Workaway on Ile D’Aix France

Boarding the Ile D'Aix Ferry

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.

Sea view from our living room
Sea view from our living room

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.

Theatre seating at home
Theatre seating at home to watch movies under the stairs

Other than movie watching in the evenings, our days were kept busy with our Workaway assignment, exploring the island and hunting for oysters.

Oyster Catching Kit and basket
Me and my Oyster Catching Kit and basket

It didn’t take much to hunt the oysters though. At low tide there were rocks full of them, just waiting to be harvested.

Oysters harvesting on Ile D'Aix
Oysters harvesting on Ile D’Aix

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!

Fresh oysters on Ile D'Aix
Fresh oysters on Ile D’Aix with lemon and tabasco

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

Exploring Ile D'Aix beach
Exploring Ile D’Aix 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.

Rainbow on Ile D'Aix beach
Rainbow on Ile D’Aix beach
Workaway France 2020
Workaway France 2020 Beach Ile D’Aix

There were also all sorts of historical military bunkers and buildings to explore.

Military bunkers on Ile D'Aix beach
Military bunkers on Ile D’Aix beach
Military bunkers on Ile D'Aix beach
Military bunkers on Ile D’Aix beach
Canon on Ile D'Aix
Canon on Ile D’Aix

Workaway – Before and After of my Sewing Project

Here’s the little corner of the room I was in charge of transforming.

Before

Workaway sewing project
Workaway sewing project – before

After

Workaway sewing project
Workaway sewing project – 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.

Getting pallets ready to use as a bench
Getting pallets ready to use

Workaway – Red and his Table projects

Dining Room Table Project

Sanding and repainting a table
Sanding a table ready to varnish – before
Table with all it's leaves varnished
Table with all it’s leaves varnished – after

Another Table Project

Sanding and repainting a table
Sanding and repainting a table – before
Sanding and repainting a table - after
Sanding and repainting a table – after

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.

Most shops closed on Ile D'Aix
Most shops closed on Ile D’Aix

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 X

Read about our 2020 Workaway and Travel Adventures:

  1. French Train Strikes won’t stop us in our tracks
  2. Toodling around Toulouse
  3. Exploring the Castle at La Couvertoirade
  4. Meandering around Montpellier
  5. Our Workaway at an 18th Century Flour Mill
  6. Chilling in Clermont Ferrand
  7. Our Workaway at an 18th Century Chateau
  8. Lingering in Lyon’s 1st Arrondissement
  9. Our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lyon
  10. Making the most of Montparnasse Paris
  11. Our Workaway at a La Rochelle BnB
  12. Our Workaway at Ile D’Aix
  13. Video: Our Workaway adventure through France
  14. Our Memorable Food and Wine Adventures in France
  15. …. the rest of our trip TBD because of the virus – but planning Bordeaux, Lille, Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam

Author: Roving Jay

Jay is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a travel writer. She works with authors and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their self-publishing goals and reach their target audience through content marketing. Jay has published a series of travel guides, a travel memoir, and nonfiction books about travel writing. She housesits and volunteers around the globe with her husband, a Hollywood set painter, and she’s never more that 10 paces away from a wi-fi connection.

21 thoughts on “Workaway on Ile D’Aix France

  1. What an amazing experience you had. Reading your article really makes me miss the outdoor life more. I want to get back to traveling.

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

  2. 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 DeparturesMy Profile

    1. 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.

    1. 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. 🙁

  3. 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 🙂

  4. 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!

    1. 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.

  5. 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!

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

  6. 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.

    1. 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.

  7. At MaketripUSA we firmly believe that the best advice is born out of the personal experience, which is why we have taken the ‘stress’ out from traveling with our lowest airfares. We offer incredible travel deals and premium travel services combined with the cheapest airfares to make your entire vacation affordable.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge