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About Ste. Marie and the Ile de Ré
 
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The Island

The picturesque beauty of this still somewhat unknown island in the Atlantic has been documented in numerous books, internet links and above all in photo calendars. In particular the bike paths going everywhere on the island are extremely remarkable. During the main season there are more bicycles than cars! Next to the excellent restaurants and cafés it is the abundance of local markets which makes the stay on the island extremely enjoyable.There one finds fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses and fish in a huge variety.

The following links provide a good introduction into history and atmosphere of the island: http://de.iledere.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ile_de_Re
http://picasaweb.google.com/mgogarten/ImpressionsFromTheIleDeR
http://newyorktimes.com

This German Link provides more photos of our house:
http://home.arcor.de/iemanuel/
 
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The Village and the Beach

The house is located in Ste. Marie de Ré close to the old village center in a very quiet, albeit very narrow, picturesque street. The house has been owned by the same family for over 40 years. The last long term resident was a painter who was fascinated by the picturesque island and above all the unique quality of the light on many days of the year. We continue to try to maintain the special character of the house. The house is attached on the Northern side to the neighboring house and therefore it remains pleasantly cool throughout the hot summer days.
    

The walking distance from the house to the beach is about 10 minutes. In Ste. Marie de Ré the coast has a sandy beach with a long stretch of the typical lime stone going far out into the Atlantic. The beach closest to the house is great for swimming and just relaxing. Swimming is easily possible at high tide, at other times we recommend wearing plastic sandals to prevent injuries on the way into the water (there are plastic sandals in many sizes available in the house).
The tide pools and little limestone caves provide an exciting playground for little children and grownups alike during low tide. The distance to the next beach without limestone (Plage de Gros Jonc) is about six kilometers and that beach can be easily reached by bike in about 20 minutes using the bike path or the road leading to Le Bois. 



All necessary shops are within walking distance from our house (supermarket, bakery, doctors, pharmacy, two restaurants).

Also within walking distance is the Institute for Thalassotherapy 'Neptune'. Their heated sea water pool is extremely pleasant especially on cool or rainy days.
La Rochelle is only a short ride away via bus or car, read this enjoyable article about this beautiful city with valuable information also about the island:
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/la-rochelle-898549.html

Photos of the island and Ste.Marie de Ré taken by ourselves can be viewed under
http://picasaweb.google.com/mgogarten/LeDeRSainteMarieDeR
 

 
 
 
  
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