plan.

Here is a very nice article in Wikipedia on this French department - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charente-Maritime - one with sometimes happy, sometimes sad history. It's also home of a favorite spot of mine - La Rochelle.

Spotlights:

- Charente Maritime is south-west of the Loire Valley and close enough to become part of your trip if you go to the Loire castles first;
- located on the Atlantic coast, it has marvelous beaches, some of them almost empty in early summer or early fall (avoid July-August when it's really crowded);
- the climate is wonderful, the number of sunny days throughout the year is second only to Cote D'Azur, the average temperatures are about 20C in the summer and 5C in the winter ( note these are averages, it's not 20C in the summer, it's much warmer!);
- the local economy is mainly relying on maritime industry, tourism, cognac and pineau (more on these below);
- seafood is amazing!;
- places to see - La Rochelle, Royan, Saintes, St Jean d'Angely, Rochefort, Île d'Aix, Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron;
- La Rochelle is not an international airport but there are charters from Britain, alternatively you may use Nantes or Bordeaux.

A couple of accommodations:

Between Saintes and Cognac is the gite you see on the left - http://www.giteducalme.com/
In Gemozac - true bourgeois mansion - http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/174015.html
In the La Rochelle area - http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/196846.html#photo
Nice one near La Rochelle, very good for children: http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/121629.html
I like this one too: http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/196844.html
If you're into bold design statements: http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/628913.html
This one is advertised as Royan accommodation but it seems more like Gemozac, not bad, quite simple but well maintained - http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/118403.html
Between Royan and Bordeaux - http://queensville.co.uk/La-Vieille-Grange/index.htm
Same area as above - http://gitesdegarbellant.fr/one-gite-house-barn-cottage-appartements-villas-un/default.asp
Various villas for rent on Ile-de-Re - http://www.bon-sejour-en-france.com/ile-de-re/ile-de-re-accommodation.html

My personal choices:
http://www.beaugite.com/location/pays/france/dpt17/373/infos.htm - quiet, yet close enough to beaches when driving;
north of La Rochelle, closer to Nantes airport: http://www.lamaisonenpierre.com/
In Beneze, next to Royan, one of my favorite cottages in the area: http://www.beneze.net/ ;
Fabulous place with chateau and cottages on site: http://www.chateaumouillepied.fr/ - close to Saintes;
On the already famous island Ille-de-Re: http://www.bon-sejour-en-france.com/ile-de-re/270/holidays-rental-Sainte---Marie-Cottage-Sirene-.htm ;
Something special half way between Loire Valley and the Atlantic beaches: http://www.legrandsaule.co.uk/

Links to local pages:
La Rochelle - http://www.francethisway.com/places/larochelle.php , http://www.holidays-la-rochelle.co.uk/ ;
Royan - http://www.ot-royan.fr/FRAccueil.asp?lg=UK with version in English;
Saintes - http://www.francethisway.com/places/saintes.php , http://www.ville-saintes.fr/index.php?id=725 ;
St Jean d'Angely - http://www.a-taste-of-france.com/dangley.html , http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/en/guide/city/142817-st-jean-d-angely-charente-maritime ;
Rochefort - http://www.bernezac.com/Rochefort_uk.htm , http://www.ville-rochefort.fr/accueil - in French , http://www.francethisway.com/places/rochefort.php ;
Ile d'Aix - http://www.france-for-visitors.com/atlantic/la-rochelle/ile-d-aix.html , http://www.bernezac.com/Aix_uk.htm ;
Ile de Re - http://www.bernezac.com/Re_uk.htm , http://www.holidays-iledere.co.uk/ .

What to taste:

*Photo courtesy of www.cognacnet.com

Pineau - this is an aperitif, a type of liquor wine (mistelle or vin de liqueur) made from fresh fermenting grape juice added to brandy (Cognac eau-de-vie). The fermentation stops and the result is pineau. It's delicious and a bit tricky, limit it to a small glass prior to your meal. There are white, rose and red pineau, depending on the vines used. The white is made of Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, and occasionally of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Montils. The rose and red are made of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Have it chilled. If you're lucky to visit in a good year, you may have the rare chance to see the harvest picked manually with the proper celebrations on the vineyards. Join, don't think twice!

*Photo courtesy of www.beveragewarehouse.com


Cognac - this famous product of the French unmistakable taste for spirits is made of distilled wine. The vines used - white ugni, folle blanche and colombard - are grown specifically to produce material for distilling.

The distillation is double and after that the brandy ages in oak barrels. The oak gives away its tannin to the brandy and makes for the unique taste and the amber colour. The alcoholic strength drops in the dark cellars through evaporation. It's important and known as"the part for the angels". Once bottled, the ageing of cognac stops.


Finding a place where to taste both pineau and cognac is not difficult. In the bigger towns and villages there are stores offering the local produce where you will also be educated on the history of the drink. If you have time and are interested, definitely visit the town Cognac where you can enjoy tasting some of the world's finest cognacs and take a tour of the museum dedicated to the drink - http://www.westernfrancetouristboard.com/cognac.html . Driving between the small villages will also provide you with numerous opportunities - just watch for the signs. The cooperatives are always good spots and the prices are very reasonable. For more distinguished taste and atmosphere, opt for the mansions ruling over the vineyards - the signs on the roads are usually theirs.

More on food, drink and general area information here: http://www.discover-poitou-charentes.com/food-drink/local-delicacies.htm It's a lovely website which I wish all the best. In the next post I'm going to ask Tarot about the places I listed here. :)))

A sidenote: Just look at this bijou! It's a miniature castle next to Chinon: http://www.alwaysonvacation.co.uk/holiday-rentals/481440.html

Portrait of a woman

In a distant corner of the South, on a dusty square, under the scorching afternoon sun, slightly to the right of the cafeteria, is located the bakery. Every morning we join the army bicycling to get their fresh croissants and baguette. The angelic scent is felt from behind the turn and attracts strayed cars from the main road. They make a mini traffic jam in front of Bernadette's window.

Bernadette loves aliens. They are an endless source of stories during the long winter evenings and an opportunity to once again demonstrate she had lived her youth in Paris and was a worldly woman of broad understanding. According to the rumor, she not just lived there but conquered this Paris with a swing. Having not finished school and never touched the door of an university, Bernadette found a job in a patisserie using her "charm". Thanks to the time spent in her grandmother and mother's kitchens, she quickly improved her position both on the ground floor and in the upper apartment of the owner. It happened many years ago. Bernadette states she is sixty-five but the gossipy elders are refusing to take her any younger than seventy. Bernadette ignores them with all the dignity of her mighty stance and frequently pretends she hasn't heard their order.

Bernadette's youth has long been a beloved subject in the village, skillfully fueled by herself after returning from Paris. It happened too soon - only two years after she had left. Although young, the wise Bernadette had quickly realized good men were hard to find in Paris and her invaluable looks and skills would fade while looking for one. The skills she refuses to discuss but puts on a secretive smile.

It seems her husband highly appreciates them for he is gazing at her with adoration and pride. Claude, as his name is, is a tiny old man, a wine maker, earth lover, in a straw Panama hat. He is about three times smaller than his wife but leads a daily war against the gossips in the village to defend her reputation. No evening passes in the cafe when Claude won't stand up for Bernadette's chastity, albeit slightly scratched here and there. He says women like her should be chosen to represent Mariana - this icon of the French femininity. It usually causes mass choking. I can not blame them. No one knew Laetitia Casta at the time but Mariana has never been a piece of heavy machinery.

After coming back to her native village, Bernadette flourished in the warm sun on the heavy, fertile soil. She returned to her roots and opened the bakery on the square in the family house where she was born. Less than a month later Bernadette noticed the prospective bachelor Claude. He had been to war which, in her value system, was the highest form of endurance test - a quality she identified as essential to a future husband. And the moment she had made her choice, she had already conquered him. They married three months later.  She bore his children but they flew to the big cities and now come to visit only on weekends and for the summer. Bernadette has not yet forgiven them for making her a grandma too soon.

This femme formidable loves not only newcomers but everything big - houses, cars, hairstyles (all her hair is placed on top of her head), skirts, blouses (they look borrowed from a Velasquez painting), gardens, chairs, beds (on hers three Bernadettes may sleep comfortably) and most of all - bushes.

Bernadette considers growing flowers an absolute waste of time and space. Flowers require permanent care while the only result is tiny colorful spots here and there in the backyard. Bushes are quite a different story. They can not be missed even from afar, bloom longer, want almost no care and protect the yard from the watchful eyes of nosy neighbors. The outcome of this brilliant theory is a backyard resembling the keep of La Rochelle, surrounded by tall fence and high lilacs, cypresses and ten more species of unknown shrubs she gets delivered from Marseille. She is a proud owner of this jungle while Claude is still trying to swallow the ruined crops that couldn't survive the vigorous growth of the bushes.

Bernadette almost squeaks of joy when she sees the bikes. We provide her with sweet time for rest and chat. Although my French is terrible, she keeps asking questions and moves slowly behind the window carefully packing my croissants. It looks like a sacred act of revelation among the baguettes. Feels like a confession - sometimes relieving, often uncomfortable, especially when we touch the topic on the last underwear trends. Bernadette is a woman of fashion but complaints she receives few magazines these days and the postman behaves unforgivably taking her stuff to his wife. She says she has to go to Marseille to buy a proper dress. Very troublesome.

The rumor has it that Bernadette loves big bottles as well. She's been reportedly spotted pouring aromatic wine down her throat and dropping a bit here and there in her dough. It would explain the always cheerful mood of her customers. Providing the villagers with these special goods has turned Bernadette into an icon and main contributor to the village's prosperity. For how would they survive the endless hours in the vineyards without the proper enthusiasm?

That is why everyone felt terribly concerned when in the end of the summer Bernadette went to Marseille for her regular shopping tour and didn't come back on the Sunday evening as she had always done before. The priest prayed; the cafe owner gave away wine; Claude opened and closed the bakery and even made some bread himself; all was done to welcome Bernadette when she would finally come home but she didn't. I waited on the square like everyone else, sipping from my free wine and wondering in the darkness of the fragrant night.

On a lazy afternoon...

On a lazy sunny afternoon I deal with whatever questions I have received regarding recent posts. There are a couple of them asking about sights and accommodation away from the main chateaux route in the Loire Valley. I look outside and see the sun is going west. So, I look west from Saumur which I chose before for a focal point of my posts, and here is what I suggest you do if you go west.

You can drive either towards Doue-la-Fontaine (and I strongly recommend you rent a car if willing to explore the side roads) or towards Mountreil-Bellay. In both cases you will pass by Cave Grolleau where you can taste some really fine wines. Then, reaching Pace, you will have to choose either road.

If you decide to go to Doue-la-Fontaine, you can also explore the Rou-Marson area and dine at the cave restaurant http://www.cavesdemarson.com/cellars.html . Although I've heard people being unhappy with the service, I personally have never had any complaints. In the village there is also a nice small castle which is often overlooked. You will then reach Les Ulmes - a tiny village with interesting stories to tell. The official website is in French: http://www.lesulmes.mairie49.fr/ but this document will give you an idea: http://www.doneohostmaking.com/Miracle/LesUlmes.pdf . Never miss a place where miracles happened for yours may be on the way! :) On the other side of the road you will see the smallest "town" in the community - Montfort. There you can taste very good wines of Anjou and the rose trees are worth seeing. Typically French, the residents of Montfort and Cizay-la-Madeleine are arguing over the ownership of Chateau of Epinats built in the XVII century. The Madeleine's website is here: http://www.cizay.la.madeleine.mairie49.fr/ .
*Photo courtesy of www.farm-cottages-holidays.com

Doue-la-Fontaine is an ancient town which was identified as an inhabited spot as early as the 7th century. There are ruins uncovered which can be seen close to the springs. In the town was located one of the oldest habitable donjon (keeps) in France, built about the year 900. The castle is believed to be the first European castle built of stone around 950.There are also troglodyte dwellings and commercial mushroom-growing caves. The Zoo is partially built within the troglodyte dwellings. Doue is titled the rose capital of France and a "Festival of the Rose" is held annually in July. More than 800 varieties of roses can be seen during the event. The official site (in French) is: http://www.ville-douelafontaine.fr/ . The zoo website has an English version: http://www.zoodoue.fr/ . There is a good hotel at the edge of the town - Hôtel De La Saulaie with a huge park and a swimming pool. There are many others, of course, but this one is what I personally know.

From Doue you can drive straight to Mountreil-Bellay and thw only village on your way will be Brossay. While there is a winery which carries the name Chateau-de-Brossay it is not located in the Brossay village. :)) It is in Cléré-sur-Layon, further west. Therefore, don't look for the Chateau or the wines in this Brossay. There is a fine chateau in another Brossay, in Bretagne. Very confusing, I know. Basically, the Loire Brossay is as off the beaten path as one can imagine. If you're looking for a quiet place, this can be it.

On the other side of this triangle is Mountreil-Bellay with its serene beauty and very good wines: http://www.chateau-montreuil-bellay.fr/index.php?/montreuilbellay/EN . Among my personal favorite spots, the town is charming, much quieter than the popular toursit attraction on the Loire itself but still offering enough of history, nature, and typical French lifestyle to satisfy many. More about the beautiful chateau and the town can be found here: http://www.chateaux-france.com/montreuilbellay . Official website: http://www.chateau-de-montreuil-bellay.fr/ . There is a pretty good hotel in the town: http://www.hotelrelaisdubellay.fr/ and if you write to them in English, they tend to respond in the same language. :)

From there you can drive a bit more to the west and visit Le-Puy-Notre-Dame - official website: http://www.ville-lepuynotredame.fr/ . For such a small town, Le-Puy-Notre-Dame offers a lot - caves, mushroom growing, museums, retro cars show, and naturally - beautiful nature. Later the town has become quite popular among foreign home buyers, so if you're on the way to buy a vacation home, now is the time. :) A very nice blog of a bed and breakfast spot is this one: http://lagrandemaison.blogspot.com/ . Another sweet blog is this one and the couple live in the village plus own gites which you can rent: http://loiregites.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/a-morning-stroll-around-le-puy-notre-dame/ .

*Photo courtesy of www.anjou-tourisme.com

In the middle between Mountreil-Bellay and Le-Puy-Notre-Dame is located Vaudelnay which is another quiet spot and where you can find this very nice accommodation: http://en.likhom.com/bnb/La-Croix-Saint-Andre/vaudelnay . The official website is: http://www.communes-francaises.com/49/vaudelnay/ and even if you don't know French, you can click on the links to check out pretty good offers for bed and breakfast or rental cottages.

Enjoy! :)

Virus week

Yep, unfortunately it's been a week to catch any passing virus, including the nasty stomach one who made me look like a model in no time but also affected badly my already skinny toddler too! Now I'm facing the challenge of feeding him better than ever, promoting a business, developing a business, working my day job, and last but not least - studying for exams... When does a modern woman get a break? How do you do it ladies?

I've always admired women who manage to have family time, a career or their own business, and time for themselves as well. I constantly feel like losing it. Somewhere between the healthy meals that require regular shopping for fresh food, the maintenace of a website, the tweeting/blogging/reading/following, playing and enjoying family, etc., I get lost. One of these always has to be sacrificed in my messy everyday life. Today it was the studying that had to be neglected, so I can sit here and have a nice little writing session. :)

Still, I have some interesting links for today. As you know, I get the Forbes newsletter and I always follow their Life section with interest. I found out that they have extensive archive and here is Forbes' Destination Of the Week for the past few years: http://search.forbes.com/search/storyTypeSearch?storyType=Destination+Of+The+Week

And here is another of my favourites - Elite Wine, Food and Travel magazine: http://www.elitewinefoodtravel.com/magazine/

I have always found particular meals remind me of places I have visited, and it is not mandatory that the meal originated from the place. Sometimes the association is unclear even to me. It's like perfumes which I smell on the street and turn immediately because my brain has connected the aroma with a powerful memory of a person, occasion, event. I find this beautiful. And because I'm thinking of the sea these days, and my feet can almost feel the tender sand, I made fish, potatoes sote and a big salad for supper. The white wine is cooling down in the fridge. I guess it's time to cool down the "little grey cells" too. :)