La Couarde-sur-Mer

The map of France is in front of me and I look at possible destinations. I look along the Atlantic coast and find the island of Ré. It looks so small. I have to go there.
Now I'm planning the details, zoomed in and realised that it's bigger than I thought: about 40 km to the top. 😅
So I will spend two days there and take some time off 🏖️.

An almost three-kilometre-long and beautifully curved bridge leads onto the island. On the bridge the island first disappears from your view, leaving you alone with your own expectations, and then gives you a small glimpse of the first part of the island. The first few metres I already feel like I'm on holiday there - it's 20 degrees and the sun is shining. Only my heavy bike reminds me of my 'old' travelling life that I mentally left behind on the mainland. 😁

As I roll along the bike lanes I come into a deer crossing behind a bend : a huge caterpillar makes its way across the lane. As beautiful as it is to look at, I wonder how many hectares it eats every day and which giant insect will later hatch from its cocoon. (Later I am told that it will be a death's-head hawkmoth.)

What else is there to say about the island? It's a great place to spend a holiday, it's used for salt production, it has a prison (two donkeys patrol the moat, see photos) and probably the highest density of bicycle rentals in France.

As I watch the sunset over the Atlantic, I get the feeling that I will one day look at this ocean from the other side.Read more