The Irish Eyes invites you to have a promenade along the banks of the Charente. The Charente Maritime is one of the picture postcard regions of France.

Saintes is at the heart of Saintonge, in the country of Cognac, Pineau des Charentes and of roman Art. The town of Saintes is marked by 2000 years of history and is conserved as an exceptional heritage monument.

Mediolanum, a Gallo Roman town of the Santons which was the first historic capital of Gaul Aquitaine, one of the three regions of Gaul conquered by Cesar, and contains the vestiges of the Amphitheatre, the Arc of Germanicus, which bears witness of Gallo Roman antiquity in the west of France.
The Amphitheatre is one of the biggest in Gaul with almost 15000 spectator places for the games. One admires the arc of Germanicus at the entry of the town.
As the capital of Saintonge, the town was rich in Christian times ( Basilica St Eutrope), and was an important stage on the route to Saint Jacques de Compostelle. The town has also been named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The magnificent cathedral St Pierre surprises by its size, but one must remember the importance of the dioceses in the period.

As the capital of Saintonge, the town was rich in Christian times ( Basilica St Eutrope), and was an important stage on the route to Saint Jacques de Compostelle. The town has also been named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The magnificent cathedral St Pierre surprises by its size, but one must remember the importance of the dioceses in the period.

BAROQUE MUSIC LOVERS

For baroque music lovers one has to experience the music each summer in Saintes. In July music lovers can enjoy music of ‘the interior’, meet the musicians and assist at the rehearsals, and at the numerous concerts where music is the only passion.
One must say that the ‘Abbey au Dames’, founded in 1047 is an ideal setting to experience the personal intimacy of the music. In 2011 the 40th edition of the Festival of Saintes is from the 14th to the 24th of July.

Listen Festival 2010 à la radio

Concerts enregistrés par France Musique :

Bach, Variations Goldberg
Zhu Xiao Mei, piano
Diffusion le 30 Août 2010 à 12h30

Josquin des Près
Collegium Vocale Gent,
Philippe Herreweghe, direction
Diffusion le 23 Août 2010 à 09h05

Œuvres de Bernstein, Copland, Watkins, Delius
Carolyn Sampson, soprano
Huw Watkins, piano
Diffusion le 31 Août 2010 à 12h30

Les Tables de Gaël* : Pascal Yenk

LA CHARENTE-MARITIME, c'est aussi :

www.en-charente-maritime.com/

Saintes : Office de Tourisme

www.saintes-tourisme.fr/

Conseil Général de Charente Maritime

www.charente-maritime.fr

La Rochelle

www.larochelle-tourisme.com/

Île d'Oléron et Bassin d'Oléron

www.ile-oleron-marennes.com/

Île de Ré

www.iledere.com

RESTAURANTS ET HÉBERGEMENTS

Les tables de Gaël (L'idée) :

Au Bord de la Charente sur le quai de l'Yser

LE PARVIS DE Pascal YENK

Rue du Bois d'Amour

17 000 SAINTES - 05 46 97 78 12

Pascal a trouvé une nouvelle adresse pour sa table et ses fidèles ne se plaindront pas qu'il y ait plus de place au Parvis (St Pierre) ... qu'au Parvis Saint Eutrope...

Une jolie maison ancienne avec des des sols carrelés, des vitraux et un jardin. Elégant, contemporain, le décor est sobre et raffinée dans une chaude harmonie de rouge et de gris. Ici, l'important c'est vous et ce que vous allez déguster.
Si vous êtes gourmets et que vous n'allez pas à Saintes pour découvrir la cuisine de Pascal Yenk, je me demande pourquoi j'écrirai la suite ? Je suis tétue et convaincue qu'un Chef qui valorise la qualité des produits, qui ré-invente, qui rafraichit sans les renier les recettes du terroir... mérite que l'on savoure sa cuisine. Je vous invite à aller vous délecter de foie gras, de rougets. Je vous préviens, gardez une place pour le dessert car les petits macarons...

Et comble du bonheur des gourmands les prix sont à damnés les tables parisiennes...

Revenez vite ici pour découvrir la recette de Pascal Yenk au Baileys et la nouvelles carte du Parvis.

HISTOIRES IRLANDAISES EN CHARENTE MARITIME

PATRICE WALTON and Mussels in the BAIE DE L'AIGUILLON

The method of rearing mussels termed ‘sur bouchot’ , which is renowned was invented by Irishman Patrick Walton in 1235. He was shipwrecked in the Bay of Aiguillon and in order to feed himself he invented a method of catching certain birds by extending his nets between two wooden stakes planted in the sea. After some time he found that the stakes became covered with young mussels
that in turn grew remarkably. At the time he called the stakes the ‘boat choat’ which in turn became le bouchot. Today the method is widely used.

- IRISH CONNECTION à COGNAC :

We are all familiar with the Hennessy story of how aristocrat Richard Hennessy served in the French army and in 1765 founded the world famous elixir (Cognac) for which we all rejoice.

Places to visit :

Discover the islands:

- Oleron on which we find the famous Fort Boyard,

and island Ré

- Of course a visit to La Rochelle is a must, as is Rochefort or Cognac.

Also of interest is the Marais poitevin a wonderful marsh where one can tour on a flat bottomed boat.