Monday July 8
Made it yesterday night to our Airbnb in La Rochelle hoping that the temperature would be lower than what we lived in Bordeaux. Of course, as Oleron was on the way, we enjoyed the Sunday diner there, please refer to the end of week 4.
After a nice walk along the board walk, we deserved a light lunch in the Old Harbor. The tower behind identifies the city.
Made it too late after lunch to visit the « Marché couvert » from the second half of the XIX century. 
La Rochelle is an important harbor. During WW II, the Germans set up a submarine base. Not so long ago it was possible to come close to the walls, due to an ununderstandable paranoïa, it is not possible any more, so we grased in the open parts of the harbor, here the fishing quarters. 
On the way back home, our attention was caught by a statue impersonating a game.
Can you guess? 
Ok easy, BaseBall, you got it right. Boucaneers is the name of the team.
It was low tide and the boats were sitting in the mud, so as a public service,
I made a futile attempt to create a high tide.
To end the day, Susan prepared a light diner.
A bottle of Beaumes de Venise, a superb red Côtes du Rhône, died on the table.
Tuesday July 9
As the temperatures lowered, a bicycle ride was scheduled on l’Ile de Ré.
Even though we made it late, they provided us with a pair of well maintained bicycles.
The boss convinced us to make an attempt to the « Phare des Baleines », the Whales Lighthouse.
A 30 miles round trip.
We are on our way.
A pit stop at a salt production site. And they sell it.
This is the sales booth. Pick your choice, pay at the piggy bank. Your honesty is challanged.
Prices are
1€ a pound and half for coarse salt,
7€ the pound of the high quality « Fleur de Sel ».
Around Mid-Way, we decided to stop for a short feeding break. Do not be fooled, the oysters got a pint of local Rosé.
Fatal error, when leaving the table, the legs cried for a shorter ride. We decided to visit le Phares des Baleines (sorry the link is in French) on another occasion.
Susan wondered if Vines carried grapes.
Look carefuly, the fruits are small and green, but they are here.
The obvious answer is YES!
After returning the bikes, exhausted we crashed for a drink before driving back home in La Rochelle.
Wednesday July 10
Susan enters Postal 2.0, she writes post cards, adds stamps and hands the result to the French counterpart of USPS. Guess what, this old fashion way of communication still works.
Today was a scheduled Museum day. To avoid inner city parking nightmare, the car was parked just outside the heart of La Rochelle and started moving on foot.
A typical Rail Road station built in the second part of the XIX century.
After the operative back office, the front entrance.
On our way to our first stage, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, we visited the covered market that offers a wide choice of fish, meat and of course cheese.
Delicatessen and ready to enjoy catering.
And of course locally produced oysters.
After the market stop, hit the walk to the Museum.
Museum closed for major structural repairs. Not advertised anywhere.
Ready to eat my cap in sign of furror.
So we visited a substitute option, the Bunker, (sorry it is in French) a German artefact from WW II that offers a superb explaination of the life in La Rochelle at that time.
By the end of the afternoon, I spotted my boat in the old harbor. It has my name on it.
Here is the proof. BTW, in Hebrew « Saba » means Grand-Pa and this is the way my grand-children call me. Is it a sign?
On the way back I discovered a superb Japanese tree that requires heavy maintenance in term of triming.
As I ignore the real name, refering to the mandatory maintenance, I call it a vegetal French Poodle.
Thursday July 11
The last day in La Rochelle, a lazy day, little on the to do list, just a visit to the Musée Maritime. On display live a Weather Station Boat and a Tug Boat. Nothing really visual.
Nothing visual worth showing, but worth visiting. Here the tug boat.
The city of La Rochelle gathers a superb collection of real sail boats, perfectly maintained in operating condition. A dream.
Even though the heat wave is coming to an end, the water fountains offer a welcomed cool moment.
Friday July 12
On our way to the July family reunion, we left La Rochelle for a pilgrimage in a small village on the Atlantic ocean.
Susan was wondering why they did not cut the SunFlowers to sell them.
A kind of misunderstanding, the SunFlowers are not to be sold as such but they are farmed to be pressed later to get a healthy cooking and seasoning oil. Another discovery.
On the way to Les Moutiers en Retz, we stopped at Le Passage du Gois, an access road to the Ile de Noirmoutiers, submerged most of the time, it is usable only during 2 or 3 hours around low tide.
This is of course a Fake News photo op pretending we escaped to be caught by the tide.
After crossing the straight by the bridge, we stopped in Noirmoutiers en l’Ile.
One of the most desired cars, a Mini Moke, caught our attention.
Susan’s natural attraction for shopping led her into this beautiful shop.
The shop is named Athmosphere. Every time the word « Athmosphere » is heard, the French people refer to a well known scene where a pimp lets his women down.
The final words are about changing Athmosphere, in this case meaning changing partner.
Not subtitled but obviously understandable.
The famous Lanterne des Morts in Les Moutiers en Retz. This light house dates back from the XII century and is lit when a resident dies and remains lit until he is burried.
A long time tradition.
It is time to cross the river Loire. No bridge but a free ferry.
It is time to board for a five minute crossing.
Susan’s first ferry trip ever. Let’s celebrate.This will be the focus of the evening spent with my nephew’s family.
Saturday July 13
Made it to our destination at noon time. Violette celebrated our arrival with a Great First, she started her first non bottle meal. Semi success, after the initial try, the bottle was welcome.
Sunday July 14
Susan is in charge of Baby Sitting Violette.
In the mean time, the boys are having fun.
After lunch and the necessary nap, a walk along the beach.
Upon returning home, before a family BBQ, a call to the US.
Nineteen people around thee tables. A nice final stop to this week 5.
No more traveling for the next 5 days.
Low cloud cover, cool tempatures, making it to the col du Port.
This is to prove that we made it.
Another picture to prove we made it to Biarritz. Could not escape the standard picture.
Marie & Philippe drove us around the area.
A typical architecture of the Hinterland of the Pays Basque.
Here a remainder of the Old Europe when, before the European Union, borders tried without any success to slow commerce and people migrations.
Here with Marie, our right foot is in Spain, the left one in France.
An evening at Saint Jean de Luz for a doubble game of Cesta Punta.
Could not escape a meeting with the local Mascott.
A day in Spain at San Sebastian or Donostia depending if you feel Spanish or Basque.
A walk on the sea side, Susan and Marie along the sea, Philippe and I remaining on the Broad Walk.
We had to explain that thirst was about to create a pair of Widows. Message heard.
Therefore the mandatory first pit stop, just after the walk, was at the restaurant on the harbor.
Marie succesfully convinced us to climb the hill where in the Fort overlooking the pass to the Bay. No lift, no chopper but feet, sweat and pain.
On the other hand the view from above was worth the pain.
I told you it was a Fort. Tried to load the gun and check if the second Amendment makes sense here.
The public, Marie and Philippe, cheer the performance.
On the way down we met a local.
Before our final evening destination, we stopped at the 
Susan made it to the top quite exhausted.
I was the only one able to plant the flag of Victory.
We needed to refuel the tanks. A sea food platter offered the required relief.
DONE! No prisoners, no doggy bag. Head for the last stop of the day in Bordeaux.
Susan is kind of disappointed, had to find an activity to restore her smile.
The usual suspect, a sea food platter was the obvious solution.
Car is loaded, driver and passenger ready for a late afternoon arrival in Orange.
The route 
After a short week spent in the heat wave that struck Orange, we leave the house for the last time. On July 11, the property will be handed over.
En route to our destination, Carcassonne, harrassed by the heat, up to 43 (Celsius) we stopped in Quillian for a refreshing salad. No wine today!
What Disney did not know was that the the Sleeping Beauty was not sleeping.
As we crossed the 
A house boat on her way to the Mediterranean gave us the demo on how a lock is operated.
Behind the lock, a 4 centuries old bridge.
Another bridge, inaugurated in 1928.
1- The bridge was built by Eiffel, the father of the Eponyme Tower.
Almost arrived to our destination, the last pass rises to 7500 feet.
No this is not plastic pollution, this is real snow. Susan could not escape the moment.
Neither did I for a short down hill run.
And finally, the reward of a nice evening diner with my long time buddy, Claude.
Shopping in the city of Andorra la Vella, ready for a piece of art Street lifting. Did not do it, too heavy for my car.
So we went for lighter shopping, not lifting.
Magnificient piece of Art. Magnicicient, may be but not for me!
Cured Ham the Spanish way. Delicious, prices range from $100 to $600. Not sure I can taste the difference.
In the village of Rochefort en Yveline, do not confuse with Roquefort World known for its Blue Cheese, we visited à nice restaurant : l’Eschu de Rohan.
Susan started the discovery with a Foie Gras de Canard, the rest must remain off the records, it was politically incorrect.
We are on the road again. Destination Annecy for the 30th Marriage Anniversary of a good buddy of mine.
The back roads offered some invaluable points of interest. I am ready to bet that from this very picture, you cannot identify the spot.
On the other hand, if you cannot do it with this picture, you should ask Google. I checked, it works.
After leaving the area, in one of these back roads, we stopped in the forest and discovered pilgrim road to Santiago Compostella. Susan pretended she needed a moment of rest.
A small hike close by to open the lungs.
We drove to le col de la Forclaz where Susan discovered the play ground of Sail Gliding.
Contrary to what my Tee Shirt pretends « I am here for the Scotch », I was here to offer Susan another point of view on the lake she flew over last year.
Later in the afternoon, we walked in Annecy, had a small lunch.
As Susan could not refrain from shopping, I could not refrain from simulating being bored while waiting outside.
A not to be missed opportunity to meet them.
To make sure that rain would not turn the feast into a wet disaster, a tent was set up.
Obviously we shared a superb moment.
This time, I took my swimming trunks and full of courage, jumped for a swim.
With François, my buddie’s son, we tried to tell how deep the water is.
Made it home by five PM to chill and get ready for tomorrow’s trip to Orange.
A sister of Notre-Dame de Paris, la 
The Cathédrale might be almost one thousand years old, a page of History was written here in June 1940 when during the French retreat, 
The day started with a visit to the German Cemetary. A very lean but moving set-up. 
Like in Yad Vashem, here in this cemetary, trees are planted.
We had lunch in a fake air field where a P47 caught my eye. Too bad, it was a fake plane too.
The first stop after lunch was at Sainte Mère l’Eglise famous for 
The day ended at the British Cemetary.
Photograpy is prohibited, click on the link above.
Before the last stage, we stopped for lunch in Port en Bessin in a restaurant named « The Feet in the Water ».
The Fisherman’s boat’s name called for a song. « 
Lets now get serious.
The American Cemetary of Colleville. A monument. Moving.
Voila le résultat, un vélo auquel on adjoint un réservoir et un truc à brûler de l’essence et brutaliser les oreilles des bourgeois à proximité.
La plus grosse maquette, cela va de soi.
Jean-Michel, mon frangin, s’est offert un baptême de l’air en planeur.
Susan aussi. Je ne serais plus le seul du groupe à avoir tenté l’aventure. 
Une auto dans un état Concours. 
Gary aura attiré les foules : les gardiens chargés de la sécurité et du valet parking n’en revenaient pas.
C’est parti pour une belle balade le long de la plage.
Une vraie console avec un écran comme on n’en fait plus (pour les puristes un écran à « balayage cavalier rafraîchi »), avec une surbrillance aux points de raccrochage. Un retour de plus de quarante années en arrière, lorsque les mémoires vidéo ne permettaient que l’affichage de caractères. Pour moi, une cure de jouvence. J’ai tenté d’y jouer sur cette console, mais n’ayant jamais été un aficionado de ce genre de truc, je me suis contenté d’admirer la beauté du jeu et du graphisme ultra-simplifié.
Ben voila, pour moins de 200 US$, dans une enceinte au look retro, un écran LED couleur derrière lequel se cache un superbe logiciel, logiciel qui, pour ce jeu, ne produit que du N/B avec des tracés vectoriels à l’ancienne.