Rochefort to La Rochelle

May 24, 2019

Sun and rain today

It's not a long way to La Rochelle from here, about 40 km if you take La Vélodyssée, which I plan to do. Way back in March, when I was planning this trip, I booked a chambre d'hôte in La Rochelle for three nights and my hostess isn't expecting me until 1700. So no need to rush!

I spent a little time trying to catch up on this journal and then packed up. I'd decided to start by riding La Vélodyssée back into the city to find a café for breakfast and take a look at "l'Hermione, la frégate de la liberté". She's a reconstruction of the ship that La Fayette sailed to join the American revolutionaries in 1780. The French are very proud of this so I thought I should pay her a visit.

I rode the Chemin de Charente, the pedestrian path/cycle way that runs along the waterfront (and is the same route as La Vélodyssée through Rochefort). Unfortunately, although I turned off and into the city where I thought there might be places to eat, I found none. After riding some busy streets, I finally came to a bakery-café where I had a mediocre croissant and lousy coffee. I've been calling these places bakery-cafés but they are really boulangeries that serve sad coffee from a poor excuse of a coffee maker. I'm looking forward to smaller villages where you can buy your pastry at the boulangerie and take it to the nearby café for a proper coffee.

I returned to the bike path and started heading back south since apparently I'd ridden right past L'Hermione. She wasn't there! I'd noticed the empty drydock but didn't connect the two. The gift shop was still there, though, with a sign in the window telling us that Hermione was off travelling from April 6 to July 5. She's in Saint-Nazaire now and will be heading north. I'll never catch up!

I continued south and followed La Vélodyssée as it curved west and then north. It was very pleasant as far as Vergeroux, where it then paralleled the autoroute a bit more closely than I liked. Eventually, it turned abruptly, almost south, and emerged right by the sea. It followed close by the shore through Les Boucholeurs and all the way to La Rochelle, with only small diversions inland.

We are still beside the Charente. This photo is for Graeme; he'll know why.

The tide is way, way out. The fellow is collecting something in his wheelbarrow.

Nice new waterfront path coming into Les Boucholeurs

I was in Châtelaillon-Plage for the first hard shower and hid under a restaurant awning. All the patio diners had hurriedly moved inside. For the next ones I sheltered under trees. None of them lasted long nor were anywhere close to the intensity of the storm in Saintes. (The fellow who registered me in the Rochefort campground said it hadn't rained there at all that day.)

Les Minimes is the main yacht harbour of La Rochelle. It's huge! There's more around to the left.

Fun with concrete! Actually, this is a piece of modern public art I like.

The entrance to the old port is very narrow, 23 metres or so. And it's busy! The biggest boat is an Inter-Îles ferry going in, but there's another coming out, plus the sea bus and the rowers also going in...

There was a sign by the gangplank: "Join the crew right away. Set sails, steer the ship, climb the masts. Don't miss your chance! Contact the captain" (plus a phone number). Yes, this sign was in English, for a Russian tall ship in a French port. The fellow who's actually climbing the rigging in period dress is using modern fall prevention gear.

I rather like the lion figurehead rather than the usual lady.

The route leads right into the old port of La Rochelle. I was early, so spent some time wandering around until it was time to find my accommodation.

Marie-Claire was very welcoming and the room is very nice. She told me that there is a large Gaudet family in La Rochelle, though she said Gaudet Cognac? Her English isn't any better than my French but I'll take it that I have very distant relatives here. Very distant because Jehan Gaudet left here about 400 years ago.

Towers guarding the entrance to the Old Port, La Rochelle

I walked down to the old port for dinner and then back. Now I'd better turnoff the light!

More than 40 km!

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Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 1,266 km (786 miles)

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