Le Point du Jour
The Vendée, local area and activities.
Lying on the west coast of France, south of the river Loire, the Vendée is a department of rolling hills, lakes, shallow valleys, plains and marshes behind a long Atlantic coastline with 140km of sandy beaches.
Le Point du Jour is in the south-west, about 25km east of the Blue Flag resort of Les Sables d’Olonne with its fishing port and famous yachting harbour; and 14km north of Jard sur Mer, a former fishing village now a small, popular resort with an attractive yachting harbour and several beaches.
La Tranche sur Mer, a pleasant family resort, is about 25 km directly south of us.
The warm seas and lovely beaches invite sunbathing, swimming and sand-castle building, and for the more active there is surfing, wind-surfing, and sailing and on some beaches sand-yachting. Fishing is allowed with a permit off jetties and in the lakes.
Golf courses are quite close by at Nesmy, Port Bourgenay and Les Sables and golf passes may be available for use at these and other Vendeen courses.
To the east and south is the renowned region of the Marais Poitevin, the so-called “Venise Verte”, where boats and canoes can be hired to explore the intriguing canals and rivers.
For a change of activity, visit the zoo at Les Sables, museums or mediaeval and Renaissance châteaux, often with "hands-on" activities for both young and old. A new attraction about 8km from the house is "Indian Forest" with supervised tree-scaling (harness provided) rope swings (with safety nets) etc. suitable for all from 5 years upwards. For the younger ones there is a bouncy castle adventure area. Just south of us, the countryside is strewn with Neolithic monuments, dolmens and menhirs, and the centre for Neolithic research (CAIRN), excellent displays and demonstrations, is worth a visit. Further afield is the Grand Parc du Puy du Fou (www.puy-du-fou.com) renowned for its spectacular displays set in wonderful wooded parkland and the twice weekly (Friday & Saturday) Son et Lumière (Cinéscenie) for which it is essential to book well in advance.
There are markets most days of the week in local villages and more sophisticated shopping facilities in La Roche sur Yon, the “county” town. The local village (2km) has tennis courts, an ancient lavoir and there are exhibition gardens open for a quiet stroll.
The local produce is very good; a gourmets paradise. Regional specialities include sea food in variety and profusion, salt-meadow lamb, duck, ham, cheeses, snails and local varieties of vegetables, fruit and wine. There is an excellent bakery in the village, supermarkets within easy reach and a vineyard about 6km away.
Restaurants abound and offer good quality and value.