Martinet, France

Travelling to Martinet, France

House sitting in Martinet, France

Martinet, Vendee, France. A lovely small village approximately 100km north of La Rochelle, central France.  We stayed for the month of May 2019.  The local attraction was a number of exciting walking trails around the village.  These country trails run between fields the farmers seem to use to get access for farm equipment. 

The local tourism offices decided to map these tracks and color-code them for all to enjoy.   Despite these well-marked trails, we did manage to get lost a couple of times.  The average walking distance was 10km through the local countryside,  fresh air and beautiful landscape was exhilarating and always enjoyable.  

Our house sit is within easy reach of the costal towns of St Gilles Croix de Vie and Les Sables d’ Olonne famous for its Markets and Fisheries respectively.  The markets in St Gilles were amazing and it pays not to go there too hungry.  When the tum is empty we tend to buy lots more food than we actually need. 

Surrounding Areas close to Martinet, Vendee, France

Oysters were the main attraction for us, starting at around 4 euro’s per dozen and at that price we ate lots and lots.  Of course we were a little weak on the french name of the fresh fish but we just asked the local fish monger and they recommend cabillaud, which in english is COD.   The cost can vary dependent on freshness, caught that morning it can be as high as 25 euros per kilo and if older, can fall to 15 euro’s.   

If you like your wine and champagne, France is the place to be.  We seldom buy expensive Champagne. We found one that we liked called Mousseux. At 2 euor’s a bottle it is still french bubbles, but not made in the district of Champagne.  Being the amateur connoisseurs that we are, we couldn’t taste a great deal of difference (but don’t tell anyone).

Food and Restaurants

When traveling through Europe foods is a big thing,  well food is always a big thing for us.  As Martinet was a house sit for us, it was very important to find the closest supermarket.  In France the major supermarket chain that we used were Carrefour, Super U and Intermarche.  Others we used and liked, were the German brands of ALDI and LIDI. 

We did find France more expensive for food than other European counties we visited. However, saying that we did find the variety exciting.  We have always liked cooking and preparing meals together. So selecting, purchasing, preparing and cooking food is a very pleasant time of the day for us. Preceded by wine o clock, which of course runs into prep and eat time. 

We travel on a budget so our wine and food bill should not exceed that budget. And we don’t scrimp, But we are also not extravagant, sometimes we do overspend. Mostly we stick to the budget, so ALDI and LIDI were our favorites.     Seafood and red meat can be expensive in France, whereas chicken and pork are very reasonably priced.  Wine is least expensive and we mainly bought 5ltr regional cask wine (vin du pays) @ around 10 euros.  

We didn’t eat out much in France, as previously stated, as we love to home cook ourselves.  France has a big reputation for really good food but when we did eat out we were a bit disappointed. Maybe our expectations were too high or maybe we didn’t go to the right places. 

Although there were no restaurants in Martinet, Vendee, France there were lots in St Gilles and Les Sables d’ Olonne.  Average main meals were approx. 10-15 euros so a night out with wine could be around 50-70 euros.  

A Visit to Puy du Fou Theme Park

Puy Du Fou is France’s second-largest theme park and only a one-hour drive from our house sit.  We had some doubts about going to a theme park. But friends said we should do it and our housesitting hosts said we just must do it. So we decided to put our prejudice aside.

So pleased we did! We would certainly recommend this theme experience.  We stayed one full day, However we would recommend longer, two or three if you take the kids. You can stay at the park hotel overnight or longer.  the website link is https://puydufou.com/en.    

Cost 36 euros per adult per day, 60 euros for two days and 65 euros for three full days.  Overnight accommodation starts at 62 euros per person per night (2019 prices).  There are some 12 shows plus other attractions. 

Book Recommendation

The Man With The Butterfly Mind By Fabian Foley

What happens when the only living soul who knows you are missing is your dog?

If you’ve ever wondered what a dog is thinking and feeling, then Bimba draws you into a charming and believable first-hand experience of her world. Bimba’s happiness isn’t the only thing that’s in jeopardy when her owner disappears. And when she finds herself in the care of others, her gratitude is overshadowed. Even if she could make them understand, they are all preoccupied with their own sadness and struggles.