Sunset on Ré

At the end of another lovely sunny day on the Ile de Ré, the best if often still to come.  Sunset. It is suprising how often that half hour before the sun disappears seems somewhat magical on the island.  You are really aware of it walking round St Martin de Ré harbour.

Before the lovely peachy pink colours of the last rays of sun, St Martin de Ré is often tinted a  golden yellow.  The sun reflecting on the stone of some of the older buildings.

There is certainly something about the light on the island.  Bright clear days in midwinter and supposedly as much sun as they get down on the French Riviera.

The Ile de Ré does benefit from a micro-climate as it sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean.  This is the view at sunset last winter from one of St Martin’s bars,  Au Lever du Soleil.

From St Martin if you look across the water to the north west, you see the sun setting over another island village, Loix.  When the sun has finally gone, you turn your back on it to walk home, knowing that tomorrow could bring another beauty.

If you are now longing to see the sunset you could always book our holiday home in St Martin de Ré .  Details here.

 

 

 

Jazz on Ré

“Jimmy Cliff’s playing the Ile de Ré !”  It’s the kind of comment that makes you go “What?” However, it’s true, the man himself will be playing in the shadow of the island’s lighthouse this weekend.

Sadly we won’t be seeing Jimmy, but there is plenty of music just down the road from our house in St Martin de Ré.  We caught these guys just the other week. They are called Shadja and they are all local or from La Rochelle.

The band went down a treat with a glass of wine at  Le radeau de La Meduse.  This little bar and art gallery opened a few hundred metres from our house last year.

Not only can you sit inside and enjoy the music close up, there’s the added bonus that you can be in Le radeau’s garden and still enjoy the band.  Live music in the open air in the summertime.  What’s not to like?

Our house is already booked through the Jazz au Phare festival but we still have availabilty for the end of August and early September. Check the calendar here.