Cycling Soulac-sur-Mer to La Rochelle, France: Marshes and Medieval Towers
28-30 March 2019
Soulac-sur-Mer to Ronce-les-Bains (28 March 2019, 59 km, 36.7 mi)
We had planned a relatively short-distance day, because today’s route included a ferry crossing of La Gironde River, to Royan, France. There are always unknowns on these crossings, and we weren’t sure how much time it would take before we could really get underway on the far shore.
Leaving town, we came across a replica of the Statue of Liberty. According to Wikipedia, there are hundreds of replicas of Liberty around the world, and we’ve seen several (including the one along the Seine, in Paris). But this one has a special story. It’s positioned to look out to sea, towards America. And it is located near the place where the Marquis de Lafayette departed from France to assist leading (and become a hero of) the American Revolutionary War. More mysteriously, an urban legend says that this statue, erected in 1980, is actually the same one that was in Bordeaux from 1888 until 1941, when it was taken down by Nazis to be used as scrap metal. The Bordeaux statue never made it to the factory where it was to be dismantled, and its fate is unknown. Could the one in Soulac-sur-Mer be the rediscovered Bordeaux statue? I suppose it doesn’t really matter. The symbolism is still an inspiration.
Lady Liberty gazes towards the United States in Soulac-sur-Mer, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
It was only about 10 km to the ferry from our hotel, and we covered the distance quickly. Just before reaching the port, we stopped to admire a lighthouse that now houses a maritime museum. The lighthouse, and the ferry port, are at the Pointe de Grave, on the southern bank of the Gironde River. The Pointe is significant because it was the last stop of the Marquis de Lafayette, before he sailed off to aid the American colonies in the Revolutionary war. That’s cool.
The Pointe de Grave Lighthouse, Verdon-sur-Mer, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
The ferry from the Pointe de Grave to Royan was one of the bigger ferries we’ve taken so far on this trip. It was a pretty windy day, but the big boat road the waves well. Verdon-sur-Mer, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
After landing in Royan, we headed further up the coast. In the port of Royan and most of the bays further up the coast, we were struck by the prevalence of small, picturesque fishing structures lining the shore. Each one was reached by its own, rickety, wooden walkway. And each one had a pulley system for lowering and hoisting a square fishing net. They seem to crowd the shoreline of the Gironde River estuary, and we were curious: who does all the fishing, and what are they hoping to catch?
It turns out that these little cabins are called carrelets, and they have a colorful history. The square-net fishing technique dates back to the 1700s, and gradually over time, fishermen developed the pulley system for raising and lowering the nets from a platform on stilts. The familiar form of the current carrelets dates back only as far as the early 1900s. They are not meant to provide a commercial-level catch. Originally they were owned by wealthy people who hired locals to operate the nets so they could have access to their own, fresh fish. As incomes grew, more people could afford to build them. These days, they provide a recreational form of fishing, and a supplementary source of income as the catches are sold immediately to local restaurants or markets.
So, what do they catch? Anything that swims over the net after it’s been dropped and retrieved. Common species include estuarine shrimp, mullet, shads, and lamprey eels. When there’s a fish run, most fishermen don’t even bother to bait the nets.
All’s quiet until the fish begin to run. Then fishermen hoist their nets into the Gironde River using pulleys from these carrelets, catching whatever swims by. Royan, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Remnants of WW II are also visible along the coastline of France. During the Nazi occupation, a number of concrete fortifications were built along the coast to monitor the ocean for allied ships, and protect the coastline from attack. Many of these now sit as empty shells in the sand, or on rocky outcrops. It’s a stark reminder that, not too long ago, this was a war zone.
Remnants of WWII fortifications dot the coastline, north of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer. © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Checking out a small group of Brant Geese along France’s rocky, Atlantic coast. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
For the last 20 km of the ride, we were back in the pine forests. It was almost a surprise when we popped out of the forest, at the main highway into Ronce-les-Bains, just 0.5 km from the beach town’s center. Once settled in our beachfront hotel, we set out to find food, and some medicine to help alleviate symptoms from PedlaingGuy’s cold. The pharmacy was open, so we scored some over-the-counter antihistamines. But finding food was much harder. Just like Soulac-sur-Mer, nothing was open yet - plus we arrived after the grocery store had closed. Fermé. We had to wait until 7pm for the only restaurant in town that was open to start serving. We went for a pizza dinner, then retired to our room.
Our waterfront hotel in Ronce-les-Bains, France. We had a room on the back, looking out over an expansive oyster bed. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Ronce-les-Bains to La Rochelle (29 March 2019, 77 km, 48 mi)
The day was going to be sunny, but also very windy. We had planned to bike 87 km to La Rochelle. But PedalingGuy still had a cold and was not feeling his best. so we decided to shorten the route by taking a through-road (D-733) to cut off a big loop around the city of Rochefort.
It was immediately evident that we had left the pine forests of the Landes region. There was not a pine tree to be seen. After biking through the forests for a week, we suddenly entered a land of flat-as-pancake marshes and agricultural fields.
We couldn’t quite figure out the full symbolism of this work of art, positioned in a traffic circle as you enter Marennes, France. A giant guy in swim trunks is carrying an oversized oyster, and pulling a miniature fishing boat. Hmmm. Maybe you’re not supposed to over-think this one. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
We cycled across a couple of large marshes (marais). Right after passing through the town of Marennes, we entered the Marais de Brouage Heritage and Nature Area. Over the past several centuries, the marshes have been modified to support salt and oyster production. In addition, many of the inland marshes are channelized and drained for agriculture. So, although the marshes are under conservation management, they are not “natural areas” in the same way that we think of them in the United States.
Still, they seemed to provide good habitat for some types of birds. We took time to do some birding and photography along the way.
A Sacred Ibis, Marias de Brouage, France. Sacred Ibis are native to Africa, but there is an introduced population in France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
The drained marshes provided lush fields of grass for grazers. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
We spotted our first nutria (a.k.a., coypu) in the Marias de Brouage canals. They turned out to be pretty common in the marshy flatlands of northwestern France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Eurasian Sky Lark, Marais de Brouage, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
After crossing the Marais de Brouage marshes, we hopped on D-733 to take a shortcut past Rochefort, France - cutting our distance for the day by 10 km. Cycling on D-733 allowed us to move along very quickly, but it was not as good of a biking road as some others we’ve tried in the past. The shoulder was intermittent, and the traffic was whizzing by really fast. We were happy to get back on the trail just west of Rochefort, and away from the busy road.
D-733 crosses the La Charente River on a very high bridge just south of Rochefort, France. From here, we got a great view of the Rochefort-Martou Transporter Bridge - a very rare type of bridge with less than two dozen ever built. From 1900-1967, vehicles were carried across the river on a platform suspended by cables from the top of the bridge. These days, pedestrians and cyclists can still cross the river on the Transporter Bridge, between April and October. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
After passing through the Réserve Naturelle du Marais d’Yves, another marshland threaded with drainage channels and agricultural fields, we headed up the coast to La Rochelle.
We didn’t realize just how impressive the entry into La Rochelle would be. First, we passed by the enormous marina at Les Minimes. The marina contains acres and acres of sailboats at docks stretching in multiple layers out across the harbor. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a marina this big. It is actually the largest marina for pleasure boats in France, containing slips for more than 3,500 boats. The masts of the sailboats were so numerous and dense that it literally looked like a forest in winter.
That looks like a tricky repair job. I don’t think I’d have the nerve to dangle from the top of the mast like that. Marina at Les Minimes, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Just past the gigantic marina, the route swings to the right, into the mouth of the Port of La Rochelle. There we encountered the medieval towers that guard the entry to the channel. It’s a knock-your-socks-off view. For a moment, it’s possible to feel like you’re back in the 1300s, approaching one of the most important ports in France. The Tower of St. Nicholas on the right, was the main fortification and also served as a prison. It was connected by a huge chain to the Chain Tower on the left. The chain was raised across the entryway at night to effectively close the port.
The majestic towers guarding the entrance to the port of La Rochelle, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
There were a lot of small boats going through the channel between the two towers. It looked like fun to glide between the two, imposing structures. La Rochelle, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Our hotel was right on the edge of the old town, giving us a chance to go for a stroll around the picturesque harbor later in the evening. The narrow, cobblestoned streets are lined with shops and seafood restaurants, which were bustling with tourists in town for the weekend. We enjoyed the medieval atmosphere, as the sun set over the city.
The Great Clock (Grosse Horloge) presides over the main gate between the port and the old town/pedestrian zone in La Rochelle, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Rest day in La Rochelle (30 March 2019)
We had planned for a layover day in La Rochelle, and this time we used it to get truly rested. PedalingGuy was still recovering from his cold, so we kept the day low-key.
When we headed out to the old town for a late lunch, we were surprised to find that La Rochelle was celebrating Carnival! So we got to see our third Carnival parade for the year. The timing of this one seemed odd, falling right in the middle of Lent. But that didn’t seem to keep the French from celebrating, and having a great time.
Have you ever seen a chicken curtsey? This one had all the moves in the La Rochelle Carnival parade, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Cartoon characters, mixing up a secret potion. La Rochelle Carnival parade, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Watch out, the big bird looks hungry. La Rochelle Carnival parade, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Carnival spirits. La Rochelle, France. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Finally, we enjoyed our first French crepes. We’ve been in France for 10 days, without a single crepe. In most of the seaside towns we went through, the creperies were not open yet. These crepes were made with “sarrasin noire” or buckwheat flour, in the traditional style of Brittany. We’re just south of Brittany, so we’re jumping the gun a little bit, in a culinary sense. But the crepes were absolutely delicious, and very filling.
Voiala! Our first crepes in La Rochelle, France. They are made in the Brittany style: square, with buckwheat flour. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
