La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France.

Having recently returned from a week long break to La Rochelle on France's Atlantic coast, I thought I'd share with you my experiences there and tell you what a fantastic time I had in this lovely port. Never having been to this part of France before, I was excited to go to a more "regional" area, which is still relatively unknown to the mass tourist market. My previous trips to France had been to Paris and to the area around Nice & Cannes on the Cote D'Azur. The old town area of La Rochelle and the Vieux Port is simply stunning. The Vieux Port was crammed full of small sailing boats and I spent a lot of time around this area watching the comings and goings of the boats. Here I found lots of places during the day to take the weight off my feet and stop for coffee or pastries, or to have a long leisurely lunch by the quayside. The buzz of this area doesn't stop in the evening though as there are scores of restaurants to choose from, many of them specialising in fish and seafood including the local oysters for which the town has a good reputation. Further into the old town, we found a daily market which has an outdoor section for fruit and vegetables and an indoor arcade with lots of cheese and butchery stalls to choose from. As well as this there are lots of smaller individual shops in the area to browse around. La Rochelle has two main beaches. Plage de la Concurrence, which is situated near the Vieux Port and Plage des Minimes which can be reached by taking the frequent "Bus de Mer" across the harbour. A trip that is worth taking with or without a beach visit as it offers great views of the town from the harbour. From the harbour you can take many different boat trips including excursions to the Ile de Re and to Fort Boyard, a defensive fort built just offshore to protect the port. Near to Plage de la Concurrence, you will find a long beachfront walkway which runs parallel to the Avenue du Mail, a grand tree lined road with park land in the centre, perfect for shade and rest from the heat of the summer sun. At the end of the avenue, the Parc Frank Delmas is well worth a visit to see it's lovely landscaped gardens. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to La Rochelle and hope to return there in years to come.