It’s my first time in France and La Rochelle is not a place I plan to visit. In fact, I never knew of its existence until my French Guide inserted it in my itinerary after telling him I NEED to go to the beach!
It was mid-June and the start of the summer season. Everybody was just scrambling to go the the nearest beach and enjoy the sun – and I was one of them. The five hour ride from Paris through this blahblah Car gave me a brief background of La Rochelle through Loic and his girlfriend, both university students there.
Loic and his girlfriend was kind enough to take me straight to my hostel which gave me a chance to see the area. Aside from the beach, the port and a number of restaurants were nearby as well as a university buildings that made quite an impression considering this is not a big city like Paris.
Where to stay:
Auberge de Jeunesse La Rochelle (member of Hostelling International)
I was impressed. There are two double decks and I shared a room with 2 other girls. It has a small window with a tiny veranda if you need to sit outside and enjoy the air. The clean toilet and bathroom inside the room made taking a bath convenient.
What impressed me was the breakfast. They have baguettes, sliced ham, cheese, butter, marmalade (in various flavours), milk, fresh juice, cornflakes, yogurt and fresh fruits. Oh and of course, coffee – in various flavours. I went for my second round – a whole baguette plus coffee and moved to another table with a view of the infamous La Rochelle harbour.
Port des Minimes
The friendly hostel staff of Auberge de Jeunesse told me I can reach the beach in 10 minutes as it is “very near”. After a 15 minute walk now filled with uncertainty, I saw a most refreshing sight from a city dweller like me: gorgeous boats surrounded by the azure waters in the Port des Minimes. Considered as one of Europe’s largest marinas and is a great location for those who are keen in exploring both French and Spanish shores, the Vieux Port has a number of bars and restaurants as well as specialist shops and supermarkets that I passed by as I continue my search for the seawater.
Cutting across the parking lot and following the trail of people, I finally heard the magical sound I have been longing for. Following the sound as it gets louder, the sight of the lapping waves will simply make you breathe slowly and savour the moment. It was the beginning of summer and you can see people enjoying the warm rays of the sun. No, it was not crowded and rowdy. I was apprehensive to sit near a group of teenagers (all guys) as I expected them to be loud but was gladly mistaken when I heard them monitor each other. I mean, what do you expect? This is France, where good manners rule!
As the clock ticks by, the air becomes cool beating the warmth of the sun. As I wrestle with the thought of getting out of the water welcomed by the kiss of the chilly wind, I decided to sit it through and strategise the fastest route to my towel from the water. A lone man with a guitar sits near me and strums the strings which gave me a reason to avoid a dip and enjoy the music. A few moments later, we are having small talk about La Rochelle and its history – in English.
Misconception: The French will not talk to you if you don’t talk in French. DISPROVED!
La Substance Alimentaire aka food
As the sun sets, the wind made me wrap the sarong tight and forget the much yearned for dip in the sea. I silently bid adieu to the sea as we headed for late dinner in the nearest restaurant. I asked my newly met companion for a ‘typical’ French dinner in La Rochelle (to cover up the fact that I have no idea what to order). Lo and behold! The first dish was the oyster. As he said, the best way to enjoy oysters is to eat it fresh and there’s no better place to eat it than in La Rochelle – where the oysters come from the water I was just admiring earlier. Second in the menu was the mussels. To be honest, I was a little disoriented with the combination – mussel and fried potatoes aka fries but hey, When in Rome right?
To be honest, the combination was weird for me but the way they cooked the mussels transported me back home. This is how mussels are usually cooked in the Philippines. Stir fry some onions garlic, put in the mussels, pour in some water and boil. Voila! Oh, don’t forget to add just a bit of salt. The mussels have their own supply. Enjoy it with a cup of rice (or more). This time however, there’s no rice, but fried potatoes aka fries. If you ask me if it’s a great combination, quite frankly I would say “just okay” – for lack of a better description.
The Welcoming Fog
With only these two, my stomach was full and my mind alive. In 1.5 hours, our conversations have moved from La Rochelle and it’s beauty to President Macron and eventually to Camino de Santiago – which was the second time I’m hearing about. As we discussed about travelling and faith, I got distracted by the thin layer of fog starting to cover the parking lot. Everyone can be seen going the breakwaters, picking a spot to sit to stare at the incoming fog that was slowly covering the ocean. It’s as if a silver grey screen hung in before us silently creeping around and chasing the summer warmth away. As we scene unfolds, my dinner companion suddenly exclaimed,
“Wow! This has never happened before! I have never seen a fog in La Rochelle and I have lived here for most of my life.”
“Really?” My sarcastic mind highly doubts this.
“Yes! This fog appears and you are here! Wow! This is really surprising!”
As I start to feel the nip in the wind and the restaurant readies itself for a night of rest, we ask for the bill. I gave my share and he suddenly said no. He threw my money and paid the bill – then picked it up again and gave it to me. I know a lost cause when I see one. He walked with me to the hostel and we parted as friends who will never meet again.
Other places to see
Jacques Costeau’s “The Calypso”
Aside from the need to be in the water, I wanted to see ‘The Calypso’. As the flames of my tempestuous love affair with diving came back to life, I needed to see the ship that Jacques Costeau, one of the key figures in the creation of SCUBA diving, used to conduct research and diving. Unfortunately, with less than 24 hours mixed with jet lag, it was not possible. I never got to see if it was still in La Rochelle or towed somewhere else. Maybe you can tell me more if you visit La Rochelle.
Having worked in an Aquarium Museum for 4 years gave me the itch to go inside and check Aquarium La Rochelle. A two-hour visit will never be enough for me as I scanned the school buses parked in the area. This only means one thing – I will have to fight for my space amongst the open-mouthed faces of children looking at the beautiful and oft-times quirky plants and animals from the deep.
“I’ll be back. I promise” Stay for at least two days in La Rochelle – minus the jet lag.
If you are into photography, architecture or learning to put your travel into paper, visit Gare de La Rochelle. It is quite a walk from the port considering that it’s in the other side but you can always take the bus near the hostel. There is a bus stop just 3 minutes away that I should have taken but was too timid to try. If you are near the Aquarium La Rochelle, it will just be a 5-10 minute walk-depending on the route you take. I took the looooong way where only cars pass and it obviously helped me shed a few more buckets of sweat.
chronically gallivanting 
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