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John
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The
snail is an odd creature. It looks odd, it behaves oddly (so would you if your
top speed was just four yards an hour) and, when cooked, it tastes odd.
A
hermaphrodite that plays both male and female roles during reproduction, the snail
has a single, self-lubricating foot and two sets of horns, one each for seeing
and smelling its way around.
Why, then, is such a humble, altogether harmless
animal the focus of such gastronomic fervour in France, and the subject of books,
recipes and, believe it or not, festivals?
LOIRE
& POITOU-CHARENTES
Take a holiday in Poitou-Charentes and enjoy vineyards
and châteaux, a relaxing wilderness fringed by a stunning coastline.
The
sea along the central Atlantic Coast can be enjoyed actively in a boat or on the
surf, or at a more leisurely pace at one
of its attractive port towns. Running
inland from the Atlantic, the Loire Valley offers fairy-tale châteaux and countless
vineyards
for the visitor to explore. Poitou-Charentes is a peaceful wilderness
of pine forests, seaside resorts and lush marshlands,
not to mention Cognac
and its world-famous brandy. RENT OUR GITE IN the CHARENTES
If you are looking
for a gite in the Poitou-Charentes, we offer a great choice, with pools.
GETTING
TO LOIRE & POITOU-CHARENTES AIR Air France (0845 084 5111; www.airfrance.co.uk)
from Gatwick to Nantes;
British Airways (0845 773 3377; www.britishairways.com)
from Heathrow to Nantes;
Ryanair(0870 240 7070; www.ryanair.com) to Tours,
La Rochelle and Poitiers from Stansted.
British European (0870 567 6676;
www.flybe.com) from Gatwick to Nantes.
ROAD A10 from Paris to Orléans,
Tours, Poitiers and Saintes. N137 from Saintes to La Rochelle.
For Nantes
from Caen, take the A84 to Rennes then the N137. From Paris, take the A11/E50
to Le Mans.
RAIL TGV to Le Mans, Angers, Nantes. Poitiers, La Rochelle and
Angoulême from Paris (Gare Montparnasse).
For all rail information, contact
Rail Europe (0870 584 8848;www.raileurope.co.uk).
AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE
(CELSIUS) °C
This Region 9 8 11 17 16.5 23 25.5 24.5 22 17 12.5 8.5
London 6 7 10 13 17 20 22 21 19 14 10 7
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG
SEPT OCT NOV DEC
Famous
face Point Final Why big-screen actor Johnny Depp has shunned the Hollywood limelight
for the simple life in France For someone whose chiselled
good looks and acting
talent are so familiar to the filmgoing public, the American actor Johnny Depp
certainly knows how to keep a low profile. Ever since he met his partner
Vanessa
Paradis five years ago, he’s more likely to be spotted with her and their two
children in a Paris park or a
French supermarket than on a film set or the
red carpet. – split their time between a
Parisian apartment and a mansion
in a village not far from Saint-Tropez.