We had driven past the harbour village of St Martin de Re every day on our way into the hospital but it wasn't until our last day that we got the chance to go in and look around.
What a stunningly beautiful little place.
The village has extensive fortifications, reflecting the strategic importance of Il de Ré during the Huguenot Rebellions of the 1620s. Today, the harbour is surrounded on three sides by an very wide promenade and lined with cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Our entry into the village was made all the more impressive as, after we parked the cars, we tried to find our way through these very old narrow alleys of the old village before we came out between a couple of the cafes and suddenly found ourselves in the middle of the promenade.
