The quiet resort town of Arès, toward the northern tip of the triangle formed by Arcachon Bay, maintains a designated, but somewhat minimalist, waterfront landing pad for unidentified flying objects. The story began in 1976 when the so-called “ovniport,” named for the french translation of UFO (OVNI, or objet volant non-identifié) was officially inaugurated as one of the highlights of that year’s oyster festival. The idea, which at the time generated extensive media coverage, had originally been dreamt up by a group of locals, led by a a Bordeaux airport employee and…
