Bonjour la Famille et les Amis,
Unlike my stop in Bordeaux, which was primarily due to the necessities of travel, my visit to Nantes was more the case of unfinished business. Like Bordeaux, Nantes had been part of my 2012 tour of the Atlantic coast of France. Unfortunately, it had been the shortest leg of that trip. Hence the desire to return to the birthplace of Jules Verne. A city like Jules which embraces that wonderful thing known as the imagination and the magnificent creativity that it can release.
Musee Jules Verne
Naturally, my first order of tourist business in Nantes was the Musee Jules Verne as seen pictured on the left. Jules Verne did not live in this house but he did grow up on the Loire River. The museum presents his literary and theatrical creations as well as chronicling his trips abroad. These trips were significant sources of inspiration for his works with Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea being in part written on one of his sea voyages. Check out the photo gallery for the complete set of pictures from my museum visit.
Next up was the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne as seen pictured on the right. Back in 2012, I thoroughly explored the castle and the fine museum within its walls. But I simply couldn’t resist strolling the grounds and ramparts once again. The name of the castle may cause a bit of confusion as it refers to the dukes of Brittany. Historically, Nantes was part of Brittany, but nowadays, it is the capital of the Pays de la Loire region with Rennes continuing as the regional seat for Brittany. Check out the photo gallery for the views of and from this proper castle.
Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne
Le Grand Elephant
If one is ever in Nantes, the Les Machines de L’Ile is simply not to be missed. The creations are a unique blend of engineering and art at the re-purposed shipyard. One can also, via catwalks, observe the artisans at work. All of which I had done some 12 years ago with one exception – Le Grand Elephant. The ride itself is 30 minutes in duration for roughly $10 (other parts of L’ile have associated costs). While the ride is interesting, watching the elephant move through the site and seeing the kids interact with it is the real treat. Go full screen when watching the video.
Note: If you have kids, Nantes and La Rochelle are the two cities I would recommend for a most excellent French adventure of 7 to 10 days, and they are less than two hours apart by train. That’s it for now. As always, feel free to share this link with anyone who expresses an interest. Please have a look at the gallery below for full-size versions of the photos above as well as additional photos of Nantes. Next post will be from a new destination, at least for me, in France.
A bientot,
Papi
How fun!
Thanks Diana. Yes, Nantes is a fun place.
Your posts make me long for retirement lol.
Thanks Steve. Certainly glad that they’re not making you want to continue working. 😉
Very interesting and an amazing at the same time. Thanks for sharing Mike!
I have always been intrigued with Jules Verne and his imagination.
Thanks Bill. I remember as a kid the first time I saw the movie Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea – I was totally captivated by the experience.