There’s
something about the Vendee that makes you want to load up the pannier of
your velo with a crusty baguette, a picnic rug and a bottle of the local
Gros Plant and head off to explore. A somewhat romantic notion maybe? Au
contraire!
Maybe it’s the couple of hundred kilometres of reserved cycle paths that
make it possible for you to ride from one end of this region of north
western France to the other. Or possibly that many of these paths run
parallel to vast dune-backed Atlantic beaches stretching as far as the
eye can see. Or the lush pine forests through which many tracks take
you, so thoughtfully dotted with wooden tables and benches for you to
enjoy your picnic in the shade.
On Two Wheels
In our case, however, it was necessity which forced us to take to two
wheels. We’d had a string of frustrating and ultimately futile attempts
to park our modest motorhome in otherwise deserted beach car parks with
‘no camping car’ signs and in congested ‘touristy’ towns such as smart
Sables D’Olonne. But, boy, I’m glad that we did hire some bikes from our
camp site at St Jean de Monts, despite the aching legs the next day.
Our foray up to the Vendee’s northernmost tip led us from right outside
our base at Camping la Foret to the small seaside village of Fromentine
about eight miles away.
So, we could have had a picnic, but I felt I’d earned the luxury of a
softer seat. It didn’t seem too much to ask after pulling along a seven
year old on the add-on child’s bike who was more interested in
freewheeling than contributing to what should have been joint pedal
power.
And I’m glad that we did choose the terrace of our seafront restaurant
for a tasty lunch of galettes (savoury pancakes) and refreshing local
cidre. It overlooked the magnificent span of the bridge which carries
most of the traffic to the pointed finger that is the Ile de Noirmoutier
just across the bay. This view was to inspire a trip the very next day
which was to prove both interesting and amusing.
Causeway
From the road up the ile it is possible to see the sea on either side
and we soon discovered the alternative route back to the mainland. This
takes the form of a 5.5km causeway, the Passage du Gois, which is
accessible only at low tide and comes out near Beauvoir sur mer across
the Bay of Bourgneuf.
By late afternoon, a long queue of traffic intending to cross waited
patiently for the silt to be cleared by a Caterpillar driver, who then
took a truck across on a ‘test’ run. While those in the queue still
dithered, a boy of about 14 on a bicycle rode past without even slowing
down and continued resolutely across the bay. Along with dozens of other
onlookers we peered until he was a speck in the distance, cycling slowly
but surely to his destination, leaving the wimpish car drivers quite
literally, in his wake. I would have cheered if the boy could have heard
me.
Camping
We’d come to the Vendee as part of a three centre touring holiday in
Northern France with Eurocamp Independent, who offered us an easy and
complete service, booking our crossings with Brittany Ferries and our
camp sites and overnight stops as well as providing us with maps and
plentiful local information.
All our campsites were in fantastic locations, with pools and
playgrounds - and, on two of them, lots of free, organised children’s
activities - and our good sized pitches were bordered with shrubs
Camping La Foret, from which we could cross the road through a border of
pines and dunes to the magnificent Plage du Pont’d’yeu, was pretty and
peaceful.
Greg, the site owner, had just completed his master’s degree in
marketing so was keen to reel off the Vendee’s attributes, chief of
which is to be as caring of the environment as possible.
“Ah, but then there is the Vendee’s microclimate which ensures that
2,500 hours of sunshine a year beam down on the region’s 140km of sandy
beaches. And don’t forget there are more cycle tracks through inland
marshes where it is possible to spot all manner of wildlife and birds”,
he added, with more than a dash of Gallic charm.
Local Produce, Local History
Our first stop had been at Camping Bel, in the south of the Vendee at La
Tranche, a few minutes walk from one of the most spacious beaches in the
entire region – all 13km of it. The town itself was somewhat
characterless, but it had an excellent market (Tuesdays and Thursdays in
Place de la Liberte), a leisurely 15 minute stroll from the campsite.
This was a rabbit warren of hundreds of stalls selling colourful
clothes, bags and unusual trinkets, many from Asia and Africa, as well
as delectable local produce such as honey, vegetables, cheeses, olives
and candied fruits.
Bel impressed us with its cleanliness and friendliness of the staff.
Eurocamp’s enthusiastic young courier, Alex, also dropped in for a glass
of wine on his bicycle for a long chat about what there was to see and
do.
Which is how we came to visit Le Cairn Centre de la Prehistoire, a short
drive away at St Hilaire la Foret, with its exhibitions about the
lifestyle and achievements of Neolithic man and outdoor displays of
standing stones and long barrows. The highlight here was a very
enthusiastic display of fire-making, which could come in useful next
time we run out of charcoal for the barbie.
Into Brittany
From the Vendee, we headed north into Brittany and almost immediately we
were aware of the differences between these two departements. The Breton
countryside is far more lush and green, it feels cooler, the coastline
far more dramatic and the villages look prettier with their slate roofs
instead of Meditterean-look ochre tiles. But then it is wetter, though
we were very lucky with the weather.
Our base here was at Camping la Grande Metairie, a few minutes drive out
of Carnac, famous the world over for its megalithes. The great advantage
is that these lines of standing stones - Les Alignements de Carnac –
actually run right beside the gates of this vast site.
Sadly we discovered that we could only visit the stones from April to
September as part of a lengthy guided tour organised in advance through
the town’s tourist office. This is done as part of a strategy to protect
the vegetation, understandable and very commendable, of course.
Nevertheless it’s not quite the same viewing the results of whatever
amazing feats of man it took to haul the stones here from across a
rather flimsy fence. However, the good news is that, from October to
March, you are able to walk wherever you like among the stones.
Hidden Gem
The hardest part for us at la Grande Metairie was dragging Sophie away
from the huge array of activities and entertainments so that we could
explore further afield. Apart from whatever fun the Eurocamp couriers
had organised every day, this busier and noisier site also had farm
animals and pony rides, a treetop zip wire assault course, rapids and
slides in the pools – nirvana, of course, for a seven year old. It meant
that we had to rather firmly hoist her off a swing or out of a saddle so
that we could reap the considerable benefits of being on the Golfe du
Morbihan, with its myriad of islands and picturesque coves and inlets.
Auray was one such joy to discover. The initial impression was of a
thriving commercial town, albeit with a beautiful square where we
wandered past an old fashioned carousel and through a clutch of artists’
stalls.
But then we were drawn across a busy road by the curiosity of a small
and winding cobbled street. This led us down and across an ancient
bridge to the town’s stunningly pretty harbour of St Goustan. Quite a
bit has been done here to preserve the 15th and 16th century timber
buildings which house a delightful mix of restaurants, art galleries and
the most tempting of confectioners selling every imaginable flavour of
the local specialty biscuits, chocolate dragees and other sweet
delights..
A plaque on one of the harbourfront buildings told us that, in1776,
Benjamin Franklin landed here to seek France's help in American’s War of
Independence.
Beaches
Such unexpected finds truly enhance a holiday. Among the most delightful
beaches beaches we came across overlooking the Quiberon peninsula was
Plage de Legenese, a big hit with Sophie and her older sister, Elena,
for its rockpools.
On the Quiberon peninsula, another thin finger of land jutting out to
sea, we were enthralled by the almost gymnastic capabilities of the kite
surfers just yards off the beach near Penthievre. They whisked back and
forth, amazingly without crashing into each other or getting their lines
entangled. As they hit waves they leapt what seemed like four or five
feet into the air, sometimes performing somersaults or dramatic twists,
before perfecting a smooth landing into the surf once more.
Village Fete
We just had time to visit Saint Suliac before arriving for our last
night at La Ville Huchet, in the grounds of an old manor house, 15
minutes from the ferry port. The village, on the River Rance just south
of St Malo was preparing for its renowned annual fete to mark the saint
from which it takes its name. Local women were making corn dollies and
flower decorations with which to bedeck the houses, over which fishing
nets are also strewn in tribute to the saint. I left feeling very
envious of the people living here and to question what I’m doing living
in a dull, crime ridden English city instead of in Northern France.
Perhaps, then, not the best place to go when we were about to head home.
Eating out below the ramparts in St Malo later that evening did not help
dispel my lowering spirits either. Even with its quaint streets
thronging with people and its ubiquitous eating places almost bursting
at the seams, the charm and atmosphere of the old walled town made it
hard on me to leave France.
Gazing out from the stern of the Bretagne the next morning, sadly
marking each passing landmark as we left St Malo, I tried to reassure
myself that France isn’t really very far away at all. Beyond the long
journey to Portsmouth, it is only a very comfortable ferry ride across
La Manche. The thing is, next time I’ll get in some cycling practice
beforehand.
FACT FILE
*Helen and her family travelled with
www.eurocampindependent.co.uk for
people with their own tent, caravan or motorhome. You can also stay in
Eurocamp tents, chalets and mobile homes.
*For tourist information visit
www.vendee-tourisme.com
