We are standing on the edge of the land between the Charente and the Atlantic in front of a black and white phare de Chassiron. What brought us here to the largest island off mainland France with the exception of Corsica ? A pin in a map. We woke early in St Jean D'Angeley and decided to head further south and cross the viaduct over to the Ile d'Oleron. We might not see a Cathar castle, nor a puy, nor the petite yellow train but what we would see was a massive viaduct crossing the Charente over to the island. What an impressive thing it is. It was Sunday morning and it felt as if all of France was heading over to the island and it would sink under their weight. We had been to the
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