Bordeaux to La Rochelle

 We set off in overcast and cool conditions, quite pleasant really and certainly a lot cooler than we are used to. The countryside is pleasant rolling countryside with lots of crops including many vinyards. The sunflowers are all hanging their heads awaiting harvest and some of the trees are turning a harbinger of Autumn. 

Mostly quiet backroads and again small villages every few km. We even got a few spots of rain at one point and rode on the first wet road of the trip. 

We spied a castle in the distance and pulled into the medieval town of Pons. What a treat, a truly historic town with castle and fortress style wall. 



We climbed the impressive spiral staircase to the first level where there was a display of armour head pieces and some wicked looking weapons. 

The walls were adorned with the pennants of the many clans that had occupied this place over the centuries. We then continued up to the battlements and I tried to imagine all the archers letting loose from here and how many had taken their last breath right where I was standing. We really have been a bloody lot over the ages.

I needed a coffee after such imaginings amd it just so happened there was an obliging cafe next door.  

Then on to the port town of La Rochelle. Another very important port that has been the site of many a battle ( surprise surprise). It is now a tourism hot spot. We arrived at our hotel using the hotel detailed written instructions after being warned not to use satnav. Robyn narrated them to me and they were spot on, we didn’t even have a cross word!  

We have spent the afternoon taking in as much as we could, another very impressive Catholic Cathedral and the a Protestant one as they held this place during the Reformation. I’m not allowed to comment on the latter, suffice to say it didn’t take long to see it. 



 
The town hall was particularly flash. It is the oldest town hall in France still being used for that purpose. Built under Henry 1V the statue of him is in the tower. ( with a live pigeon on his head) 


The port area is especially nice with the fortress wall and battlements still in place.



Another nice meal with a glass of Bordeaux rounded off an excellent meal. 

Our hotel is in the old part of the city and is quite quirky, each room has a feature wall. This is ours. 


View from our window, with the church in the background. 



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