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This sunny part of southwestern France is a land of endless beaches and glorious countryside. Janine Marsh explores what life is like in the two departments of Les Charentes – Charente-Maritime and Charente… Cognac, Monica Moriyasu Charente-Maritime In Charente-Maritime there are 18 famous seaside resorts including lively Les Sables d’Olonne and family-friendly Saint-Jeande-Monts. When you’re not enjoying a dip in the gulf-streamed warm sea there’s plenty to do from cycling to hanging out at the eye-poppingly excellent multi award winning Puy du Fou theme park with shows featuring historic periods of France including the Romans and Vikings. You can go island hopping, slurp on the freshest mussels and sea food washed down with scrumptious local wines, and enjoy a laidback lifestyle. With access to three airports, and fast TGV trains to Paris, the department is popular for its fine sandy beaches, beautiful countryside, slow pace of life, year-round mild climate and superb gastronomy including locally grown oysters. The capital of the department is La Rochelle, a bustling coastal town and centre of marine commerce. It has beaches, a pretty harbour surrounded by cafés and stalls, medieval covered arcades and cobbled narrow streets. Most of the available property tends to be apartment style new builds. Picturesque Ile de Ré just off La Rochelle, adored by Parisians, and reached via a toll bridge, is so in demand that new builds are all but banned and property costs more than twice the price of mainland property. If you yearn for seaside living but don’t fancy forking out a fortune on the Ile de Ré, try Ile d’Oléron, France’s second largest island after Corsica but strangely, little known to overseas The laid back charms of LES CHARENTES Ile De Re © Fred Tassart 106 | The Good Life France La Rochelle The Good Life France | 107
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Janine Marsh visits two great Loire
workshops and wine caves, and in th
SLOW TRAVEL at its very best in the
Aigues Morte meet some of the famou
© Alain-Hocquel VPA The Great outd
Palais des Papes Pont d'Avignon loo
draught horse used for farming and
The north-eastern French region of
Saint-Hippolyte At the foot of the
the Mediterranean coast. Think picn
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Cheval tomb second wife was wealthy
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