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.

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

Marina in the Old Port

The "Green Lighthouse" on Quay Maubec

Old, harbor facing buildings on Quay Maubec

The 15th Century Lanterne Tower in the Old Port area

The "Green Lighthouse" on Quay Maubec

Canal Maubec fronting La Rochelle's Old Town

Eglise Saint Sauveur

Guillaume leads our group past Canal Maubec adjacent to the Old Town of La Rochelle

Canal Maubec and the Old Town

Clock Tower gate to the Old Town

Georgia peers into the afternoon sun

The Saint Nicolas Tower (1376) and Chaine Tower (1390) frame the inner harbor's entrance

Quay Duperre

Canal Maubec

Old Port