Driving along the Gironde Estuary from Bordeaux to lÎle d'Oléron on the Bay of Biscay takes you to no fewer than two citadelles that defended France from amphibious assault. The first, on the banks of the Estuary itself, is the Citadelle de Blaye. It has stood guard in the town of Blaye since the 17th century, and contained an entire community within its walls, including a monastic order and hospital. I'm not sure if it ever saw any action, though--perhaps a testament to the power of deterrence that would contribute to later overconfidence in the Maginot Line?
Today, the Citadelle de Blaye hosts several gîtes, a French kind of bed and breakfast cottage. It also still has a vineyard, which in the dead of winter, looked about as woeful and/or hopeful as you can imagine.
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| La Porte Royale at the Citadelle de Blaye. None shall pass. |
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| The vineyard sleeping away the winter at the Citadelle de Blaye. |
The Citadelle du Château-d'Oléron perches along the southeastern cliffs of l'Île d'Oleron--which itself juts from the Charentaise mainland into the Golfe de Gascogne (known in English as the Bay of Biscay). As with the Citadelle of Blaye, the Citadelle du Château-d'Oléron does not appear to have seen much action after its completion in the 17th century--though the pre-fortress, ancient château apparently was taken briefly by Huguenots in 1586 during the war of religions. It seems that preparing to fight the last war is an evergreen military impulse.
In any case, the Citadelle is now basically a park and museum space. As we wandered the grounds of the old battlements, we were shadowed by a Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) as it hovered and hunted among the grasses. This added an extra bit of elan to the experience, as if we were nobles of old enjoying a relaxing afternoon of falconry.
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| The extensive moat system surrounding Citadelle du Château-d'Oléron. |
Even though the Citadelle fronts a channel rather than the open sea, walking along the highest walls gave you a view of the waves crashing against the rocks below. That and the presence of moats around the fort even though it is on an island really drove home the point: good surf is also always worth defending.
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| Guarding the gateway to the precious surf spots of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, l'Île d'Oléron. Locals Only! |
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