The reason we wanted to come to La Rochelle early was to follow the boat on the truck to Les Minimes. It proved to be an exciting experience that was well worth the trouble.

We hired a car from Rent A Car which is not far from La Rochelle railway station, it was much cheaper than the more recognizable companies and a nice little Renault. It was 51 Euro with insurance for 24 hours. We picked it up in the afternoon and had a practice run to Aigrefuille d’Aunis. It was relatively easy with google maps on the phone and only a half hour trip.

The truck was organized to leave the factory at 8 am, so we arrived at 7.30am and I went to the office to ask if we could film the operation. After a trip up to an office they verified my identity, I just told them who I was.