Souvenir of Fort Boyard... and La Rochelle

Many many years ago, i went to do my Degree of Computer Science in La Rochelle, France. The best thing about La Rochelle is its located nearby beautiful beaches and islands. My studio apartment and my university was just a few hundred meters away from the Atlantic sea.

Another attraction that we might have heard is Fort Boyard. The fort is located between the Ile d'Aix and the Ile d'Oleron. Fort Boyard is also a reality show (aired on NTV7 every Saturday at 8.30pm) whereby the contestants have to complete challenges to win prize money.

It was told that the construction of the fort started back in 1801, under Napoleon.
The fort had a purpose to protect the coast (and especially the arsenal of Rochefort) from possible incursions by foreign navies (the British especially). At that time, cannons only had a limited range, and the distance between the two islands of Aix and Oleron was too large to block the passage.

You can have a nice view of Fort Boyard for a few euros with a boat trip from La Rochelle to l'ile d'Aix.