The old port

We visited La Rochelle on a Monday. The day was gorgeous, weather-wise, and it was the first day of a two-week school vacation. There were a lot of people out. A lot of kids. People with dogs. Bicyclists. The main streets around the port were closed off to traffic, except for buses. It felt like summer.

Looking west: the tower in the distance on the left is the Tour de la lanterne (the lantern tower), a vestige of the city's medieval fortifications. The tower on the right is the Porte de la grosse horloge (the clock tower gate) which leads into the old city.

Tasha was behaving very well, and she can be forgiven for the occasional bark at a passing dog. We walked around the west side of the port down to where it connects with a channel to the ocean. There, the entrance to the port is flanked by two towers. Cafés and restaurants facing the port were bustling with people having coffee and apéritifs. It was about an hour until lunch time and we were getting hungry. But I'm getting ahead of myself.