This week our neighbours took themselves off to Venice to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary in style.  As it happens, my dad was there also (as every year in his case) and it is easy to see the attraction such a  destination holds for many tourists.  But if you’ve opted for a holiday in the sunny Vendée  instead of on the Venetian canals, don’t feel you have to miss out on the romance…

The « Venise Verte » (or green Venice) area is one of my favourites in the Vendée – peace and tranquility guaranteed (even in July and August if you pick the right time of day).  This is a network of waterways around the Marais Poitevin, meandering around lands reclaimed from the sea over the last 5 centuries, and covered in a thick carpet of weeds which give the impression of a solid green surface (every year, some tourists end up with wet feetas they step from the pontoon onto what they believe to be a lawn path!).  It is particularly famous for the ragondin (or coypu) – a large rodent with bright orange teeth that most in the area consider a pest and which is the main ingredient of the local delicacy, ragondin pâté!

There are many different places to start your exploration of the canals from but I would recommend Maillezais as you can combine a boat trip with a visit of the magnificent abbey.  My tip is to get there mid morning (allow one or one and half hour drive from the coast depending on your location), book a 1pm guided tour (often available in english though this will cost extra), take a look around the abbey, have a nice picnic admiring the view and then go enjoy the amazing wildlife and flora whilst most other tourists will still be having their lunch at the picturesque restaurant nearby (you can call in later for a beer or a nice cup of coffee/hot chocolate!).  

Or, for the more adventurous, you can also hire your own boat – maps and an easy colour-coded sign system will prevent you from getting lost, unless that is of course the aim!