Our Vendée adventure

We decided last summer to plan a trip to the central Atlantic coast this fall. In 2008 we went there, to the Ile d'Oléron, and wanted to do a day trip to nearby La Rochelle. We got to the island, but there were strikes and the ferries over to La Rochelle weren't running, so we didn't get there. Such is life. So we planned last week's trip so that we could visit La Rochelle and other nearby places.

The door on this end opens into the living room. One of the bedroom windows is just above.

We rented a gîte (a vacation rental) on the Vendée river in a small hamlet (not unlike our own) outside of a small city called Fontenay-le-Comte. The setting was beautiful. The little house was even better in person than it looked on the internet. When we arrived, all the windows were open to let in the summery weather. We moved in and felt right at home.

The door and window on the left are in the kitchen. Those are grape vines clinging to the walls around the house.

There were a few little issues. The stairs that led up to the bedrooms had a very low beam and, despite warnings, we both hit our heads a few times. The internet wi-fi connection was spotty and slow. But otherwise, it was very comfortable and we liked it a lot. Above are a couple of photos of the house from the outside. The owner lived in a big house right next door (below). Tomorrow I'll show you a couple of shots of the inside.

This is the owner's house, an old farmhouse that he bought and restored in 2006.