Lunch in Île de Ré

 From Saint Gregoire it was an easy few hours drive to Île de Ré on France's west coast, reached via a 3km bridge that connects the island with the mainland. 

Driving past fields of poppies and small villages clustered around church steeples ...

... we headed for the far side of the island, for a walk along the Atlantic

Apparently half of Paris descends on the island in peak summer, but in early June it was blissfully uncrowded. The feel of the place reminded me a bit nostalgically of summer holidays in the Åland islands - few cars or people (those that were there getting around on bicycles); natural, unspoiled beaches; sea breezes.

What's unique is the landscape - salt pans, marshes and mud flats that are on one of Europe's main bird migration routes between the Arctic and Africa, sand dunes and beaches, vineyards to the interior. 

We drove to the Phare des Baleines, the lighthouse on the tip of the island, and then to briefly explore the villages of Ars de Ré and Saint Clément des Baleines.

In Saint Clement, even the Mairie was all whitewashed stone like the houses. 

Le Chat Botté was a good find. We had a lunch of oysters in the garden here -

- and then we were back on the road, heading in the direction of Bordeaux, our destination the village of Bouliac ...

and the St James, where we had time for a swim before dinner

 on the terrace that overlooks vineyards and, in the far distance, Bordeaux 

Ile de Ré, France

Iberian road trip, Day 2, June 2017