a hike to Le Douet
We decided to have a good walk today to the small marina at Le Douet, located approximately four miles South-East from St Denis. We had spectacular views along the island given that the tide goes out for, what seems like miles.
The coastal path finished once we reached the small village of 'Bree Les Bains'. Stopping for a mid-morning snack (sandwiches that I made for our lunch) we sat on a bench overlooking the sea as we watched the locals forage for oysters and in the hazy distance you could see the Ile de Re bridge and the fishing port of La Pallice.
By the time we arrived at Douet it was lunchtime. Having eaten our sandwiches earlier (ops!), and feeling hungry we decided to stop and have some more lunch in the nearby cafe. We are definitely getting into the French way of life as we sat for a couple of hours enjoying our second lunch whilst people watching and taking in the atmosphere.
We were quite lucky that the cafe was actually open as it wasn't until later that we saw a notice advising of the new opening hours given that it's now out of season; Fridays and Sundays only! (I hate to think how grumpy Bruce would have been, having to walk the return journey back on an empty tummy, with no shops around and no coffee).
The marina at Douet was really quiet. It had a few shore side restaurants still open. Apart from that, there wasn't much activity at all. The marina appears to be located in the middle of a nature reserve as there were several public walking/cycle paths nearby and right next to a lovely long golden sand beach.
In the distance we could see the oval shape 'Fort Boyard'.
The fort took ages to complete as it was first considered in the late 17th century to protect the arsenal of Rochefort from the Royal Navy, but construction didn't begin properly until 1801. The project was suspended in 1809, restarted in 1837, and finally completed in 1857. By this time, however, the range of cannons had increased, and so the fort no longer fulfilled its useful purpose (namely, to defend the gap between the Ile d'Aix and Ile d'Oleron). The fort is now used as a filming location for the popular TV game show 'Fort Boyard' - you've probably seen it on telly.
We re-traced our steps back to St Denis admiring the view from the coastal path again but, this time with the tide in. Meanwhile some locals were spending the afternoon playing petanque - it's certainly a favourite pass time in France.
The coastal path finished once we reached the small village of 'Bree Les Bains'. Stopping for a mid-morning snack (sandwiches that I made for our lunch) we sat on a bench overlooking the sea as we watched the locals forage for oysters and in the hazy distance you could see the Ile de Re bridge and the fishing port of La Pallice.
By the time we arrived at Douet it was lunchtime. Having eaten our sandwiches earlier (ops!), and feeling hungry we decided to stop and have some more lunch in the nearby cafe. We are definitely getting into the French way of life as we sat for a couple of hours enjoying our second lunch whilst people watching and taking in the atmosphere.
We were quite lucky that the cafe was actually open as it wasn't until later that we saw a notice advising of the new opening hours given that it's now out of season; Fridays and Sundays only! (I hate to think how grumpy Bruce would have been, having to walk the return journey back on an empty tummy, with no shops around and no coffee).
The marina at Douet was really quiet. It had a few shore side restaurants still open. Apart from that, there wasn't much activity at all. The marina appears to be located in the middle of a nature reserve as there were several public walking/cycle paths nearby and right next to a lovely long golden sand beach.
In the distance we could see the oval shape 'Fort Boyard'.
The fort took ages to complete as it was first considered in the late 17th century to protect the arsenal of Rochefort from the Royal Navy, but construction didn't begin properly until 1801. The project was suspended in 1809, restarted in 1837, and finally completed in 1857. By this time, however, the range of cannons had increased, and so the fort no longer fulfilled its useful purpose (namely, to defend the gap between the Ile d'Aix and Ile d'Oleron). The fort is now used as a filming location for the popular TV game show 'Fort Boyard' - you've probably seen it on telly.
We re-traced our steps back to St Denis admiring the view from the coastal path again but, this time with the tide in. Meanwhile some locals were spending the afternoon playing petanque - it's certainly a favourite pass time in France.
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