La Rochelle: France's West Coast Jewel

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Tops are optional. There are concessions along the beach to grab a refreshment and plenty of selections available from smaller grocery stores within a block or two of the beach, as well. Low-profile condos and beachfront homes line the street across from the seawall, but access is easy and development is not overbearing. For nightlife, the casino has a large, outdoor area where festive drinks are popular and some of the swizzle sticks border on collectible. Musical performances and vendors make the waterfront the place to be, in season. Within several blocks of the beach are a number of informal restaurants featuring excellent seafood.

For the park alone, which is worth it if you can't stay that late, corresponding admissions are 130 FF/50 FF. Parking is free, but there are many bus services too, so that is worth checking out. There are several places to eat on the grounds and the food is decent without being too pricey. Picnic lunches are not permitted outside of a designated area in the parking lot. Puy du Fou is really quite a bit more than a Renaissance Festival, although that would be the closest thing I can relate it to. It's worth the whole day and the admission. (Please read Guide Pauken's item on this under La Rochelle; it's a great description).

Today, you can hire a guide for a few hours of being poled through the canals and it makes for a very relaxing afternoon in the countryside. The ruins of an abbey from the Middle Ages provide a nice accent to the grounds and the remainder of the trip is very pastoral. Guides are helpful with information about the history and layout -- it would be easy to get lost in the maze of canals -- but this is NOT one of those 'plastic' tours with the constant yammering of a guide. The principle reason is because you are in a small boat, not on board a larger tour vessel with a sound system, etc. This is a much more intimate experience and really quite beautiful with the trees arching over the narrow waterways.

There's a gift shop (isn't there always?) and a modest restaurant where you can grab lunch. It's a very pleasant way to spend a few hours and you won't get that 'tourist trap' feel at Venise Verte. Tip your guide a little something at the end, okay?

The village itself is accustomed to tourists, but we didn't feel it detracted from the authenticity of its ancient and lovingly restored streets and buildings. There is a wealth of educational information available for those who care to take guided tours in the heart of the village and you will learn the story of its patron Saint. For engineering types, check out the chapel restoration project -- it's quite an undertaking and you can see the work in progress.

There are many wonderful places to eat -- just reading the menus outside the doors while searching for lunch is entertainment in itself. Well-tended vineyards cover the region and we were fortunate to visit one in Fronsac which can't be named here because they don't actually offer tours. Happily for us, the woman of the chateau graciously showed us the operation from top to bottom and then took an hour in the tasting room with us. We took a case of her marvelous product which, unfortunately, is not available in the U.S. since the label lacks a negotiante here. I plead guilty to having hidden what may be the very last bottle on the North American continent. St. Emilion is well worth the good part of a day that you can spend there. Afterward, you will have memories of this charming village every time you read a wine label that takes you back to its wonderful source.

In addition to being a great place to visit and enjoy on its own, La Rochelle is also a great jumping off point for the larger region which includes the world-famous homes of Bordeaux wine and Cognac. We've offered a few possibilities here after several visits, but your own discoveries are likely to prove inexhaustible as your explore le beau pays du France outside of the lights of Paris.