Welcome to In the Vendée, a blog featuring articles submitted by people who have migrated or enjoy traveling in this lovely area of France. If you're curious about what it's like to live in or visit the Vendée, you're in the right place. Our intention is for readers to immerse themselves and leave with that on vacation feeling; and for writers—experienced or novice— to apply quill to paper and share their experiences.

Do you have a great idea for a story or helpful advice for active parents like you? We would love to hear it! We are always looking for interesting work for this blog. Even if you've never blogged before, we'll help you on your way. Our standards are high and good quality images must be included with your article. If you don't have any, we'll try to find some. You can find out exactly what sort of stuff we would like to see and how it works here.

tiger mosquitos in the vendee
16/05/2022

Tiger mosquitos & allergies! Oh NO!

BLOG, expat-life, Aedes albopictus, arboviruses, are there tiger mosquitos in the vendee, are tiger mosquito bites painful, Can dry conditions be harmful to Aedes albopictus?, Can dry conditions be harmful to tiger mosquitoes? Can dry conditions be harmful to tiger mosquitoes?, chikungunya, dengue, dengue fever, Do tiger mosquitos increase the risk of disease transmission?, how do tiger mosquitos breed, how to kill tiger mosquitos, map-tiger-mosquitos-france-2022, mosquito bite allergies, mosquito bites, red alert vendee, the tiger mosquito in europe, tiger mosquito, tiger mosquito bites what do they look like, tiger mosquitoes, tiger mosquitoes allergic reaction, tiger mosquitoes and tropical diseases, tiger mosquitoes and yellow fever, tiger mosquitoes and zika, tiger mosquitos in the vendee, travel blog vendee, Travel-blog, traveling-in-france, tWhy does Aedes albopictus not systematically cause disease outbreaks in Europe?, Vendee-living, Warm temperatures encourage mosquitoes, what is the difference between common mosquito bites and tiger mosquito bites?, what is the french government doing about tiger mosquito problem, what is the French government doing about tiger mosquitos, what is the government doing about tiger mosquitos, What strategies are planned to eradicate tiger mosquitoes?, what to do about tiger mosquitos, Why are tiger mosquitoes gaining ground in Europe?, Why are tiger mosquitoes gaining ground in France?, why is the tiger mosquito so dangerous, zika

I'm a buffet. It's true. And, I hate mosquitos. One of my earliest memories is of hearing that annoying high pitched singing in my ears. I didn't know what it was. But I knew I didn't like it. When the existence of mosquitos was...

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24/11/2020

USA to Paris to the Vendée: Our European Family Vacation

BLOG, TOURISM & LEISURE, bazoges-en-pareds, Chateau-de-Tiffauges, Chateaux-Loire, ile-de-re-oysters, pays-de-la-loire, pays-de-la-loire-with-children, prehistoric-vendee, prehistory, Travel-blog, travel-deeper-france, travel-overseas-with-children, travel-to-france-from-the-US, travel-vendee, traveling-overseas-with-kids, vendee-with-children

There is nothing like a pandemic and lock down to make you appreciate your past travels. It is hard to believe that it has been one-and-a-half years since my husband and I decided to take a trip to France. With the children. I had been...

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29/05/2020

Petra of Le Puy Ardouin tests own Tiny House accommodations during lock-down

BLOG, Hospitality, LIVING, countryside-holiday, deutsch-gesprochen-vendee, dutch-in-france, dutch-in-Vendee, english-speaking-vendee, France-tourism, gites-vendee, holiday-france, holiday-homes-vendee, holiday-vendee, lockdown-france, pets-allowed-vendee, Saint-Pierre-du-Chemin, tiny-house-living, tiny-house-movement, tiny-house-nation, Tourism-France, tourism-hospitality-france, tourism-hospitality-vendee, vacation-in-france, vacation-vendee, Vendee, vendee-camping, vendee-hiking, vendee-in-de-winter, vendee-walking, visit-vendee, winter-gites-vendee, winter-holiday-vendee, winter-vendee.gites-vendee

After a long search for the perfect spot to live in France, Dutch couple Petra and Jan fell for their rustic farmhouse  'like a ton of bricks'. We can understand why! Among the ancient trees, across a sloping terrain, one can almost...

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traveling as an introvert
24/09/2021

How to Travel as an Introvert

BLOG, TOURISM & LEISURE, Do introverts enjoy travel?, Embracing Being an Introvert, girls-love-travel, How do introverts travel?, introvert, introvert travel, Is France a good country to travel to alone?, is it ok to travel alone, is it safe to travel alone to the Vendee, is traveling solo comfortable in France, should I be scared to travel to France alone?, solo travel to France, solo travel Vendee, solo-travel, summer-vendee, traveling alone, traveling solo, travelling to the vendee, vacation-in-france, vacation-vendee, What Is an Introvert?, winter-vendee

Being seasoned introverts, your admins at inthevendee.com understand the joys of solo travel. When it comes to exploring the world, the idea of group travel can be quite uncomfortable for an introvert. But so are issues of safety, risk...

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16/01/2021

Putain de merde! Writing 2020 off of my shoulders

BLOG, Blogger, Blogging, blogging-covid-19, covid-19-pandemic, dealing-with-depression-pandemic, depression-and-covid-19, depression-from-covid-19, expat, expat-life, expat-life-france, expat-life-vendee, expat-memoir, expats-in-france, expats-with-elderly-parents, living-with-covid-19-in-france, living-with-depression, pandemic, surviving-trauma-of-a-pandemic, trauma-2020, trauma-living-in-2020, vendee-life, Vendee-living

The last week of the year is normally a time of reflection for me as it probably is for many people across the globe. At the end of 2020, I vowed not to. Because... why? What was the point? What could I possibly reflect upon more than...

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13/08/2018

A Day Trip to Oradour-sur-Glane

BLOG, LIVING, TOURISM & LEISURE, blog-oradour-sur-glane, France-fanatics, France-Itinerary, France-tourisme, French-history, itineraries-Vendée, Itinerary-in-France, life-in-France, Oradour-dur-Glane, photography, photography-France, Tourism-France, Vendée-blog, world-war-two, WWII

Truthfully, it was a bit of a drive from where we live near the Marais Poitevin in the Vendee, but Oradour-sur-Glane had been at the top of my imaginary list of places in the world “to shoot”. A poor choice of terms, I realize. But...

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11/05/2020

Owners of L’Etournerie Gites & Camping Vendée look to the future

BLOG, Hospitality, LIVING, BandB-Vendee, bed-and-breakfast-vendee, brits-in-the-vendee, camper-van-holiday, camper-van-vendee, camping-holiday, chambres-d-hotes-vendee, chateau-Guibert-accommodation, chateau-Guibert-vendee, deutsch-gesprochen-vendee, dutch-in-france, dutch-in-Vendee, english-speaking-vendee, France-tourism, gites-vendee, holiday-france, holiday-vendee, lockdown-france, pets-allowed-vendee, Tourism-France, tourism-hospitality-france, tourism-hospitality-vendee, travelling-with-pets, vacation-in-france, vacation-vendee, Vendee, vendee-camping, vendee-cycling, vendee-fishing, vendee-hiking, vendee-in-de-winter, vendee-walking, visit-vendee, winter-gites-vendee, winter-holiday-vendee, winter-vendee

We have asked a few Vendéen small business owners to discuss their plans for the future whilst coping through enforced quarantine. In a first installment, allow us to introduce you to Renée, René, Jacky, Emma & Mariecke, a Dutch...

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28/10/2020

Out of the pan into the pan-demic

BLOG, expat-life, Integration, covid-19, covid-19-vendee, depression, fontenay-le-comte, hardships-of-expat-life, liam-maguire, liam-maguire-piano-lessons, liam-maguire-sound-engineer, living-in-fontenay-le-comte, living-with-depression, Moving to France, Moving-Overseas, moving-to-vendee, music-composer-france, music-composer-vendee, music-technician-france, music-technician-vendee, piano-teacher-vendee, situational-depression

The sun shines through my window overlooking views of the picturesque medieval town of Fontenay-le-Comte. The warm weather of the summer recently passed and is replaced by a crisp autumn sky. I’ve been here one month now and, on my way...

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07/11/2019

Ode to the miracle of my parents

BLOG, Integration, australians-in-the-vendee, australians-vendee, cafe-life-france, chantelle-richards-australia, expat-life-france, France-fanatics, guest-blog-vendee, immigration, migration-Vendee, pays-de-la-loire, vouvant, vouvant-blog, vouvant-cafe, vouvant-info

Cour du Miracle. Translated to English, it means ‘Miracle Court’. The legend has been told since the early 18th Century, a part of Vouvant’s history, if you will. Today, however, I am sharing my very own, personal story of the ‘Miracle...

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13/04/2020

Expatriate in lock-down France

BLOG, Integration, LIVING, belgen-in-frankrijk, corona-virus-france, coronavirus, covid-19, Covid-19-France, depression-in-Covid19, expat, expat-life-france, expat-life-vendee, Living_in_France, living-vendee, lockdown-france, mother-daughter-relationships, quarantine-france, situational-depression, vendee-expats, Vendee-living

In recent years, the thought has crossed my mind many times that if anything could keep me from my mother in Belgium, it might be World War III. Never had I considered a virus-related near-global quarantine. But the very first day of...

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17/10/2018

Tried and Tested: 2018 Journées Européennes du Patrimoine in the Vendée

BLOG, Itineraries, TOURISM & LEISURE, European-cultural-heritage-days-Vendee, France-fanatics, France-Itinerary, France-tourism, history-vendee, Journées-Européennes-du-Patrimoine-Vendée, reduced-entry-fees-france, vendee-tourism, vendee-toursime

OUR verdict is IN! Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine are awesome! All it took was a little research & planning, a full tank of petrol, and our trusted GPS. Oh, and the alarm clock to rouse the family.What are the Journées...

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13/05/2020

The silver lining of lockdown at B&B Au Passage du Gois

BLOG, Hospitality, LIVING, b&b-atlantic-coast-vendee, BandB-Vendee, Beauvoir-sur-Mer-accommodation, Beauvoir-sur-Mer-vendee, bed-and-breakfast-vendee, brits-in-the-vendee, chambres-d-hotes-vendee, deutsch-gesprochen-vendee, dutch-in-france, dutch-in-Vendee, english-speaking-vendee, France-tourism, gites-vendee, holiday-france, holiday-homes-vendee, holiday-vendee, lockdown-france, pets-allowed-vendee, Tourism-France, tourism-hospitality-france, tourism-hospitality-vendee, vacation-in-france, vacation-vendee, Vendee, vendee-camping, vendee-cycling, vendee-fishing, vendee-hiking, vendee-in-de-winter, vendee-walking, visit-vendee, winter-gites-vendee, winter-holiday-vendee, winter-vendee.gites-vendee

When we asked to find a title or tag line for their blog post, Martine told us that she thought the motto of footballer Johan Cruyff was appropriate to describe their almost 2 months of lockdown. She found a balance in routine, in...

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08/05/2020

Vendéen private chauffeur goes the (social) distance

BLOG, Hospitality, LIVING, airport-pickup-service-vendee, airport-transport-vendee, business-meetings-chauffeur-vendee, business-meetings-pickup-service, business-travel, business-travel-vendee, chauffeur-prive-vendee, lockdown-france, lockdownfrance, passenger-pickup-station-airport-vendee, private-driver-vendee, private-passenger-transport-vendee, sables-dolonne, sightseeing-vendee, sightseeing-vendee-in-winter, travel-vendee, vendee-in-winter, vendee-tourism, vendee-toursime

We have invited a few Vendéen small business owners to discuss how they are coping with the pandemic. In this installment, please allow us to introduce you to Anne, private driver and proprietor of Melkhior, who has used recent weeks...

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Chateau de la Preuille St Hilaire de Loulay
16/07/2020

A radical life-choice and a patrimony restoration project

BLOG, LIVING, TOURISM & LEISURE, bed-and-breakfast-vendee, chambres-d-hotes-vendee, chateau-de-la-preuille, chateaux, chateaux-vendee, chatelaine, dartagnan-project, France-tourism, France-tourisme, french-patrimony, paul-las-van-bennekom, restoration-project, sandra-las-van-bennekom, sandra-paul-las-van-bennekom, Travel, travel-deeper-france, travel-local-vendee, Travel-to-France, travel-vendee, Vendée-blog, vendee-camping, vendee-patrimoine, vendee-tourism, vendee-tourisme

For 15 years we were happy on the east side of Paris. My husband, Paul, with his international career for Disney, and I myself was happy as a full-time mother of our four children. Life was good, stable, and every project in the house...

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01/07/2019

Connecting people and places

BLOG, TOURISM & LEISURE, architecture-vendee, castles-vendee, chateau-de-terre-neuve, chateaux-vendee, Chevillon-William, destination-vendee, guided-tours-vendee, Guillaume-du-Fontenioux, history-vendee, Journées-Européennes-du-Patrimoine-Vendée, octave-de-rochebrun, passion-patrimoine, passion-vendee, patrimoince-france, patrimoine, patrimoine-vendee, performing-arts-vendee, tour-guide, tour-guide-vendee, William-Chevillon

Curious about everything and always sensitive to cultural expressions, I have developed a career path that focuses on heritage, ancient and contemporary art and the performing arts. Much more than a love of "old stones" (I don't like...

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15/06/2020

Choosing a Kiss. A memoir of racism in the life of a naïve immigrant

BLOG, expat-life, Integration, #blacklivesmatter, #GLT, black-and-white, black-lives-matter, civil-rights, expat-life, expat-life-france, expat-life-vendee, expat-memoir, fight-racism, george-floyd, girls-love-travel, immigrant-france, immigrant-integration, join-the-fight, memoir, Nelson-Mandela, police-brutality, police-reform, racism, world-citizen

Since the murder of George Floyd, I have been painfully aware that blacking out my profile against racism is easy. Finding words to help in the fight, not so much. But give me a minute, I have a life-story to tell. I remember well the...

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25/09/2017

Day trip to Mont St. Michel by night

BLOG, TOURISM & LEISURE, daytrips-from-the-Vendee, France-fanatics, France-Itinerary, France-tourisme, French-history, itineraries-Vendée, Itinerary-in-France, life-in-France, Lower-Normandy, Mont St. Michel, photography, photography-France, Tourism-France, Vendée-blog, world-war-two, WWII

We may be semi-permanent travelers these days so it's probably a little snooty to admit that we don’t enjoy huge masses of tourists. But we do avoid those hot spots where possible. We can't help it. Our introverted nature means we seek...

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