As I approach the forest clearing in Saint-Jeande- Monts where I’m meeting French Kev, it occurs to me that the sport I’m about to embark on – BungyPump – is only one consonant away from something that sounds mildly-to-very terrifying and involves me dangling upside-down on elastic. So, it’s with a sense of relief that I’m soon among a group of relaxedlooking French folk, who greet each other with customary mwah-mwahs and give me the distinct impression they’re not extreme sportsters, they’re just here for their weekly cardio fix.
Only 80 minutes by hire car from Nantes airport, I’m in the département of Vendée on France’s Atlantic coast, long popular with holidaying Brits for its glorious coastline, its über-chic Ile de Ré island and its key selling point: it’s far enough north to be accessible from the ferry ports of Caen and St Malo, yet far enough south to get the sunshine. And if you haven’t been to Vendée before, well… prepare to fall in love not just with its climate, but with its dune, marsh and forest vistas, and the local food culture, too.