Arriving back at Rochefort with the car for a few days inland sightseeing was top of the agenda. To make the best use of it, we headed to île Madame and then, a cultural tour to Cognac.
île Madame has a history which for many years was conveniently forgotten by the French. This is an island to which access is via a 1 km causeway only accessible at low water. In 1794 hundreds of Priests and Holy men were rounded up and put into ships which were moored just off the island as their beliefs didn’t realty fit in with the revolutionary party of the day. Conditions were such that 254 of them died, predominantly of starvation and they were all buried on the island in a mass grave away from the prying public. This mass grave was forgotten for over one hundred years but an enormous stone cross has now been placed and these men of faith are remembered by pilgrims each August.
As for Cognac there lies another story. We spent a pleasant day wandering around the cobbles of the old town after which we were kidnapped off the streets under protest and dragged into the Hennessy Cognac visitors centre bar. Returning to the car we immediately noticed, we were now the only car in the street. Never mind we jumped in and almost immediately realised that directly in front of us and in fact in all directions were concrete barriers blocking the roads in and out of the city centre. It seemed there was a music festival, and the city was in lock down until 2am, oh dear.
Following a few desperate phone calls by the Tourist Information centre, we were directed to a junction where the Gendarmes (them with the guns) opened the barriers and let out the idiot English who clearly didn’t read the signs and had just a slight whiff of cognac about him.
For the more observant reader we now had our boat and our car in Rochefort which is some 160 miles away from our home port of Arzal. Before setting sail again, the car had to be returned; which became a somewhat complex jigsaw of buses and trains which largely don’t link up.
Stage one was getting the car to Arzal which was relatively simple but required getting up “very early” and drive 160 miles. The only entertainment to be had was at the toll barriers when I had to reach across the passenger seat and lean out through the window to pay because Nina doesn’t do “very early”.
Bus from Arzal to Vannes was an odd affair. You get the number 8 bus from Arzal and get off at Muzillac. About 10 minutes later you get back on the same bus with the same driver who examines the ticket he sold you 20 minutes earlier, you sit in the same seat you just left and carry on to Vannes where you sit around for about 2 hours.
Train No 1 Vannes to Redon, find a seat and settle back. You arrive at Redon and sit around for another hour and a half waiting for a connecting train to Nantes. As its lunch time, somehow or other, you find yourself in a bar.
Train No 2 Redon to Nantes, again nice and simple, but as you arrive you have to run like Usain Bolt because the connecting train doors are closing on a platform at the far end of the station.
Train No 3 Nantes to Rochefort, this is the long one and comes with allocated seating and very posh tables; as long as someone isn’t sitting in it. Sadly, my French extends to ‘Chips’, ‘Beer’ and ‘Ou est le toilet’ but I got the message across. I slumped into my seat for the next two hours.
I Left Rochefort at 0500, arrived back at 2000 having coveried 320 miles with an average speed of 22 mph.
July 2024