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Activities & Interests
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One of our wonderful memories of our
stay in France this year, was our visit to La
Rochelle. It's only about 40 minutes drive from La
Jolie Maison, and well worth a visit.
Head to Vieux Port, in the centre, (plenty
of car parks, well signposted,) where you will find the beautiful ancient harbour,
guarded by the two towers, a real spectacle. Nestling around the edges are
many gastronomic restaurants, to suit all tastes & all pockets. One we
found very good for families was 'Versuvio' but with so many to choose from,
I'm sure you can't go wrong.
Another 'must' to visit in La Rochelle, is the Aquarium.
It's like being under water with the fish! Loads to see, even a huge Shark
tank, a real hit with the children, but us adults enjoyed it too!! |
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Puy du Fou, what a fantastic day out! There is something there for everyone, young & young at heart!! A place very hard to encapsulate in a paragraph, you have to experience it for yourself. Where else in the world can you see jousting Knights, & Medieval Battles, or sit in a life size Coliseum, & witness Slaves being forced into battle against the fearsome Gladiators. There are many other 'shows' & attractions. All of the shows are in French, but if you don't speak the language, the actions speak for themselves. Plenty of places for lunch, quite reasonably priced. Try to eat early if you can, as it gets very busy.
The whole thing is set in 'The Grand Parc' showing off some beautiful gardens, as you walk to each event. We have experienced nothing like Puy du Fou before, well worth a visit!
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So what did we find to do in the Vendee? Fontenay le Comte was once a very important town, and with the help of a small leaflet, we discovered some beautiful buildings dating from the sixteenth century, tucked in various places around the town. In the museum, we learned about aspects of the daily lives of citizens of other days, farming, cabinet making, and the lovely "coiffes" or caps which women traditionally wore.
In nearby Vouvant, we climbed up inside the tower built, according to the legend, in a single night by the fairy Melusine, then followed the river as it snaked around the ancient walls of this small town. The church was interesting for the medieval carvings of strange animals surrounding the north door.
Another day found us walking in the forest near Vouvant, following shady trails with the help of numbered way marks, and picnicking by the waterside at Venice Vert (Green Venice) watching more intrepid souls venturing into boats to explore this enchanting place.
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