Tag: port towns
Rochefort: Ships, Shipyards and Seafarers
As a former naval and shipbuilding town once surrounded by marshland, Rochefort can’t stake a claim to quaint streets, charming strolls or photogenic vistas. But nearly a hundred years after the closing of its naval shipyard, the town has played its historical cards in such a way as to make this an attention-grabbing, off-circuit destination.
Sylvie Deschamps, France’s Master Artist of Gold Embroidery
An interview with Sylvie Deschamps, France's Master Artist of gold embroidery and director of the Bégonia d'Or workshop in Rochefort, an upriver port town in western France. Includes demonstration video.
The Begonia Conservatory: Without Rochefort There Would Be No Begonias
The town of Rochefort in western France, best known for its historic naval dockyard, is home to Europe’s most important collection of begonias, which is to be expected given that there would be no begonias (or magnolias or fuchsias) were it not for Rochefort. An explanation and a visit.
La Rochelle: Part III, History and Practical Information
Following a winter wanderbout in La Rochelle by night and by day, a brief accounting of local history, some practical advice, restaurant tips and hotel suggestions for this town for all seasons, whether for a 1-, 2-, or 3-night stay, plus excursions to the nearby islands.
La Rochelle: A Winter Wanderbout in an Old Port Town, Part II: Day
The following morning is sunny and cool. I have breakfast in a café facing the port. I visit the Saturday morning market in and around Les Halles, the covered food market on Place du Marché. I enter the massive, graceless cathedral looking for a chapel of ship-theme ex-votos. Every port town has one. ..
La Rochelle: A Winter Wanderbout in an Old Port Town, Part I: Night
I am not a seafaring man. My ancestors took several billions of years to evolve from the deep; I see no reason to go back. But give me a safe old port town on a misty evening, even on a cold winter’s night like this, and I’ll wander about for hours as if looking for chance.