1989

1989 - Royan, France

This was our second holiday in France and we stayed in a gite in the village of Fontenille near Royan in the Charente-Maritime department.

Sunday 21 May
We left home at 1340 (20 minutes early!). Stopped at Sutton Scotney for a drink and an ice cream.
Arrived in Portsmouth at about 1700. We had a pizza in a nearby Pizzaland and then joined the queue for the ferry at 1845, boarded at 2030 and found our cabin.
The ferry sailed at 2120 and after a walk around the deck and supper in the café, we all went to bed.
I didn’t sleep too well but at least nobody was ill during the night.

Monday 22 May
We were all awake by 0630 local time and when we were ready we had breakfast in the ship café.
The ferry docked just after 0800 and by 0840 we were on the road. The weather was overcast and cool. It was just right for a long drive and we made good time through Brittany. As we passed through Nantes the weather improved and we entered an altogether different France.
We stopped for a crêpe at lunchtime and then continued on to the gite. Towards the end I took the wrong road and did an 8 mile detour.
We found Fontenille but I had terrible trouble finding the gite. Finally we saw a lady waving to us (madam) and she took us to the gite.
It was much larger than I had expected and well appointed (I think we are the first visitors).
After a visit to the shops in Cozes and an early tea we all had a good night’s sleep.

Tuesday 23 May
After a breakfast of cereal, croissants and coffee we set off to find a beach. It was decided that we would try the west of Royan. We then spent the whole day on the Plage de Grande Côte.
The beach was at least 2 miles long and there was hardly anyone on it. In fact I don’t think we saw more than a dozen people all day. To get to the beach we had to walk through a pine forest but it was worth it.
In the evening we went to Royan and, after a walk around the harbour, we had a meal in a café on the promenade.

Wednesday 24 May
We decided to go to a beach nearer to the gite. On the way we came across a Talmont, a small village which was once very important.
We then carried on to Plage de Suzac and lunch on the prom. After which we found a small cove and spent the rest of the afternoon in the sun playing cricket.
In the evening we returned to Talmont for a meal, Dorothy, David and Paul had muscles, they liked them in that order. Also someone had too much to drink (not me).
I forgot to mention that we went to the market in Cozes in the morning. They sold food and clothing. We bought some strong cheese and sunglasses for David.

Thursday 25 May
We decided to have a day out of the sun today and drove to Cognac.
We had a drink in a bar and then walked through the town of Cognac, after which it was lunchtime. It isn’t easy ordering 3 ice creams with 2 balls, 1 with 1 flavour and 2 with another and also another ice cream with 2 different flavours in French.
The main reason for going to Cognac was to visit the Hennesey factory. When we arrived, the English tour had just started so we missed the video about how the wine is distilled into cognac.
However, we got to the boat which took us across the River Charante to the warehouses where some of the cognac is stored. The aroma from the evaporating cognac is very strong.
We were then taken back across the river to the barrel museum and then onto the bottling factory which would have been more interesting if something had been happening.
However, we ended up in the shop where we bought 3 half bottles of VSPO cognac and we were also given 2 miniatures.
We returned to the gite and had tea and a game of Triv.

Friday 26 May
Today we returned to the Plage de Grande-Côte. The weather was perfect for sunbathing – not too hot and a gentle breeze. We both spent most of the day “au naturelle”. Hope the bits that never see the sun are not too sunburnt. Paul and David were the most dressed pair on the beach.
In the evening we went to a restaurant in Royan for a very nice meal.
We started to listen to “Lord of the Rings”.

Saturday 27 May – David’s 9th birthday
We were all up early for David’s birthday. He had a lot of parcels considering we are away from home and 6 cards, 2 in French.
After breakfast we went to the zoo at La Palmyre. It took 3 hours to walk round and the animals were well presented.
A late lunch was eaten under the trees in the zoo car park and the remainder of the day was spent on the beach.
As it was very hot, we only there for a couple of hours and got back to the gite for a birthday tea. The birthday cake was a coffee sponge bought the day before in Royan.
In the evening we went to Royan for crêpes and listened to “Charlie Champion of the World” in the car, one of David’s presents.

Sunday 28 May
Decided to have a lazy day in.
1000 – got up
1015 – breakfast
1045 – washed car
1130 – played swingball, read, listened to music
1345 – lunch
1415 – played swingball, read, listened to music
1615 – played Scrabble – Dorothy won
1715 – tea – finished David’s birthday cake
1800 – drove to Royan for meal
2130 – returned home
2200 – played cards – Dorothy won
2330 – went to bed
Busy life!

Monday 29 May
We went to our beach again and stayed there until about 1600.
On the way home we called in at a supermarket and bought enough food to eat in. Paul and David also bought Pirate Lego each and have not stopped playing with it since [they have now because they are a lot older].
Back at the gite we all enjoyed our tea. It was nice not to have to go to a restaurant to eat.

Tuesday 30 May
Today we visited the Ile d’Oléron which is only accessible via a toll bridge (glued segmental I believe as the Ely River Bridge) [this was a project I had worked on some years earlier].
We first went to Le Château-d’Oléron which is a fortified citadel. Unfortunately, as there were no guide books available, it did not make much sense. We then went to Boyardville, a small port with some very expensive boats, and had lunch.
It was then a short drive to Plage des Saumonards where we bared all to the elements for about 2 hours. The beach was not very wide but was backed by some high sand dunes and a pine forest.
Finally, we had to go to St Pierre where we tried to find the Lantern des Morts without any success. After a very hot drive back to the gite we had tea in.

Wednesday 31 May
In the morning we went to the other end of our beach. Although we did not have to walk so far, the beach itself was not as good. As the temperature was cooler hot we all played “Piggy in the Middle American Football”.
After a picnic lunch we went to the zoo again. The time we saw the full seal show, except one of the seals lost interest at the end, and the paraquitte show. Although we were subjected to a 20 minute talk in French about conservation before the show.
After spending about 4 hours at the zoo we went to a genuine Breton Crêperie just outside Royan. I started with a smoked salmon crêpe, then a banana and chocolate flambé (I wanted raspberry but they didn’t have any) and finished up with a coffee ice cream, all washed down with a bottle of cider. We all enjoyed it!

Thursday 1 June
We started to go to the beach but as it was not very sunny, decided to go on a tour around the peninsular.
Our first stop, by accident because I took the wrong turning, was at La Tremblade. This is one of the centres of oyster fishing. Small boats brought in steel cages with oysters stuck on to slate or shells. The oysters were then scrapped off, graded to size and sold.
We then drove to Ronce-les-Bains for a drink but it was a bit too commercial, then through the forest to Baiede l’Embellie for a picnic under the trees.
We continued down to the lighthouse which was not open to the public and then hopefully on to our beach to sunbathe for a few hours.
Unfortunately it was cloudy and windy so we all played ball until the tide came in too far. We then built a sandcastle and defensive wall against the sea and tried to stop the incoming tide from washing the castle away. Great fun!
In the evening we went back to the restaurant in Royan for a good meal.

Friday 2 June
As it was cloudy in the morning we went into Royan. We went around the market which was full of fresh food, nothing frozen, and bought some strawberries.
We then visited the church of Notre-Dame built entirely of reinforced concrete. This gave rather a stark appearance, both outside and in as rough cast formwork was used throughout. There is severe spalling of the concrete and the reinforcement is visible in a lot of places. I renamed it the rusty church.
In the afternoon we went to our beach but as it was rather windy went into the sand dunes where it was sheltered and warmer.
In the evening it was back to the Breton Crêperie for some excellent crêpes. We had a slow drive back to the gite to hear how the ring was cast into the Crack of Doom.

Saturday 3 June
A cold and windy day, so no beach today.
After a late start we went to the supermarket at Royan to buy wine, cheese, etc to take home. On the way back to the gite we tried to find another gite nearby but without any success, rather a waste of half an hour.
In the afternoon we went to the Chateau de Didonne nearby. Everything was closed except the shop where we had a drink.
Then on to Talmont where Paul and David both bought china cats and then back to the gite because it was cold at about 1600.
In the evening we went to Chez Maria, the restaurant in Royan, for the third time, where we had yet another excellent meal.
After the meal we were walking along the prom when we came across a video jukebox playing Michael Jackson, after which it played a soft porn video that would never get on TOTP.
We stopped for a drink and 10F worth of videos: Michael Jackson – Paul, Sabrina – David, Olivia Newton John – Me.
We finally got back to the gite at 2245.

Sunday 4 June
After a night of heavy rain we stayed in all morning.
After lunch I was cleaning out the car when I realised that it was warm and the sun was shining. We did the journey from the gite to the beach in 22 minutes and by 1430 we were laying in the sun.
We stayed until the sun went in at 1630 and after a shower in the gite we had a final meal at the Breton Crêperie.
It was then back to the gite and a start to the packing.

Monday 5 June
Up at 0730 for breakfast and complete the packing. We left the gite at 1000 and dropped the key off at madam’s where she gave me back my 400F deposit. We said goodbye and we were off.
As we passed Royan a car overtook us and the passenger waved. It was none other than the couple who ran the crêperie. We followed them past La Rochelle.
We arrived in St Malo at 1630, went for a look around the tidal barrage and on into the old town for a final crêpe.
We boarded the ferry at about 2000 and after we left port at 2115 we had supper and went to bed.

Tuesday 6 June
As we were due in port at 0530, I was up by 0430 after quite a good night’s sleep. I understand that Paul locked himself in the toilet during the night but I was not aware of this. As it took the others a while to get up we did not have time for breakfast on the ferry.
It docked at 0530 and by 0545 we were on the road. I had intended to stop at Sutton Scotney for breakfast but when we got there at 0615 it was shut, so I drove on to Chiveley. Paul had a full English breakfast, of course, while the rest of us had something more modest.
We arrived home at 0830 and except for unpacking the car, washing, ironing and catching up with some sleep, that is the end of the holiday for another year.
Where shall we go next year?

Gite Journal
Most gites have a journal that allow visitors to make comments about the gite and what is available in the area. They make interesting reading. For some reason I have what we wrote in my diary and it is reproduced below.
As this is the first entry of the journal here are our views on the gite and surrounding area.
Madame Laurent is very friendly and helpful although she does not speak any English, as you will have discovered. The gite is comfortable and easy to keep clean but the double bed has some springs which stick out and the slats under the single beds are very thin and liable to snap. There is plenty of hot water and the gas bottle lasts about a week.
The best place to do the daily shopping is in Cozes where there is a bread shop, two small general stores and various other shops including a market on Wednesday. The supermarket opens each day at 0900. There is a hypermarket on the N150 just outside Royan past the junction with the D145.
Royan, like most of the resorts on the Gironde, is commercialised and popular, so if you like a quiet beach go to Plage de la Palmyre to the NW of Royan. This can also be popular but the locals go to the far end where it is quieter (don’t take swimwear as you will feel overdressed if you do). To get to it drive along the D145 past all the parked cars on the left until you come to an S bend where there is a turning to the left just before the zoo. Take this and park immediately under the trees. From there it is a walk of about 10 minutes to the beach down the track keeping the holiday camp to the right.
Just along the road from there is the zoo which is well worth a visit, 40F adults 20F children.
Cognac is a must to visit, the town is rather dull but the free trip around the Hennesey factory makes up for it. It is by the river but be there by 1345 for the English tour.
Other places to go to re Ile d’Oléron (bridge toll 17F), La Tremblade for oyster fishing, Talmont and the Chateau de Didonne (the distillery is open July and August and the museum every Sunday).
There are plenty of restaurants in Royan, especially along the prom, but the best one we found was “Chez Maria” just off the front on the Rue de la Republique. This gets busy as the locals eat there so get there early (they have an English translation of the menu). There is also a nice restaurant in Talmont.
If you have been to Brittany and enjoy a crêpe, there is the Breton Crêperie on the N145 at Beaulieu. Although a little on the expensive side, the crêpes are delicious.
We hope you enjoy your holiday as much as we did.

<< Back