Mocha Monday

 

Deux cafés, with a splash of village church please.

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Throwback Thursday

 

Back to Île de Ré.

Above: a leisurely early dinner al fresco

 

  Paris - La Rochelle

3 hours (or less) from Paris

Seaside Sunday

 

 

 

Amber evening:

 

Peanuts and Pineau, by the sea
 

Above: the region's celebrated sweet apéritif wine, Pineau des Charentes
 

Paris - La Rochelle
 

3 hours (or less) from Paris 

 

 

Mocha Monday

Early coffee a brisk morning a small port.

Paris - La Rochelle

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Travel Tuesday

 Streets made to bicycle, beaches made to run, tiny ports.

île de Ré

Paris - La Rochelle

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

 

Sun Sunday

 Early morning on an island off the French Atlantic coast.

 

Sunset Sunday

 A glorious sunset looking out towards l'Île de Ré.

Floral Friday

Inside a private courtyard on île de Ré.

 

Sun Ré

 

We lucked out with sunshine every day, not always the case on the Atlantic coast.

Above: simple Ré-past (sharing apéro) of beet falafels, baked camembert w/honey and fresh herbs, local oysters, terrine maison; village square dining; morning markets; seaside gathering

Travel Tuesday

 

 île de Ré: a favorite destination

With its quaint white villages, lighthouses, salt marshes and beaches backed by dunes and pine trees, this island off the west coast of France in the North Atlantic (not to mention an easy jaunt from Paris) is a photographer's paradise.

 

Below: ports of call; a secluded pathway; bicycling past vineyards

 

 - Tomorrow: more Ré -

 

Paris by the sea #5

The end of the île.

 

Above: a stone pier ends in the sea; marmites of ultra fresh moules and shrimp cocktails; view from our table

Below: interconnected courtyards of hotel; last breakfast before heading home

Paris by the sea #4

Since last week when I began posting photos of île de Ré there's been a surge in my visitor stats, mostly from the U.S., which tells me that perhaps travel is forefront in many minds right now. We're praying that restrictions will soon be lifted but here in France there's been another kind of surge: coronavirus cases - the dreaded deuxième vague? - meaning that for us too, travel to foreign soils or even within France may become unlikely again for who knows how long. However I thank you for your visits and will continue to post, all the while hoping to see you in Paris in the (near) future! - BPJ

Above: on a small street inside the village of Ars-en-Ré; local church dating to the Middle Ages w/its landmark black and white steeple and snow white entryway

Below: spices entice from a market stall; Pineau des Charentes, the region's signature apéritif mingles w/French wines, beers and cognacs; local fresh oysters for lunch

Paris by the sea #3

 

Every evening we'd join locals at this popular meeting spot where apéros are brought out on wooden planks specially made to grip the sea wall.

 

Above: pichet of icy rosé w/panoramic view

 

Below: seafood rillettes starter with more rosé at the wall; after, steamed shrimp w/frites maison on the terrace; rent-a-bikes at La Flotte

 

 ***

Next week: more Île de Ré

Paris by the sea #2

 

 Above: seagull en contre-jour; salt marshes just before sunset

Below: local fleur de sel for sale at a village market stall; butters sans sel, demi-sel and w/salt crystals from the island

 

Paris by the sea #1

La Flotte, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Saint-Clément-des-Baleines, Ars-en-Ré, Les Ports-en-Ré, Loix... Just some of the villages that dot this island.

 

 Above: a harbor just after daybreak; seaside coffees w/pastries on a brisk morning

 

Below: mix of photos; bicycles, best way to get around

 

Paris by the sea

 

Sunset from friends' balcony on Châtelaillon-Plage looking towards Île de Ré, and beyond.

 

(click to enlarge)

***

Just a few hours drive from Paris awaits another world, one I've posted about before, Île de Ré, an island south of Brittany off the French Atlantic coast in the Poitou-Charente region. Sometimes called Paris' 21st arrondissement (many Parisians keep résidences secondaires here), it's a mecca of unspoiled white fishing villages that embrace tiny ports, and where we recently spent five magical days to take advantage of perfect September weather.

 Starting tomorrow I will be posting more photos from our trip and hope, for those who cannot travel to France right now, that they will inspire travel plans for the future. - BPJ