ROCHEFORT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel I have always been facinated by engineering and other marvels, and the Falkirk Wheel is one Jan and I visited in Scotland last time I was here.
Having been to the Festival of the Sea some years ago, I decided in the interests of time to visit the Le Pont Transporter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochefort,_Charente-Maritime#Sights) instead of the other maritime places- which is the only one of its kind in the world.
Imagine the days when there were only carts and animals and pedestrians and you need to cross one side of the decent size river and NO BRIDGES-except this one. The gondola is supended by cables and shuttles across the river. Neat! And who doesn't like different engineering feats.
On the recommendation of the hotel's reception I also took an early morning trip out to Brouage - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiers-Brouage a town dedicated to production of salt (and oyster farms these days) The town later became an armed citadel -there were wars going on between protestant and catholics-glad things have changed. The gates have gone now and it is possible to drive inside, visit the 19 towers on the high ramparts, and visit the tunnels that provided entry to waterborn traffic that kept the townsfolk fed at the time.
La Rochelle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel I have always been facinated by engineering and other marvels, and the Falkirk Wheel is one Jan and I visited in Scotland last time I was here.
Having been to the Festival of the Sea some years ago, I decided in the interests of time to visit the Le Pont Transporter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochefort,_Charente-Maritime#Sights) instead of the other maritime places- which is the only one of its kind in the world.
Imagine the days when there were only carts and animals and pedestrians and you need to cross one side of the decent size river and NO BRIDGES-except this one. The gondola is supended by cables and shuttles across the river. Neat! And who doesn't like different engineering feats.
On the recommendation of the hotel's reception I also took an early morning trip out to Brouage - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiers-Brouage a town dedicated to production of salt (and oyster farms these days) The town later became an armed citadel -there were wars going on between protestant and catholics-glad things have changed. The gates have gone now and it is possible to drive inside, visit the 19 towers on the high ramparts, and visit the tunnels that provided entry to waterborn traffic that kept the townsfolk fed at the time.
La Rochelle
A short trip north to La Rochelle to see two of the three battlement towers in the harbour that were used to protect the city back in the earlier horrific days. Unfortunately
parking is at a premium and exceptionally busy as a lot of French cities are-a
quick park in front of a pub, rip around the corner, take a few pictures and
return to the car. Thence on to St Nazaire a little closer to my Cherbourg
objective and on the west Coast also.
Bucket list item number two and three. I always wanted to see the WW2 submarine pens that the TODT organisation built for the Kriegsmarine. I drove past this gigantic concrete edifice which it turned out was only five minutes walk from my apartment, along with my local Carrimor supermarket. I had a kitchen all to myself in my apartment for the two nights I stayed there, which I found useful.
If you remember the classic WW2 movie, Das Boot, you may remember the subject submarine pulling into a covered wharf-pen to revittle their submarine-the same facility and still standing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Boot It is now the site for appropriately a Tourist Bureau.
But one of my reasons for being here was to find a business that hired out Segways to the public and at a time to suit. I travelled north to the seaside town of Carnac and paid for an hour on a Segway and one on one tour given by one of the staff.
Fantastic stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segway_PT The ACT Government has finally allowed a company to run a Segway tour business on the southside of Lake Burley Griffin. Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed my time on this one and also the different types of homes in this part of the world.
Fantastic stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segway_PT The ACT Government has finally allowed a company to run a Segway tour business on the southside of Lake Burley Griffin. Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed my time on this one and also the different types of homes in this part of the world.
But I have to return to St Nazaire, have a bit of a look around before departing for my four hour run back to Cherbourg to catch my ferry back to Portsmouth, where I stay overnight, as the ferry gets in late.
I am travelling to Devon in the morning for a few days with two friends from Sea Scouts from 59-61 period. We haven't actually seen one another since then. Should be wonderful!
I am travelling to Devon in the morning for a few days with two friends from Sea Scouts from 59-61 period. We haven't actually seen one another since then. Should be wonderful!
Russ
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