We arrive at La Rochelle

January 20, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos
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Gare SNCF La Rochelle

Oh the relief to finally arrive at our destination with every piece of luggage and our relationship intact. Our bodies, mine especially, was a bit battered and I was gallantly fighting off a case of changing climate flu. 

We got off the train in La Rochelle jubilant that we had arrived, the joy was short lived as we found another lot of stairs descending and ascending before we could get a taxi to take us to our apartment.

Downward and upward on onwards.

We managed by staggering in fits and starts to the taxi rank. The last taxi was leaving but promised to come back. There was a taxi parked to the side but he said he was having lunch. Now that we have been here for two weeks we laugh at how close we were to the apartment and how easy it would have been with NO luggage. 

The lovely Celine met us and even helped ferry our luggage up the 57 steps to our home for the next 5 weeks. Clean and bright, and spacious, compared to Paris apartments, it was a perfect base. 

  • The underside of 57 steps
  • The bottom of the steps

I took some drugs for the next 24 hours and stayed put.

  • The view outside our apartment
  • The Central Market
  • Some delicious choices

The apartment was on Rue Duperre, right on the old port, it was indeed a beautiful spot and easy to get around with the wonderful Yelo buses. It was a short walk to the central market, a little bit further to the Place de Verdun, the central bus depot, and the Dame Blanche bus top was 50 metres around the corner. 

For any Fontaine Pajot people, it was a bit of a hike to Uchimata and the Les Minimes marina. We usually caught a bus to Technoforum and walked, which takes 15 minutes. We will be moving closer when the boat comes to the Port. It is far more pleasant to stay in the Vieux Port but not as convenient to keep an eye on all the boat work. 

We are fortunate to have so much time here, we get to find all the places we need to purchase things for the boat without any time pressures. But best of all we get to wander the cobbled streets and find little treasures that if you were under a time constraint you wouldn’t do. La Rochelle is not just a town to pick up your boat, it is a gorgeous place with a rich history that I am honoured to spend time in.

Jill de Vos