France & Spain Road Trip Part 1

Tired of the hassle and seemingly non stop security checks at airports Mrs Lounge and I decided that we would take the slow route to France and Spain this year.  You drive your vehicle on to the ferry, you park, you go to your cabin, you settle in, you stroll the deck, you have dinner and a few drinks, you go to bed, you wake up in another country.  No need to remove your shoes, belt, prosthetic limbs or fillings. Civilised.

And so on September 2nd we set sail from Ringaskiddy in Cork, Ireland to Roscoff in France with Brittany Ferries. 

Arriving in Roscoff at 7am on a wet and cold Sunday morning I pointed the car towards the motor way and headed for our first port of call, Ile de Re, about 500km south.  The early hour and it being Sunday meant for good progress despite the rain.

The Ile de Re is an island of the west coast of France near La Rochelle.  It's been connected to the main land via a 3km bridge since the late 1980s.  This had the advantage of making construction on the island very expensive and so it was spared the high rise apartment blight prevalent elsewhere.  Access to the island via the bridge costs €16 in an environmental tax, or toll depending on your point of view.  What you get for your €16 is an unspoilt landscape with little traffic and a pretty laid back approach.  

Once on the island you're encouraged to cycle or walk and while not at Bejing levels bicycles are the preferred option. 

For the next few days we bunked down at Hotel Le Peu Breton, an oasis of calm on an already tranquil island.  The hotel offered free parking, and excellent facilities.  Our room opened onto a swimming pool and we got down to the serious business of relaxing.  A gentle stroll to the village brought us to Bar a Quai for good food and wines. 

We joined the pedal pushers and headed of for La Flotte, a neighbouring village about 5km away.  Excellent cycle paths took us away from traffic and through vineyards.  

La Flotte is a quaint but busy sea side village. The day we arrived coincided with the local market, which added to the atmosphere.

After some lunch and rose wine on the quay we saw a bit more of the area and headed back to base for a swim and a laze in the sun.

It was hard to keep up with the frantic pace and after two days we tore ourselves away from Ile de Re and headed south to the Saint Jean de Luz in the Basque Country.

We found Ile de Re to be an excellent place to just slow down and relax.  A few days was enough for me as I like a bit of excitement.  It is not a cheap or budget location with prices nudging towards Paris levels.  It does however offer a glimpse at a disappearing France, one not taken over by mass tourism and high rise developments.  I'd recommend a visit and I'd certainly stay again.