Let's start with the weather.  Vendée is famous throughout Europe for its sun and bright skies.  Today, we have haze and even a threat of rain.

We press on, however, anxious for our first real trip on the now legendary Vendée-mobile.   Today our driver is is Benoît,  to the far left as he discusses the route with Nathalie Chevré, the chief engineer of our road trips.