Highs and Lows in La Rochelle

A couple of weeks back it was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to visit La Rochelle for a look around an antique market near the port.

It was a small professional market but I still managed to find a handful of interesting 'trucs' for my online Etsy Shop including this sweet little oil lamp and silk covered chocolate box.

Please click this link to view

Please click this link to view

Feeling chilled out and happy I decided on the way back to the van to surprise my husband, Spike, by suggesting a go on the big wheel.  Admittedly my previous experiences involving heights have not been altogether successful but I thought I should face my fears and enjoy the ride.

Having dropped off our buys we headed back towards the wheel and I was still resolved to give it a go - how bad could it be?

I'm told the view up there was amazing but by the time we hit 9 o'clock on the wheel my eyes were firmly shut and I was clinging to the pole in the middle of our car as if my life depended on it.  It wasn't until Spike told me we were near the ground again that I dared take another peek.  

On passing the man on the controls I called out to him to ask how many more times and to my horror I had to endure another two full turns.  It seems that reason and logic wasn't enough to conquer my fears but at least Spike took some amazing photos which in the circumstances (me screaming at him not to rock the car, frozen with fear and panicking generally) I'd say he did pretty well.  

He was also kind enough not to take any photos of me as I waited for my ordeal to end...although about 20 years ago on a very similar big wheel in Lille with someone (you know who you are... Mother!!!) I cannot say the same (luckily we didn't have digital cameras then so I have hidden the evidence). 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics over the beautiful town of La Rochelle...

As I shakily wobbled back to the van Spike suggested that I scrap 'going up in an air balloon' from my bucket list and the thought of finding myself curled up in a ball at the bottom of the basket in front of complete strangers is perhaps an experience I could live without.  My new mantra for life at the moment is 'know your limits'.