Our Day Out - A Day on Île de Ré

It was yet another Bank Holiday in France and we were discussing how beautifully clear the roads were compared to the UK. We were on our way to the Île de Ré for the day. We had visited La Rochelle many times (with a long list of friends and relatives) and seen the promised land in the distant, but had never travelled that extra 2.9km over the bridge linking the two.

As a family we had always been intrigued by the notion of the donkeys in pyjamas, who inhabited the 30km by 5km wide island and although we had a long list of reasons for the trip, secretly we wanted to see a donkey in PJs. “The larger than average breed of donkey was used to work the land, particularly the salt marshes. To protect them from mosquito and other bug bites, their owners made them special 'leggings”.

Proir to the trip I had done some limited research and was nonchalantly throwing facts and figures into the conversation, for example “Île de Ré was originally an archipelago consisting of three islands and over time the space inbetween them was filled in by a combination of human activity (salt fields gained from the sea) and siltage” or “the island has a winter population of about 20,000 residents increasing to 220,000 in summer”.

As we approached the bridge “built in 1987, is three km long, costs between 8€ to 16€ for a normal car, making it the most expensive road to use (per kilometre) in France”, the sun was shining and the coastline looked beautiful.

Only having limited time it was a whistle-stop visit. First port of call was La Flotte, a beautiful harbour-town with luxurious shops and restaurants lining the quayside. The tide was out, so a range of yachts and motorboats sat on a bed of thick mud, resembling some of the ice cream flavours on offer in nearby shops. 

With excellent cycle paths throughout the island and its 'flatness', the bicyle is king and the the car takes a back seat so to speak. As we sat by the harbour we watched all manor of bicycles cruising past: bicycles with children in tow, bicycles with dogs in the basket, tandems, motorised bikes, bicycles with riders pedalling in the horizontal, even a penny farthing was spotted. 

After refreshments it was onto the main port Saint-Martin, situated within the geometrically shaped fortifications, reflecting the strategic importance of the Île de Ré. During the Huguenot Rebellions of the 1620s, Cardinal Richelieu ordered that the island be fortified as a counterweight to the Protestant La Rochelle. Between 1873 and 1938, the prison in Saint-Martin kept prisoners before they were shipped to the penal colonies. If La Flotte is in the 1^st division of harbour towns, Saint-Martin felt like the premiership. The yachts bigger, the restaurants swankier the range of nautical clothing and salt-based souvenirs on offer more extensive. 

After further refreshments, we wanted to see more of the countryside so drove to the most westerly point of the island passing numerous vineyards, campsites and places selling oysters 24/7. Some donkeys were sighted in a field, but without their striped trousers. 

Situated on the western headland of the Île de Ré, the lighthouse takes its name from the many whales that beached at this spot. The Phare des Baleines itself dates from 1854, but it was built to replace a first lighthouse dating from 1682, locally known as the Tour des Baleines (Tower of the Whales). The old tower, of a smaller size and insufficient range, is one of the oldest lighthouses in France and close by. The two towers were an impressive sight, reminiscent of a Tolkien book. Not being a great one for heights we didn't ascend either of them, instead opting for a leisurely walk along the headland path, watching a young man flying his drone. 

On our return we passed the town of Ars-en-Ré, with its church spire which looks as though it's been dipped in chocolate. We were tempted to look around, but time was against us and we had promised the dog a swim. We pulled into a beautiful beach with golden sand stretching for miles and not a soul in sight. Hunstanton on a May bank holiday this was not. The dog had such a great time in the waves, she refused to leave and harsh words were spoken. 

With a sense of happiness and the pungent smell of wet dog filling the car, it was time to head for home. We had had a fantastic day out and look forward to returning to discover what else this beautiful island has to offer.