France in Photos

Dance of the cranes

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

This photo was taken from the Chantecoq site observatory. The cranes were rather far and I had to use a 300mm lens with a x1.4 teleconverter on my 10D. I guess these would be a good subject for digiscopy.

Low waters at the Lac du Der

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The Lac du Der is one of the largest bodies of water of Europe... in Summer. In Fall, it is progressively emptied and reveals large patches of dry land. Large areas of shallow water make it ideal for waterfowl and wader birds.

Birdwatchers gathering

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Some areas around the lake of the Der are well known from birdwatchers. They gather at areas such as the port de Chantecoq and watch flights of common cranes arriving at the lake. The great migrations take place in October/November and numerous birdwatchers attend the event.

Side entrance

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

When you look at a map of La Rochelle, you see a long green area along the western edge of the old city. This is another line of ramparts that was maintained and turned into a park. The bridge on this photo crosses the small river that runs at the bottom of the ramparts.

Old sailboats in La Rochelle

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

There are numerous different docks in the old harbour of La Rochelle. These old sailboats were in one of them.

On the ramparts of La Rochelle

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The city of La Rochelle still has a sizeable line of ramparts joining its three towers. It is possible to walk on them and discover what's below: a vast parking lot. As shown here, there are nice houses just behind the ramparts, in a charming cobbled street.

Tower of the chain

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Another view of the tower of the chain in La Rochelle. In order to cross the gap between the towers, you have to go around the whole harbor.

Two towers

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The two towers that mark the entrance of the port that leads to a small canal leaving the city. The left hand towers was called "tour de la chaine" because it had the massive chain that blocked the entrance during the night or during war periods.

The three towers of La Rochelle

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A view that includes the three main towers of the La Rochelle harbor. They were built between the 12th and 15th century and were part of an extensive fortification system. Their names are: tour Saint Nicolas, tour de la Chaîne, tour de la Lanterne.

La Rochelle under dark clouds

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

We went to La Rochelle in order to pay a visit to its aquarium. On that day, the weather was so bad that we did not have much choice and tried to find a sheltered place. This photo was taken with a ND grad filter in order to get a more dramatic sky.