This morning it is a ‘White Out’. Mist and low cloud as far as the eye can see, which is only about 80 meters. As we headed north to La Rochelle all we saw was mist and cloud until 12:10pm, when a patch of blue sky emerged and slowly our surroundings were disclosed. A landscape dominated by trees shrouded in autumn colours. It really is quite a sight. We were passing through the Cognac country today where some vineyards are in the middle of harvesting what looks like a late variety of grapes. Across the road from them the vines are well and truly dried off.
We arrived in La Rochelle soon after 2:00pm and checked into our hostel, only a stones throw from the marina and a short walk into the city centre. When we asked how long it would take to walk there, we were told, “there’s not much wind today, so it should only take 25 minutes”. The way it was said made us think that the wind is quite a factor around here.
As we walked into the town centre alongside the marina, the predominant features are the three towers. Two of them sit on each side of the entrance to the inner harbour, and in time of old they used to draw a large chain across between then at night to keep out unwanted waterborne guests. Both of these towers formed a military purpose, the third tower (Lanterne Tower) is the only surviving medieval lighthouse (a huge candle was lit inside the stone lantern every night) on the Atlantic Coast.
The Lantern Tower is 55m high and was built about 1445, and was converted to a prison in the 17th Century. There is still evidence of graffiti etched into its stones by pirates and other prisoners. At one stage it was called the ‘Priest Tower’ after the priests that were massacred here in 1568. Then during another period it was known as the ‘Four Sergeants Tower’ in memory of the four Bonapartist plotters arrested in La Rochelle in 1822. Two of them were imprisoned in this tower before being sent off to Paris to be guillotined with their companions.
La Rochelle has quite an interesting history, which extends to WWII went it was used as a submarine port by the Germans. It is the first harbour that we have seen, whose water level in the inner harbour is controlled by a tidal lock.
The white limestone buildings are a dominant feature of this town, giving a stunning look against the blue sky. During our wanderings around this city we came across the cathedral. Although it is a very old church, we had the feeling that quite a bit of it had been reconstructed and indeed we found out that it had been through the wars … several times, that required rebuilding. What was of note within this cathedral was a large paintings in one of the altars. It seemed to depict the deliverance of the people by a number of what appeared to be crusaders on horseback. An interesting interpretation of history, in an evangelical sense, and not something that we have come across before.
We arrived in La Rochelle soon after 2:00pm and checked into our hostel, only a stones throw from the marina and a short walk into the city centre. When we asked how long it would take to walk there, we were told, “there’s not much wind today, so it should only take 25 minutes”. The way it was said made us think that the wind is quite a factor around here.
As we walked into the town centre alongside the marina, the predominant features are the three towers. Two of them sit on each side of the entrance to the inner harbour, and in time of old they used to draw a large chain across between then at night to keep out unwanted waterborne guests. Both of these towers formed a military purpose, the third tower (Lanterne Tower) is the only surviving medieval lighthouse (a huge candle was lit inside the stone lantern every night) on the Atlantic Coast.
The Lantern Tower is 55m high and was built about 1445, and was converted to a prison in the 17th Century. There is still evidence of graffiti etched into its stones by pirates and other prisoners. At one stage it was called the ‘Priest Tower’ after the priests that were massacred here in 1568. Then during another period it was known as the ‘Four Sergeants Tower’ in memory of the four Bonapartist plotters arrested in La Rochelle in 1822. Two of them were imprisoned in this tower before being sent off to Paris to be guillotined with their companions.
La Rochelle has quite an interesting history, which extends to WWII went it was used as a submarine port by the Germans. It is the first harbour that we have seen, whose water level in the inner harbour is controlled by a tidal lock.
The white limestone buildings are a dominant feature of this town, giving a stunning look against the blue sky. During our wanderings around this city we came across the cathedral. Although it is a very old church, we had the feeling that quite a bit of it had been reconstructed and indeed we found out that it had been through the wars … several times, that required rebuilding. What was of note within this cathedral was a large paintings in one of the altars. It seemed to depict the deliverance of the people by a number of what appeared to be crusaders on horseback. An interesting interpretation of history, in an evangelical sense, and not something that we have come across before.
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