France Cruise: La Rochelle and Ile de Re
In this second post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores La Rochelle and Île de Ré, France on her France Intensive Cruise on Azamara.
After the first few days in Bordeaux, the next stop on the itinerary was the beautiful city of La Rochelle, France. This city, with a population of just under 80,000, is an active seaport on the Bay of Biscay. It is a compact city, with a total area of around 11 square miles (28.5 square kilometers). Today I spent the morning on my own in La Rochelle, and then joined an excursion to Île de Ré in the afternoon.
France Intensive Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about La Rochelle and Île de Ré, France. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- June 9 through June 11: Bordeaux, France
- June 12: La Rochelle and Île de Ré, France
- June 13: Belle-Île-en-Mer, France
- June 14: Nantes, France
- June 15: Brest and Quimper, France
- June 16: St. Peter Port, Guernsey
- June 17: Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel, France
- June 18: Cherbourg, Omaha Beach, and Sainte-Mère-Église, France
- June 19 & 20: Honfleur, Rouen, and Fécamp, France
- June 21: Oostende and Bruges, Belgium
La Rochelle
We arrived at La Rochelle on a sunny but cool morning. I enjoyed a nice breakfast with a view of the Île de Ré bridge in the background before setting out on my morning exploration.
Vieux Port
I spent the morning wandering around the pretty city of La Rochelle. I started by walking toward the Vieux Port (“Old Harbor”) area. Along the way I enjoyed admiring the architecture throughout the city. One of the focal points is the Grosse-Horloge (“Big Clock”), an old city gate with, you guessed it, a rather big clock! The gate was originally built at the beginning of the 12th century.
After walking through the gate, I was in Vieux Port area. The busy harbor is full of small pleasure boats. Lining the harbor are three medieval towers: the Saint Nicolas Tower, the Chain Tower, and the Lantern Tower.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see some pictures of the Vieux Port area:
The charming and gothic architecture in this city is amazing! In one view, you see a colorful half-timbered house with a whimsical cat statue perched on the roofline (this house is known as the “Cat House” here!). In other views, you see the foreboding Lantern Tower and defensive city walls.
City Center
After spending some time relaxing and soaking in the views of the Vieux Port, I walked back to the city center. I found the daily local market, teeming with locals and tourists alike buying fresh, colorful produce and other local specialties. The deep, sonorous voice of one of the vendors shouting, “fraises fraîches” (“fresh strawberries”) still repeats in my head, over and over again!
I continued to walk through the city, spotting beautiful buildings and monuments along the way.
Back on the Ship
After enjoying time in La Rochelle in the morning, I headed back to the ship to get some lunch and get ready for the afternoon excursion. I enjoyed an ice cream on the pool deck after lunch.
Île de Ré
My afternoon excursion took me to the neighboring island called Île de Ré. To get there, we first drove over the 1.8-mile-long bridge that connects it to the mainland. This bridge was built in 1987, which made it much easier for locals and tourists to get to the island. The full-time population is about 17,500, which soars to about 220,000 in the summer! The small island measures 19 miles (30 kilometers) long and 3 miles (5 kilometers) wide.
Fortifications
Our walking tour began at the outskirts of the town, at the old defensive walls that surrounded the island. There is still an active prison here as well (but we didn’t visit that part!).
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
We then walked into the main area of the island; the harbor area called Saint-Martin-de-Ré. This area has a busy harbor surrounded by shops, cafes, and homes.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see some pictures of the harbor and the surrounding area:
Click through the below slideshow for more pictures:
Along the tour we stopped to visit Église Saint-Martin de Saint-Martin-de-Ré (“Saint Martin Church”). Scroll through the slideshow below for pictures of the church:
Once the walking tour ended, we had some free time. I poked my way in and out of the local shops, picking up several new goodies. My favorite find was the local bakery that had a wonderful assortment of fresh macarons. I couldn’t resist buying a 10-pack of assorted flavors. I found a nice spot on a bench at the harbor and enjoyed a few!
Donkeys in Trousers
Île de Ré is known for three things: oysters, sea salt, and donkeys wearing trousers! The first two are obvious: oysters are harvested throughout the island, and there are many salt marshes here that produce a lot of sea salt. But what’s up with the donkeys? Well, the local donkeys here have very long hair – the locals call them “Rasta Donkeys” because it looks like they have dredlocks. The trousers, known as culottes, help protect the donkey’s legs from insects and weather while they are working.
There are several stuffed mascots in the local shops (and, of course, lots of merchandise with the images!). On our drive back to the ship, our guide spotted a few of the live donkeys and she made our driver take a small detour so we could see them! These donkeys were not working, so they didn’t have their culottes on, but their long hair is clearly visible.
Returning to the Ship
The day in La Rochelle and Île de Ré wrapped up and I headed back to the ship. It was very windy that afternoon, so Captain Johannes let us know that we would have the assistance of a tugboat to navigate out of the area. So, the tugboat arrived and hooked up to the ship to help guide us safely on our way!
I went to Windows Cafe for the Asian-themed buffet for dinner tonight. I enjoyed some delicious sushi as we sailed. After dinner, I headed to the Cabaret Lounge to catch the evening’s entertaining show by the six signature singers and dancers on the ship. Following the show, we had the Captain’s Welcome and toast. Cheers to a wonderful cruise ahead!
I wrapped up my fun day with a pretty sunset. This was a great way to wrap up my 51st year…tomorrow is my birthday!
Conclusion
My day in La Rochelle and Île de Ré was wonderful. Both areas are absolutely gorgeous, with lots of history and architecture. The weather cooperated so it was a great day to explore. I enjoyed having free time to wander through La Rochelle in the morning. The afternoon excursion to Île de Ré was fun and educational.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
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