Côte des Charentes

Title: Côte des Charentes
Translated Title: 
The Coast of Charentes
Duration: 
05:08
Abstract: 
The coast of Charentes refers to the bay from Aiguillon to Gironde, in front of Aunis and Saintonge. It is made up of elevated lands and lower lands. The sea ttacks the elevated lands: it destroys them. As for all of the rocky points, the sea attacks and demolishes them in Aunis at the point of Ché à Angoulins. At low tide, it is easier to see the cavities and the gorges of the sea. At Châtelaillon the marls of the cliff offer no resistance to the attack of the waves. The waves create separations of the cliff. The sea even carried a city of the Middle Age which was still visible after seven rounds in 1709. The Island of Ré was once, connected to Aunis; today it would crumble if the powerful dams didn't protect it from attacking waves. The types of action of the sea are always the same: 1. Excavating Caves 2. Natural Arches 3. Planting Pitfalls. The Devil's point of Saint-Palais-Sur-Mer, en Saintonage, is a great example of a natural arch. The rocks at the point of Valliére are witnesses to the site of the ancient cliff. Sometimes the sheaves of water fuse through the cracks of the rock somewhat far from the beach, on the slope or on the summit of the cliff: these are the "blowers." In Talmont-sur- Gironde, the graceful Roman Chapel would have disappeared a long time ago, carried by the waves, if the masonry work had not consolidated the cliff. The sea that destroyed one cliff constructed another: it fills the ancient gulfs and transforms into Marais. Le Marais Poitevin is an old gulf filled of the sort. "The Maraîchin." The man has posession of it. His house is a "cabin" of a meridional style, due to its shape, its roof, and its color. The primary worth of the the Maraîchin is the cow for its production of butter. (butter of Charentes). Another industry, specifically a marine industry, is mussel farming. It began in the 18th century in the mud of the bay of Aiguillon. In the mussel parcs the means of transport at low tide are push-boats. Harvesting is done on the mussel beds, piles driven into the mud and united by branches. The Marais de Saintonge is another ancient marine gulf, there they practice the breeding of oysters (Oysters of Marennes) oyster parks in Chapus (small loading port on Oleron). The people of Oleron Island, like those on the island of Ré, especially engage in the exploitation of marine salts. The salt worker collects salt with the help of a long full rake, made of wood. The salt is then stockpiled: this is the "mulon." The maritime center of the entire coast of Charente is is the old port of Rochelle. The view shows that it is not accessible at low tide: also it is complemented by a port in deep water, the Pallice. Finally, Royan is incontestably the most beautiful and the most visited of all the bathing beaches on the Charentes coast.