Take Me Out

It's been a full ten years since we toured northwest France surveying the exceptional lighthouses of Normandy and Brittany. So, in early summer a long overdue return saw us pick up from where we left off and continue our exploration of this fantastic coastline.

The wonderful lighthouses of France

A decade ago, we made this journey using our own car via a combination of the Eurotunnel and ferry between Caen and Portsmouth, returning in the pre-Brexit glory days with a gargantuan hoard of red wine that would last us for years. With that unlimited importing of sumptuous (and cheap) nectar no longer possible there was no incentive to drive from the UK. Instead, we chose to fly into Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region, pick up a hire car and head back on ourselves driving north along the coast towards Brittany.

The Phare des Baleines, l'île de Ré

Driving in France is a delight in comparison to the UK. The majority of drivers use their indicators, don't speed, don't tailgate and are very polite. The main arterial roads near to the coast are dual carriageways and only threaten to get busy near larger towns and only then at peak times. The few toll roads that you can use are incredibly quiet, reminiscent of a scene from a 1960s film. 

The medieval towers of La Rochelle

They do like imaginative speed calming measures once you get into the smaller villages. These can range in design from restricting oncoming traffic, creating a physical windy road from a straight one, beguiling 3D road markings and all manner of speed indicator signals and lights, but not many cameras. They vary from town to town which keeps you on your toes and makes you thankful for not having to navigate the obstacles in a campervan, which are very popular in these parts. 

 The graffiti and street art of the Gabut district, La Rochelle

The French love a lighthouse, and they give them the respect they deserve. Proper carparks, facilities, dedicated shops, a range of models, books, street names and great access roads. It's a Pharologist's dream. And spoiler alert this blog does reference a lot of lighthouses.
But first, our other love, gigs and live music.

The French know how to celebrate a lighthouse

Our first stop in Pays de la Loire was in La Rochelle, a charming port town nestled on France's Atlantic coast. By sheer coincidence we discovered that popular 90s beat combo Franz Ferdinand were playing that evening in the town. A few strings were pulled, and we were lucky enough to get our names on the door for this sold-out show. As with a lot of European venues we've visited, La Sirene was a repurposed building on the outskirts of the town. In previous lives the venue was a grain silo and warehouse but now it's a great arts and culture centre spread over three floors. The 1,500-capacity concert room is functional but well served by lots of bars and friendly staff. The band were terrific as well, making for an excellent, if unconventional start to our French pharology expedition! 

Franz Ferdinand, La Sirene, La Rochelle

La Rochelle was basking in gorgeous sunshine on a French Bank Holiday weekend as we explored the busy but beautiful harbour at the Vieux Porte. The Old Port is framed by three ancient sentinels: the Saint-Nicolas Tower, the Chain Tower, and the Lantern Tower which has been both a prison and a lighthouse. The cobbled quays are crammed with harbourside restaurants and bars and through the multitude of masts of the yachts and boats you can spot the relatively modern lighthouse, the Phare Vert du Quai Valin which is seamlessly integrated into a row of shuttered townhouses.

Phare Vert du Quai Valin, La Rochelle

The Phare d'alignement du Vieux-Port is a small red and white harbour light that stands guard over a funky beer garden in the Gabut district of the port. The graffiti and street art of Gabut is a reclaimed dock yard and great place to spend a few hours with a cold beer.

Phare d'alignement du Vieux-Port, La Rochelle

Any trip to La Rochelle must include a trip to l'île de Ré. Less than an hour's drive away, the tranquil island is reached by crossing the magnificent Pont de l'île de Ré. As you cross the bridge you'll spot the first lighthouse associated with the island, the Phare de Chauveau and you can get a closer look from a quiet beach as you arrive and drive along the south of the island.

Phare des Baleineaux, l'île de Ré

At the western tip of the island is a lighthouse typical of the French grandiose style. The Phare des Baleines is a magnificent building, and the grounds and gardens are full of shops, market stalls and restaurants. It's a lovely place to meander around. There was a great nautical-themed shop and the lighthouse itself was open to the public should you wish to ascend to the lantern room. From the dramatic coastline you can see another lighthouse a little out to sea which is the Phare des Baleineaux.

The Phare des Baleines, l'île de Ré

Our next stop on l'île de Ré was the very pretty seaside town of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. By now it was mid-morning, and the roads had started to get very busy, mainly with thousands of cyclists. It seems the thing to do on a Bank Holiday weekend in the French sunshine is hire a bike and tour the lovely island. Car traffic was often at a standstill allowing for the vast swarm of weekend cyclists taking advantage of the huge network of cycle paths. A lovely, refreshing change.

Phare de Saint-Martin-de-Ré

As the main town on the island, Saint-Martin-de-Ré is a picture postcard and comprises of several beautiful harbours. The bustling town is full of boutique shops including one devoted to Hergé's cartoon hero Tin Tin, which was a dream for me. The lighthouse is a small harbour light a short walk from the central harbour.

Fabulous Tin Tin shop in Saint-Martin-de-Ré

A couple of days was plenty to sample the seaside delights of La Rochelle and l'île de Ré. It was now time to continue our journey and head along the northwest coast to our next stop, the medieval town of Vannes, taking in lots more great lighthouses on the way. Until next time.....

The lighthouses of Penmarch