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Best museums in the Vendée

Museums are not for everybody. We get that. Most would rather spend time outdoors while on holiday and perhaps museums invoke school trips more than family vacation. One of the coolest things about the Vendée is how well educational experiences while on vacation are disguised as super fun family activities. Many of the museums here have an interactive component in such a way that children learn while playing. As family time goes… they are opportunities not to be missed! Here are our recommendations (in no particular order). Enjoy!Chocolate Museum In La Roche-sur-Yon, very close to the big shopping center, is the beautiful chocolate museum of master chocolater Patrick Gelencser… … and that is something you should not miss, especially if you love chocolate. In this museum you go on a journey through the history and flavors of cocoa, from the Mayan civilization to modern times and everything in between. A …

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New Dutch owners at Base de Loisirs La Tardière! An interview

After years of exploring Europe by motorcycle and camping in a small tent, Dutch couple Leonoor and Arno decided it was time to run their own campground… To offer the friendly hospitality they had always experienced, to others. Their search for the perfect place, the campsite that “spoke to them” took years and finally brought them to the Vendée. At inthevendee.com, we extend a warm welcome to them, and we hope that YOU will take advantage of their excellent facilities at the Base de Loisirs in La Tardière, whether you want to camp or spend a pleasant family afternoon by the lake with a cup of coffee or a drink on the terrace. With this interview we’d like to introduce you to our new Dutch neighbors!Welcome to the Vendée! Introduce yourselves. Who are you, what is your background, where do you come from? Hello! We are Leonoor and Arno. It …

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Guide to Fishing on Foot

Food and the outdoors are probably among the most beloved activities in France. In the Vendée we are lucky to be near the Atlantic coast. On sunny days we can flock to the beaches at low tide, armed with wire baskets, spoons, shovels and rakes. We can go on a mission, striding across the wide beaches with purpose because low tide has given way to hidden treasure: the ingredients for a delicious shellfish dinner. Welcome to the what, the where, and the how of the oldest form of fishing known to man: hand gathering or pêche à pied.What is pêche à pied – First let us state we’ve had a difficult time finding the right translations or terminology in both English or Dutch for this particular activity. Shore fishing, hand gathering (also a sewing term), clam digging… To be honest, we find the French term for this popular pass-time the best. It describes …

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Renée’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

Introduction Hello everybody! The following recipe was submitted to inthevendee.com by Renee Schouten-Janssen and we can’t wait to try it! In starting this recipe corner and writing down my recipes the most difficult task is to figure out “how much of that do I use?” …. I love that Renée is just such a cook too! Truth is, for recipes such as this it’s okay to have a starting point and adjust to your taste as you go along. Let’s head to Renée’s kitchen for her delicious soup!Ingredients and preparation – Enchilada Soep met Kip For 4- 6 people Chicken thighs 2 cans of peeled tomatoes 1 or 2 chopped onions Chopped garlic 2 TBSP flour Chili flakes Cumin powder Coriander powder Can of corn Red kidney beans and/ or black beans canned 3 liters chicken stock MethodPrep Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. Fry the chicken skin in …

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

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 family who own L’Etournerie Gites and Camping where tranquility, good food, and flowers are central to Dutch-French hospitality in the Vendée!In 15 years, you develop habits. Or maybe a rhythm. At the beginning of the year, you start looking at everything that needs to be done before you can announce that you are ‘open for business’ once again. You tick off all those things and then you put up the sign “OUVERT”. Only this year, a pandemic with the inevitable French government’s announcement of a complete lockdown starting March 17th, threw a spanner in the works. At the beginning, everything was so focused on China that no one in Europe was really …

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Prehistoric Vendée

One of the most unique features of the Vendée is the opportunity it lends to travel from time period to time period throughout history, and even pre-history. With evidence of life in the area dating back to Neolithic times, the Vendée proves ideal to take the entire family on a fun learning expedition away from school!A brief history – What is prehistory? It is the period of time that begins with the appearance of human beings (approx. five million years ago) and ends with the invention of writing(approx. 6,000 years ago). The prehistory is divided into three stages: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. These consecutive periods are determined by the human sociological progression and evolving e.g. in survival practices, tools and the use of pottery.  What is Neolithic and which prehistoric time period does it span? The Neolithic transition (when human beings made the progression …

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We asked some campers why they love the Vendée!

The ‘high-season’ anno 2018 is coming to an end, which means life at the nearly 400 campgrounds in the Vendée is slowly winding down to a winter’s pace… but these campers are already contemplating their return!A beautiful destination – The Vendéen gites, B&Bs, hotels and campgrounds welcome an average of 5 million tourists annually. 2017 marked the 40th anniversary-year for theme park Le Puy du Fou , with a reported 2.26 million visitors! Camping remains one of the favourite ways to spend family time in the Vendée. We spoke with a few campers this season, asking them to share why they love the area, how they chose the destination to begin with, and why they keep coming back. In their own words, here are Sally-Ann from the Lake District in the UK; Margaret and John, who retired from their transport business in the UK; and Harry and Cathy, retired dairy farmer and …