Return to Ile D’Aix
For our return trip to Ile D’Aix we had our packs and a couple of shopping trolleys full of food and supplies for the week. We’d had an overnight trip here already, so knew what to expect on the island and how to reach the house.
There was no Wi-Fi at the house so no streaming Netflix, but there was a shelf full of movies, and a trio of cinema seats to get the movie theatre experience. We fell into the routine of dinner followed by a movie, and my favourite film of the week was War Horse.
Other than movie watching in the evenings, our days were kept busy with our Workaway assignment, exploring the island and hunting for oysters.
It didn’t take much to hunt the oysters though. At low tide there were rocks full of them, just waiting to be harvested.
We worked for half the day on our various projects and then ventured out of the house to explore the beach and the military buildings. For the first few days, Red was in hunter and gatherer mode, and kept harvesting oysters.
Now I like oysters as a treat, every now and then. But a plate full of a dozen oysters, two days in a row and I was oystered out. Especially on the second day after I’m sure I got Tabasco poisoning!
So I put a stop to the hunter gatherer mode, and made Red put on his adventurer explorer hat instead, and off we went for walks along the desolate coastline.
Exploring the Beach
The weather wasn’t fabulous while we were on the island, but there’s something beautiful about exploring the beach on a blustery day. Especially on the days after it had just rained.
There were also all sorts of historical military bunkers and buildings to explore.
Workaway – Before and After of my Sewing Project
Here’s the little corner of the room I was in charge of transforming.
Before
After
Red also made sure that my pallets were in tip top condition. He sanded and varnished them and hammered down the nails to make sure they didn’t snag my cushion covers.
Workaway – Red and his Table projects
Dining Room Table Project
Another Table Project
Quiet on Ile D’Aix
It was off season, and we didn’t see many people during our stay. The beaches were deserted, and there was only one shop open during the day, which closed at lunch time, so we had to remember to go there before noon, or else go without, until the following day.
There were a handful of other shops on Ile D’Aix, including a bakery, bike rental, tourist advice, and the souvenir shops – but these were all closed until the beginning of the summer season.
It would be fabulous to experience this island during the summer months when it’s at its vibrant and inhabited, but we really enjoyed our week on Ile D’Aix, and quickly fell into a familiar routine each day. Being near the beach was a bonus, and it didn’t bother us that it was cloudy and rainy for most of the time we were there.
#Workaway on Ile D'Aix a French island off the coast of #LaRochelle. We spent our week sewing, painting, beach combing and hunting for oysters. #travelblogger Share on XRead about our 2020 Workaway and Travel Adventures:
- French Train Strikes won’t stop us in our tracks
- Toodling around Toulouse
- Exploring the Castle at La Couvertoirade
- Meandering around Montpellier
- Our Workaway at an 18th Century Flour Mill
- Chilling in Clermont Ferrand
- Our Workaway at an 18th Century Chateau
- Lingering in Lyon’s 1st Arrondissement
- Our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lyon
- Making the most of Montparnasse Paris
- Our Workaway at a La Rochelle BnB
- Our Workaway at Ile D’Aix
- Video: Our Workaway adventure through France
- Our Memorable Food and Wine Adventures in France
- …. the rest of our trip TBD because of the virus – but planning Bordeaux, Lille, Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam
What an amazing experience you had. Reading your article really makes me miss the outdoor life more. I want to get back to traveling.
I can’t wait to start travelling either. I’ve been watching so many Travel TV shows, and it’s inspiring me to see more of the world.
What a beautiful place to be working at, that must have been the best feeling ever – waking up with that view (and that beach!!) everyday 🙂
And great job on that varnish, it looks amazing! 😀
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The house overlooked the sea, and the little seat I made cushions for, was the perfect place for a morning coffee to watch the waves and clouds go by.
Ile D’Aix looks so relaxing! Walking on the beach and exploring the military bunkers and guns would be my favorites. Can’t wait to travel and explore again, especially in France!
Sharon recently posted..Take a Virtual Tour of These Museums Any Time
Yes it was relaxing and laid back, and is probably the same in peak season, just more people around.
This sounds like great work away. I’ve looked at taking part in this scheme as I’ve heard positive reviews from quite a few people now. It’s nice to see the upcycling and refurbishing efforts you both made and that see you’re both a dab hand when it comes to practicality, that seated area looks so cosy now! I bet it was a bit strange at first having no wifi, I know I’m always a bit lost for the first day but then I love that I can have a bit of a detox from the outside world.
Becki recently posted..Comment on Hiking & Cycling Sicily, with THE BEST in Sicily Small Group Tours by Becki from Meet Me In Departures
Workaway can be a mixed bag, but luckily we’ve had some great ones, and met some fabulous hosts. Because you’re living in close quarters, you become part of their extended family.
What a great workaway location! I would love to explore Ile D’Aix and its military bunkers and guns. A truly professional job with the sanding and varnishing of that table! I miss traveling.:-)
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I miss it too Jan … I cannot wait to dust off my passport and go exploring the world again. I’m never going to take travel for granted. 🙁
How could you get oystered out? Sounds like the dream lol. Love oysters so much. Looks like an interesting place to explore. Very impressed with your Workaway sewing project – wish I was a bit more handy at those kind of projects 🙂
Thanks Sarah … I love a good sewing machine session. I was so lucky that it was an easy project and the fabric was good to work with.
This is a DREAM week for my hubby and I. We have been to a few of the islands off the coast of France, but not Ile d’Aix. It reminds me of Ile de Brehat, we were there just before the start of the season and it was empty and glorious!
Funnily enough, I’d never really thought about France having islands! So I was surprised when we went to La Rochelle and there’s three just off the coast.
This looks like another fun adventure. I can see where some folks might feel a little lonely in the off-season, but for introverts, this could be heavenly. Your projects turned out great as usual!
I was happy as a pig in s**t to be honest, it just took hubby a few days to get used to the peace and quiet. But the walks and the the wild coastline, and the military history really kept him engrossed and entertained.
What a fantastic adventure! I love how you guys do so many on each of your adventures. That table looks incredible.
He wasn’t looking forward to doing that table project, but it turned out beautiful. It was a good selection of projects for the week. Nothing too difficult, but challenging enough to be interesting.
First of all when I read there is no Wifi and Netflix movies, I thought oh I couldn’t have lived here. But then it would be great to have shelves of movies provided by owner and we could watch something great and also detach ourselves from social media. Also those pallets look great after a beautiful make over by you.
We watched a bunch of movies .. my favourite was War Horse. I’d seen it before, but it was great to watch again. It’s a really moving movie, and a great story.
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