France /Ile de Re

Your Trip in 4-Easy Pieces

We've planned a trip for you. Getting you ready & then packing it up in 4-easy pieces.
We've been there & checked it out first, to make sure this "package deal" has plenty of style!

Destination: Ile de Re (French Atlantic Island, off mid-coast France)

Why We Love It: A bit of New England style, but with French flair & better food.

Get Ready:
When to Go.....Early to mid-September.
For How Long.... A handful of nights (5). Make the island part of a longer trip to France.
How to Get There from U.S....
Fly to Paris. Plane or Train connection to La Rochelle. Rent car.
Drive to island (yes, drive. There's a bridge). Drive time about 1 hour.

Get Set:
To Pack...... think casual New England. Warm days. Cool evenings.
Don't Forget..... shoes for bicycling, a stylish backpack for hands-free activities, sporty sweater, a collapsible market bag & raincoat (just in case).
To get Psyched, look at.....
" Cote Ouest" magazine (at Borders Books & other bookstores).
" L'Ile de Re, the Art of Living," coffee table book by Christine Masson, www.amazon.fr
[editor's note: you don't have to know French to enjoy these publications' photos & to grab a few addresses before you go.]

Go:
4 Easy Pieces/ The Hotlist

Where to Stay:
3nights/town: St. Martin-de-Re at La Maison Douce
2 nights/beach: Le Bois-Plage-en Re, at L'Ocean (fax: 001-546-09-0540)

Where to Eat:
La Baleine Bleue, St. Martin-de-Re.
La Bouvette Grill de Mer, Le Bois-Plage. (mussels a must!)
La Cabane du Fier, Ars-en-Re.

What to Do:
Rent a bicycle & pedal down neighborhood streets & country lanes.
Go to La Flotte's outdoor market (a fabulous small market area from the 12th c.)
Swim & watch the sailboats at Plage du Petit Sergent (near La Couarde sur Mer).
Visit a local goat cheese farm & taste, of course.
Walk various harborsides. Have a drink quayside & watch the world go by.
See towns of La Flotte, Arse de Re.
Go to a "degustation." An oyster tasting right where they farm oysters.

What to Buy:
Stripe Breton shirts & Canvas outerwear. For you and him.
La Plagiste shoes at "Le Comptoir" (St. Martin-de-Re)
Tortue Fromage (a very different cheesecake) & Sea Salt in gift bags.
A little collectible or a true antique at "Barbotine" (St. Martin-de-Re).

Questions? Email us editor@islandstylebook.com. We'll do our best to answer them.

****Bon Voyage****