Saintes is the nearest big town with all the major services and shops you would expect. It is set on the river Charente and was once a major Romain city. There is a catherdral in Saintes as well as an abbey and some of older areas are interesting to explore especially on the western bank of the river.  The river provides opportunities for boat rides down the river in fact one of the trips stops for lunch and le moulin de la bain, which is close to our house on the other side of the river

Saintes was once a major Roman city and you can visit the amphitheatre, walk around the arch germanicas and see other signs of it Roman history.