ANGELA BIRD'S

The
Vendée

WHAT'S ON IN THE VENDEE
February 2013

(entries in red indicate new additions)

	PLEASE NOTE This website is really just a supplement to Angela Bird’s guidebook, The Vendée (left), which gives full details in its 176 pages of hundreds of interesting and off-beat tourist sites throughout the region. What you see on the website consists of either extra topics not covered in the book (Calendar, Restaurants, Travel routes, Internet links etc), or updated information (new tourist attractions open – or old ones closed) since the most recent edition of the book appeared. For the complete picture, order The Vendée through bookshops in the UK and Ireland, or from Amazon ; it is also on sale in good bookshops throughout the Vendée.	The listings on this site are supplied in good faith, gathered by the author from various Vendée sources. However it is always wise to check details with organisers or tourist offices before making a special journey.

Until 16 Mar 2013	Festival Les Hivernales Annual festival of music and entertainment in the area around La Mothe-Achard.	La Mothe-Achard area
Until 4 May 2013	La mer et l'aventure Photographic exhibition, with 40 images by Yvan Zedda showing the exhilarating sport of ocean yacht racing. Tues & Fri 4-7pm; Wed & Sat 10-12.30 & 2-5.30. Admission free.	Cedetheque de la Gaubretiere, La Gaubretiere
2 Feb 2013	International Wetlands Day walks Come and view migrating birds that stop off on the flooded marshland near the coast. Wear boots and waterproofs. Booking essential. 1 Le Marais Breton vendéen. Meet 9h30 in Grande Place, Beauvoir-sur-Mer 2. Le Marais Poitevin. Meet 9h30 at Place de la mairie, Champagné-les-Marais	1. Beauvoir-sur-Mer, near Challans 2. Champagné les Marais, near Fontenay Booking on (tel: 02 51 56 78 80)
2, 3 Feb 2013	MARCHÉ DES TERROIRS DE FRANCE A chance to buy food from different parts of France, with producers from Savoie, the Vosges, Brittany, Franche-Comté and the north of France. 10am-7pm. Admission free.	Espace Jean-Jaures, Fontenay le Comte
2-28 Feb 2013	"900 ANS D’HISTOIRE" Exhibition of oils and watercolours by Chantal-Amélie Sédillère on the theme of "Nature". Mon-Fri 9-12.30 & 2-5.30, Sat 9-12.30. Admission free.	Office de Tourisme Galerie Gaby Gréau 4, avenue du Pas du Bois Le Château d’Olonne
6 Feb 2013	Circus : ALICE AU PAYS DES MERVEILLES Acrobats, gymnasts and others from the new Chinese National Circus perform in the Vendée’s new indoor arena. It is loosely themed on Alice in Wonderland. 8.30pm. Admission 25€, studens & children 15€.	Vendéspace, Mouilleron-le-Captif, nr La Roche sur Yon (tel : 02.51.44.79.85)
8-17 Feb 2013	Festival de Magie Fifth Magic Festival to be held at Olonne, with performances in different venues by a variety of magicians	Theatre de la Licorne, Le Havre d’Olonne, Rue du 8 mai 1945, Olonne-sur-Mer
9-17 Feb 2013	27e Circuit des Plages Start of a week-long prestigious cycle race through the Vendee’s seaside resorts, starting at St-Hilaire de Riez, and finishing at Challans	Various venues (tel: 02 52 55 47 84).
10 Feb 2013	Mini concert on the organ. The church of Notre-Dame in Challans is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its magnificent organ, an 18ft giant in pale wood, created by Alsatian organ-builder Remy Moher. There is a series of monthly mini-concerts; time not yet specified.	Eglise Notre-Dame, Challans
12 & 14 Feb 2013	CONCERTOS POUR TROMPETTE with ALEXANDRE BATY The young Alexandre Baty, is solo trumpeter from the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam. Here he plays with the Orchestre de Vendée, concertos by Haydn and Tomasi. 8.30pm. Admission 10€, under 26 years 6€	12 Feb : La Longère de Beaupuy Mouilleron-le-Captif – 14 Feb: Espace René Cassin, Fontenay-le-Comte -(tel: 02.51.44.79.85)
16 Feb- 17 Mar 2013	Sports d’Hiver a la Mer “Winter sports” by the sea include not skiiing and skating, but rather sand-yachting, roller hockey, “snowshoe” rambles through the dunes and Nordic walking through the forests.	La Barre-de-Monts/Fromentine area
16 Feb-19 May 2013	Félicie de Fauveau (1801-86), l'amazone de la sculpture Exhibition of sculpture by a 19^th-century royalist, catholic feminist. Fauveau supported the Duchesse de Berry’s royalist uprising and later lived in exile in Florence. This first retrospective of her work has been mounted jointly by the Historial de Vendée and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (where it will be seen from 11 June to 15 Sept). Tues-Sun 10-6 (from 1 Apr until 7) Admission 8 euros, students 5 euros, children free. 1 yr pass 12 euros; Vendee pass 18 euros inc other major sites.	Historial de la Vendée, Les Lucs sur Boulogne.

The Conseil-Général’s website also has a regularly updated calendar of events
on its site www.vendee.fr, under “Agenda”.

A free quarterly publication called Musique-Danse lists many concerts of all kinds in the Vendee. You can find it in Mairies and tourist offices.
There is an online version here.

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