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PLACES TO VISIT
LUCON
Lucon is a pretty little french town only 6 miles from
our cottages. It has all the usual Hypermarkets and shops as well as
a Fish, Vegetables and Meat Market open on Wednesday and Saturday
mornings up to midday. In the centre of town is the Cathedral and
opposite a Kamok distillary (cofee liquer). There is also a huge
lake for kayaking, dinghy sailing and surfboarding.
The
Cathedral Notre-Dame de l'Assomption
is right in the centre of Lucon. Built on the site of an 7th
century Benedictine monastry. It was devastated during the religious
wars and in 1622 it was ransacked from top to bottom. During
the French revoloution it was used as a barracks, stabling and an
arsenal. It is now a listed monument with its steeple
rising 85mtrs high. Guided visits are arranged throuh the
tourist office.
The Dumaine Gardens are well worth a visit. Said to be the
finest gardens in the Vendee and one of the most beautiful in France, they
cover more than 4 hectares ( 9 acres ). At the entrance a
sumptuous alley of yews clipped into pyramids leads the way to the
'Theatre de Verdure' and the minature goats enclosure leading onto lawns
and flowerbeds. At the centre an artistic octagonal pool
with bronze naiads and a bandstand. A gentle slope
houses a little lake with a grotto and rockery; Then there is a
wood with great tree trunks and a vast lawn decorated with
floral patterns. In July the gardens are illuminated by 3500
lanterns and a concert is held in the bandstand.
LAROCHELLE
La
Rochelle is truly one of the
loveliest seaside towns in France, It has beauiful architecture,
ancient arcades and harbour restaurants. Look across the old
port at the two towers while sampling a wonderful meal at one of the many
restaurants or walk around the harbour looking at the stalls and crafts on
display. Take a trip on one of the many boat excursions around the
Ile de Ré or Fort Boyard or visit the wondeful Aquarium. This is a
town that is an ideal day out.
The Old Port
The Old Shopping
Arcades
The Aquarium
The Minimes Marina
Fort
boyard
FONTENEY LE COMTE
At
the heart of a region of 100,000 inhabitants, this renaissance town
between the sea, the bocage and the marshes, at the gateway to Mervent
forest, the former capital of Lower Poitou and is the architectural pearl
of the Vendée This castle classed as a historical monument was
built in 1580, The celebrated author Georges Simenon ( Maigret )
lived here from 1940 à 1943.
VOUVANT
Vouvant The charming medieval town of Vouvant, with its
twisting alleyways, old fortress and beautiful church
One of the most
beautiful villages of France on the site of what is today called La
Place de la Lease Rose, formerly within the fortified village of the
castle Lusignan.
1. The Mélusine Tower: The
Mélusine Tower is the only preserved part of the castle. The legend has
that it
was
constructed in one night by the Mélusine fairy,
2 - The
church:
Prestigious monument, it is an example of
Romanesque architecture of Low Poitou.
3 - Court of the
Miracles:
4 - The Romance Bridge:
5 - The Castle of the
"Récepte": The people came there to pay
their taxes in cash or in kind. The castle is well preserved.
6 - The
Postern: Is
one of the three doors which in the Middle Ages, allowed the entry in the
strengthened
enclosure of Vouvant.
7 -
Ramparts:
This system of defense independent of the castle dates from XIIè
century.
8 - The House of Mélusine:
Found in the walls is the Office of Tourism, it recalls the history of the
Mélusine fairy
MERVANT
A visit to the
forest of Mervant is a lovely experience. A paradise for
walkers, cyclists and horseriders alike with many footpaths, cyclepaths
and bridlepaths. Find peace amongst the forest, marshes
and fields. Bring lunch or a picnic and just
relax in this superb countryside. Take your children to
the park Animalier de Pagnolle and see the wonderful abundance ofanimals
and birds.
VENISE VERT
Welcome to the Marais Poitevin also known as the Green
Venice. See the beautiful interlocking canals which in summer
the algae turns a rich green colour. The canals are lined with
Willow and Poplar trees. Why not hire one of the traditional
flat bottomed boats and paddle amid the tranquility of the countryside
surrounding the water. Take lunch or a picnic with you
and eat under the shelter of the trees on the riverbank.
BLISS!
ILE DE RE
ILE
DE RE Also know as 'The White Island' because of its long stretches of
sand dunes. It is a great place for nature watching.
It has dozens of
restaurants and shops and many small
towns. Drive the car from LaRochelle over the magnificent 2
mile bridge onto the island. The bridge is a toll bridge and costs about
£12 to use, but still this is worth it and an ideal place for a long day
out. Visit St Martin de Ré which is the largest village and very
picturesque. There are a lot of places to eat specialising of course
in seafood especially Oysters.
Puy de Fou
Step
back in time at this park which has a medieval village and offers a
great day out for the whole family with superb falconry displays,
jousting tournaments, son et lumiere and many other spectacular sights
lights with 1000 actors and evening entertainments. During the falconry
displays more than six bird handlers at a time control their various
captors to thrill the crowd. You can also meet the actors after the
performances. There is a beautifull flower garden with
alternating fountains.The restaurants bake fresh bread made on the
premises in medieval style ovens.
At the Puy du Fou there are two
great attractions: the Large Park and Cinéscénie.
The
Large Park has spectacles all day, for example
The Ball of the Phantom Birds
(spectacle of
falconry), The Roman Stadium Gallo (spectacle taking in the Roman Circus
Games), The Battle of the Keep (medieval combat), The Medieval City (rebuilt medieval city), and others as
well. These
spectacles last on average a half hour to 45 minutes.
Entry tickets to
the large park are not dated therefore you are able use
them when you want to, but are valid only during the
season.
Cinescénie is the
large night spectacle of Puy du Fou, on the largest screen in the world,
with original music from Nick Glennie-Smith. The visitors are seated
in large amphithéatre. There are a limited number of places,
therefore it is wise to reserve at least a month in
advance. It should be noted that Cinescénie is held on certain days in the week: Fridays and
Saturdays, and lasts approximately 2 hours
In an area of 20 hectares,
you enter history to the sight of a 1000 actors, thanks
to a revolutionary sound "cinema" where you relive the hours of
glory of Puy of Fou of the Middle Ages to the Second World war as if you
were there.
For 2 hours of excitement you relive 700 years of
history, on a giant screen which has already entertained more than 7
million visitors.
FUTURESCOPE, Poitiers
Futurescope Literally the size of a town Futurescope
brings you 22 great attractions. It needs at least 2 days to
take in
most of the sights. Discover what the future
holds at the internationally acclaimed science and discovery
centre.
Cyber
Avenue: is an entire
universe devoted to arcade games and the Internet.
Images Studio: unveils the mysteries of the fascinating world of
film-making. Take an initiation journey into the heart of a film
studio
Destination Cosmos: Take your maiden voyage into
space.
The
Creativity Pavillion: The auditorium
of the Pavillon de la Créativité invites you into the heart of creation,
opening its doors to rehearsals or cocktail-concerts by the artists in
residence.
Reflections of
Uranie: and here begins a quest
rich in astonishing encounters set amidst a choreography of light, images
and water.
The
Futurescope observatory: This is
literally the high point of your Park visit- 45 metres! You will be
carried gently up to this extraordinary vantage point for a panoramic
overview of the daring and original architecture of the Futuroscope
buildings .
Other attractions, too
numerous to mention in detail are
White Lightning,
Colours of Brazil, Metropolis Challenge, Race for
atlantic, Aquatic Melodies, Childrens
World, Pulse a Stomp Odyssey, Space Station
3D, Dynamic Vienne, Great illusions,
Cyberworld, The Panda Adventure, Digital
City, Haunted Mine, The Magic
Carpet, and the
Wings of
Courage.
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