Au Revoir Brittany, Bonjour Nantes!

Our time in Brittany had come to  an end and we now planned to head further south for a couple of days in our first big city of the trip: Nantes. 

On another sunny morning we tidied up, repacked the car, said goodbye to the host and set off on the next stage of our adventure. Instead of rushing straight to Nantes, and to break up the journey, I made a detour to get a last look at the coast - heading for Quiberon, a popular seaside town at the end of a peninsula connected by a sandy ithmus to the mainland. We approached along a road on the Cote Sauvage, the northern coast of the peninsula, which had little housing or property development and a low lying rocking coastland with walks and cycle paths.. Once we'd arrived in the town itself I parked the car in a shady spot and we took a walk.

Once on the sea front we found a sandy beach backed by a promenade and rows of bars and restaurants and just behind the seafront a very large market. Here you could buy practically everything. People were queuing to purchase roasted chickens, buy baguettes, fresh fruit and vegetables. I spotted a display of artichokes that seemed to be defying gravity. If you wanted a new wardrobe then there were plenty of clothes sellers to kit you out from tip to toe and the stalls went on and on covering a vast area of the town centre. 

Quiberon Market

Quiberon Beach

Quiberon

Wandering through the crowds we finally arrived back at the seafront and had lunch in the shade before continuing our journey. Just a few miles from Quiberson we made a brief extra stop to see some of the megalithic remains at Carnac.

Carnac is one of the most important archeological sites in Europe and spread over an area of 4.5 kilometers is a collection of standing stones (more than 3000), over 5000 years old, neatly aligned in rows.

Carnac

There are also taller standing stones and dolmens (burial tombs) dotted around the landscape. There is no definite explanation for Carnac. Most archeologists suggest the development of the site was probably connected to the belief systems of our distant ancestors - high status tombs have been discovered suggesting people had settled here in reasonable numbers, were fishing and farming and there was prosperity - but much of what is written about Carnac's purpose remains conjecture. We took a short walk to see just a small area of Carnac - it really is an astonishing vista. A quick visit afterwards to an exhibition centre was informative but we didn't stay too long as time was pressing and we were keen to get to Nantes.

For our 2 days in Nantes I'd booked an aparthotel close to the chateaux of the Dukes of Brittany and a space in their secure car park. Driving into a large city on unfamiliar roads can be a bit stressful and to access the hotel carpark I knew I needed to get onto a one way street that led to another street around the back of the hotel (also one way) but when I got to the roundabout leading to the street in question I found the route blocked by temporary metal barriers. The hotel was tantalisingly close but the man in a high vis jacket wouldn't let me through. I tried approaching from another angle but this was fruitless, so eventually we parked the car in a multi story car park across the road and walked to the hotel reception. A wonderful receptionist checked us in and sorted things out. By this time the barrier was being manned by 2 gendarmes with motorbikes (and guns). The receptionist went over to speak to them, with me in tow, and after a rapid conversation in French negotiated access. She printed off an invoice and told me to show it to them. We retrieved our car and, fortunately made it into the car park without any further incident.

Once settled we set out to look for somewhere to eat. Nantes was very busy with crowds out enjoying the sunshine. We walked around the Château des ducs de Bretagne and into the old part of town.

Château des ducs de Bretagne, Nantes

Tall elegant buildings of white limestone surrounded us. After wandering around a bit we finally spotted a pizza restaurant and saw a pizza being delivered to someone's table. It looked very tempting so we took the plunge and got a table. It was a good choice. The pizzas we both ordered were very tasty. 

We hadn't realised our visit coincided with Pride day in Nantes and our walk back to the hotel took us past heaving crowds of people celebrating. There were costumes galore, plenty of glitter and drinking and dancing outside bars pumping out disco music, Whilst the crowds were predominantly young there were also families, children and older people and despite being very lively and loud there was a lovely inclusive and friendly atmosphere. 

The lively streets of Nantes

Refreshed after a good night's sleep we decided to divide our one full day in Nantes into three activities. Late in the afternoon we planned to visit 'Les Machines de l'Île' of which more later, but before this we thought we'd start by visiting the chateau and then just explore on foot, wandering through the old heart of the city. 

The Château of the Dukes of Brittany is a 15th century fortress and ducal palace, now open to the public and containing a museum that tells the story of both the castle and the city. Nantes is France's 6th largest city and used to be part of Brittany - hence the name of the chateau - but is now in the Department of Loire Maritime. The chateau is surrounded by a moat and has ramparts that are free to walk on. We did this first as the elevated views gave us a good sense of the surrounding city's topography. To the south we could see the Loire and nearer the one remaining tower from the old Lu biscuit factory. To the north was the cathedral (currently closed folloing a fire) and to the west the old city rooftops stretched away into the distance. The castle, seen from the inner courtyard, is mightily impressive - a true statement of wealth and power. 

Château of the Dukes of Brittany

View of Nantes Cathedral

After circling the ramparts we paid for admission to the museum. Naturally most of the written information is in French, but there are some with English translations and everything is well laid out - telling the story of the chateau and the history of Nantes in both a chronological and thematic way with a good number of interactive exhibits. It took us most of the morning to visit the chateau but we both agreed it was a morning well spent.

We then wandered more or less at random through the streets of the old city finding peaceful squares with fountains, an elegant shopping arcade and several large churches. All the walking had made us hungry again and we chose a lovely lttle creperie for lunch, in a llittle lane that ran behind the Sainte-Croix church. We both selected from a fixed price menu that included a drink (cider for Mrs B), a galette of our choice and a sweet crepe for dessert. Everything was simple but flavoursome. 

Aspects of Nantes

Walking some more we finally arrived at our ultimate deistination, Les Machines de l'Île. Twenty years ago much of the portside industry that had sustained Nantes had declined leaving abandoned factories and dockside buildings. In an attempt to regenerate the area a group of creative engineers came up with an audacious plan to bring new life to the city. Inspired by the writing of Jules Verne who was born and went to schoold in the city, they designed and built some astonishing animatronic creatures as well as building a carousel. Its all located on a post industrial site on an island in the middle of the Loire. It opened in 2007 and is now a major draw for both visitors and locals. 

We had booked tickets for two of the attractions. Firstly we entered The Gallery of the Machines. Inside are life size and bigger than lifesize creatures made of wood and metal that are operated by complex mechanics that make then move in an incredibly fluid and organic way. This was an enchanting hour as the machine operators brought the creations to life. 

Some of the fantastic creatures in the Gallery of the Machines

Finally after marvelling at the creatures we had already seen we made our way to the 'headline' attraction. This is a giant elephant - and we had booked a ride! This amazing machine can take up to 50 passengers on a slow motion, 30 minute ride around the site. 

Never forget an elephant...

At our boarding time (the last trip of the day) we climbed aboard and up to the 'top deck' for a panoramic view of the surroundings including the carousel, the Loire and the immediate area. 

Views from the elephant

Moving at a slow pace, the'elephant' trumpeted and sprayed water from its trunk at regular intervals. It was a magical and unforgettable experience, guaranteed to bring out the inner child in anyone. We departed at the end of our ride beaming with pleasure at a unique and truly memorable few hours spent on Les Machines de l'Île. It took about 40 minutes to walk back to our hotel and in the heat is was tiring, but we did get a closer view of the Lu Biscuit factory tower built in 1909 to advertise the brand. 

The Lu Tower

In just 24 hours in we'd packed in a lot. The city had been lively, full of history and art, creativity and fun. There is a lot to like about Nantes. We would be departing in the morning, having had a most enjoyable, albeit brief, visit that will inger long in the memory.