16 July-18 August
The Marais Poitevin is the second largest wetland in France after the Camargue. Inhabited since the seventh century, monks, living in the Abbeys, drained two thirds of it’s marshes to create the ‘dry marshland’ areas which are now farmed. 
At it’s heart is La Sèvres Niortaise river which Napoleon had cleared in 1808 allowing barge boats to travel between the Atlantic Ports and Niort. A national park, it's a bird-filled wetland dubbed 'the Venice Verte' (green Venice).
This area is known for it’s angelica cultivation - a delicious apéritif.
We’ve had a fantastic stay over the ‘busy summer period’ at Camping La Garenne in Courçon, 30kms from La Rochelle on the Atlantic Coast.
Met some wonderful people, had lots of fun, some great biking, seen pretty villages, markets, waterways, sampled most of the local specialties and danced the night away at the Courçon 'Bal de Soir'.
The weather has been perfect.
Eric, Corinne, Capucine and Tom (the labrador) our wonderful neighbours, took us to La Rochelle and the La Rochelle market every Sunday.
Through their kindness,we sampled various seafood, oysters, crevettes (prawns),bullots (whelks), sardines, grilled anguille (eel); and also tried an aperitif - 'Pineau des Charentes' with the local sausage.
We drank coffee after the market on 'Chef de Baie', one of La Rochelle's beaches. 
It's great to be back in the White City (La Ville Blanche). La Rochelle, the capital of the Maritime-Charente region and a harbour and centre for fishing and trade since the twelfth century. Two towers and a medieval lighthouse protect its ‘Old Port’ which now has one of the largest marinas in France.
We ‘walked our feet off’ through the Gothic style clock tower and winding streets, sampled the seafood and enjoyed the buskers in the evening.
Great biking along small country roads passing fields of sunflowers and corn to the marshlands and La Sèvres Niortaise river. We followed the bike paths threading through the canals and woods to charming little villages including:
Marans 45kms
(via La Ronde and Taugon)
Arçais and Damvix 42kms
(via Saint-Hilaire-La-Palud)
Coulon and Sottière 50kms
(via Saint-Hilaire-La-Paled, Saint-Georges-de-Rex, Le Vanneau)
Coulon is considered the capital of the ‘Marais’ area. 
So tomorrow we’ll begin our slow trip North towards Brittany!
