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La Rochelle in the Charente is a gorgeous French city on the French Atlantic coast. It is surrounded by beautiful coast, white limestone and stunning vistas. La Rochelle is a favorite vacation spot for French people, but doesn't seem to be on a radar of a lot of American visitors. That's a mistake because it is usually sunny and has a mild oceanic climate.

Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/323

You could spend a whole week in La Rochelle and keep busy by exploring nearby islands such as Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron.  Those are the easy ones because they both have a causeway to drive to them. You can even take a bus from La Rochelle to visit those places for the day. Some islands are more remote and can only be accessed by boat. You could also explore the Marais Poitevin and beautiful cities like Saintes, Rochefort and Cognac in this region.

In this episode we talk about the siege of La Rochelle, how it brought the city to its knees. We also discuss how La Rochelle gained back its prominence by being an active participant in the slave trade. This shameful part of history has been acknowledge in the city as you will hear when we discuss the new world museum.

We recommend you download the official brochures of La Rochelle published by the tourist office, they provide an excellent walking tour of the city.

Discussed in this Episode

• Ile de Ré
• Rochefort (the Hermione and Marquis de Lafayette)
• Ile d’Oléron
• Cognac
• Saintes
• Tour Saint Nicolas
• Tour de la Lanterne
• Tour de la Chaine
• German u-boats
• Musée du Nouveau Monde
• Les Francofolies
• Aquarium of La Rochelle
• La Grosse Horloge
• Oysters
• La Mouclade
• Pinot de La Rochelle (fortified wine)
• Chabichou goat cheese
• La galette Charentaise
• Fort Boyard

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