DEUX CHARENTES ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS
it but it turned out to be utterly bombproof. All attempts to remove it after the war also failed, so it remains to this day – abandoned, immovable and as ugly as ever.
Much easier on the eye is the Tour de la Lanterne, past the mouth of the old port. This 15th-century spired construction used to be a lighthouse and later became a prison. Climbing up through its eight fl oors, you see the hundreds of graffi ti images and words etched into the walls by the poor souls once imprisoned there. There are two other towers, guarding either side of the entrance to the old port, one a museum, the other a labyrinth of chambers, staircases and passageways. Also well worth visiting is the Musée Maritime and La Rochelle Aquarium.
ISLAND LIFE
By now you’ll be craving the seaside. Driving west out of La Rochelle, you cross the toll bridge onto the Île de Ré, without doubt one of the stand-out destinations on the west coast. If you can, dump the car and hire a bicycle to explore the fi shing port of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the beautiful sandy beaches, the isolated coves, the salt and oyster beds, and the green-shuttered, whitewashed cottages that dot the island. From the Île de Ré, our tour heads east, back onto the mainland and along the N11 motorway to the Parc Naturel Regional du Marais Poitevin. This vast maze of streams, green pools, hidden marshes and ruined churches is nicknamed La
Clockwise from left: Le Bar André at La Rochelle’s Old Port; Marais Poitevin is best explored by boat; refreshments at pretty Saint-Martin-de-Ré; the stairs of the lighthouse at Saint-Clément-des- Baleines on the Île de Ré; the idyllic port of Saint-Martin-de-Ré; the Phare d’alignement lighthouse at La Rochelle’s Vieux Port
Venise Verte. Created when Dutch engineers built a series of canals through the existing marsh in the 17th century, it’s best explored by boat. Stretched across three departments, it dips into the north of the Charente-Maritime. La Ronde is one village where you can hire boats. Now it’s time for the Charente department. First drive south to Saint-Jean-d’Angély and then on the D939 to Angoulême. Sitting on a plateau, overlooking the River Charente, this hilly city is the department capital. The architecture is interesting, but outside of France it is better known as host of the annual comic book festival, the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée. Staged in January, this sees the entire town transformed into a huge celebration of every possible aspect of comic-book culture from Japanese manga and American super-heroes to Francophone classics such as Tintin, Lucky Luke and Asterix and Obelix. At multiple venues
❯❯ Oct/Nov 2023 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 97
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