France 2013, Day Twelve, Charente Maritime

Day twelve, Wed 15th May

Warm but not very sunny, so we picked today for our drive to La Rochelle.  After last years short visit to La Rochelle on our way back north, we said we would come back for a longer look around, next time we were in the area.

We drove to the car park next to the Aquarium de la Rochelle, where we had parked last time, it made sense to park somewhere we knew and somewhere close to the old town. This time I drove straight there and didn't get lost like last time.

We walked in a different way to last time and made our way around to the far side of the harbour, we had to pass the green lighthouse this way.

Dot checked out the boat trips but I was not keen on that, the sea wasn't very calm and the sun could not make it's mind up today, one minute it was shining, next it was overcast.

Through a gate in the town ramparts, we came to a large car park, I didn't expect that.   There was an information plaque, proudly announcing that the old fishermen's huts had been demolished to make way for the shiny new car park, sigh. We climbed up onto town ramparts at la Tour de la Chaine (the chain tower I assume), and set off along the wall towards the Tour de la Lanterne (it was once used as a lighthouse).

After the Tour de la Lanterne, we continued to follow the wall to La porte des Deux-Moulins, a gate and through it, a small part of the old fortification.  At the end of the wall, was a beach with a couple of cafés, we though about eating there but instead headed back in to the old town when it started to spit rain.

The rain didn't come on in the end,  so I went down into a shallow valley to take some photos of a bridge, not realising I was in part of the old fortifications, the ditch outside the ramparts.

Now sunny walking back into the centre we looked at the menus boards several restaurants but didn't go in any, the one we did fancy, an Indian, was closed.  Back at the harbour we got frites and mayo and sat in the sun eating them with a fantastic view of the towers.  After our chips, I spotted a view down a side street that I though would make a good photo.  So as dot wandered towards the shops, I started to take the shot, only as I was focusing on auto, there was a loud bang from inside the camera.  It stopped working (it still doesn't work), luckily I had a spare camera with me and Dot also had hers, so from now all the photos are from a different cameras.

We went through the Grosse Horloge (an old city gate), to where all of the shops are.  I had a few problems getting the replacement camera to work and get it set up properly and was messing with it as we walked the many shopping streets.  We went into a small supermarket for some water and surprisingly I got some new beers in there.

After a long walk around the shops we went back to the harbour and had a drink of water in the sun, while I messed some more with the camera.  We then headed back to the car, I didn't think I could walk much more today anyway.  Back at the car Dot asked where the water was, it must have been back at the harbour where we were sat, my bag was already so heavy with beers I didn't miss one bottle of water.

We didn't drive straight back to the site but headed instead to Fouras.   There we drove round the peninsular that Fouras sits on and stopped a various points on the coast.   I got a photo of Le Fort Énet, before eventually parking up near the centre and walking along the promenade towards Fort Vauban.

Dot bought some souvenirs from the shop in the fort and we had a quick look around but I had already walked too far for today and it was starting to get cold, so we set off back to the car.

I could see a lighthouse in the distance so before driving back to the campsite, we drove along some very narrow roads to find it.

Day Eleven or Day Thirteen