48. Audrey trap

Whale Lighthouse, Island of Ré

No traffic - offseason delight

Had to be climbed

Remains of defences and traps

Talking to Tim (atlas defiler, spit roaster, Mirror dinghy and tank expert, tennis ace, pointy head and guide) Monday he suggested that we drive the northern part of the island as it is sparse and extensive.  He did recommend a visit to the excellent lighthouse on the northern tip, so we did. TimTips have proven reliable to date.

Off we set.  Peter Duck playing on ICE*  The Whale lighthouse was popular though not crowded.  I am aware that some of these places must be absolutely heaving in season.  We drove past fields of carparks and parked twenty metres away from the place.  

After a buying the tickets,

Missed Fyfe 😡

no queuing we then embarked on a world of exploration, looking for toilets.  Found them thirty metres from the car.  I think this is my first significant lighthouse and it certainly is impressive as is the view from the top.  Two things took my eye, the German defensive WW2 gun emplacements slipping into the sea further down the beach and the sea walls running into the sea.  I assumed that they must be breakwaters but they proved to be fish traps², online research informed me.

We know where the wally was,
Audrey on the wall.

We went down to the beach and Audrey went to look for at the walls.  Distracted by rock sculptures

Full zoom, she's still heading out!

I eventually found Auds through the lens of Fyfe's SLR (thank you Uncle Tony).  Yes, it was one of those moments. Took a bit to shake Roman who was determined to make good his fathers failure and I hurried out, not entirely sure that if she were to slip off I would find her.  Not entirely sure that I wouldn't slip.  Not entirely sure - actually pretty sure that Roman wouldn't stay put. Anyway no harm done, might keep this one to myself - Jac need never know.

Audrey returning

While we were out on the dry wall, (lets the water drain) the lighthouse burst into life.  Fantastic.  The original flame lighthouse, built in the sixteen hundreds is still standing and I took the top snap on the right while waiting for Audrey, out to sea, on the wall, joined by Roman.

*In Car Entertainment - where have you been?

² These locks are coastal constructions in stone, horseshoe-shaped and up to 1km long. They are designed to trap the fish which enter the lock with the rising tide, but find themselves imprisoned when the tide recedes. In Charente-Maritime, hundreds of locks were built from the Middle Ages, the earliest ones being nearly a thousand years old. It is estimated that this lock took over ten thousand hours to build. There are significant storm gaps in the wall. Many fish locks were destroyed in the 19th century, accused of competing with the other fishing methods or posing a danger to navigation. Their construction was stopped during First World War, as was their maintenance. There remain only ten on the Ile de Ré.