2015-09-08-La Rochelle, FR (Day 1)

2015-10-17-Evanston, IL & South Bend, IN-ND-USC Weekend

2015-09-08-Richelieu, FR

After leaving Richelieu, we drove an hour southeast and stopped for a delicious pot roast lunch after which we drove another hour to our destination for the day, La Rochelle, population 80,000. A medieval Atlantic port city with an excellent harbor, and rich history, La Rochelle has, at various times, been independent, ruled by England and ultimately France. In the late 1500's and into the 1600's, the city became a center for French Protestants, the Huguenots, who rebelled twice against the French Crown. This did not sit well with the Catholic King Louis XIII who dispatched his Chief Minister Cardinal Richelieu to La Rochelle who led a fourteen month siege by Royal Forces that fatally starved 15,000 of the city's 20,000 inhabitants, until the city's mayor finally capitulated.

After checking into our hotel, Guillaume led us on a one hour walking tour of the Old Port area which featured three magnificent towers built in the 1300's and 1400's and served as port defenses. Other points of interest included two lighthouses and an impressive medieval stone gate tower, the entryway to the old city. After this brief tour, we continued on our own in the cobble stone paved Old Port area. Around twilight Georgia unfortunately lost her footing on a cobblestone step and badly sprained her ankle, an accident that would slow her down for the rest of the trip. After recovering a bit with a few sundown beers, we made our way to Cafe Andre, a seafood restaurant where we enjoyed an excellent dinner of mussels roquefort, a local specialty.

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2015-09-08-La Rochelle, FR (Day 1)

An unusual roadside sculpture en route to La Rochelle

Lunch on the way to La Rochelle

Our Luncheon venue

Heading back to the bus after lunch

Gare de La Rochelle, the city's main train station

Tower detail-Gare de La Rochelle

Ferris Wheel near La Rochelle's Old Port

A local fellow playing Pétanque, a form of Boules, a popular local game

Local lads playing Pétanque. Note the players feet must not leave the circle

A young lad demonstrates sound underhand Pétanque throwing tecnique

The game of Pétanque. The object is get closest to the red cochonnet ("piglet"), or jack.

Georgia and Dave observing a game of Pétanque near La Rochelle's old harbor

Guillaume explains the rules of Pétanque

Quay Maubec, La Rochelle

Ferris Wheel near the old port