A Flaneur in Saint Nazaire

by | Aug 14, 2024 | France, Saint Nazaire | 6 comments

Bonjour la Famille et les Amis,

Apparently I might be a flaneur – one who wanders aimlessly. I have been seeing references to the term in various expat publications so maybe the universe is sending me a message. Hence, I found myself being a flaneur as I wandered due west from Nantes to Saint Nazaire on the Atlantic coast of France. Now to be honest, Saint Nazaire is not that aesthetically pleasing, but it has quite the maritime history. As to the town of Saint Marc sur Mer, where I stayed, it had more of what I think of as a Central California vibe.

Base Sous-Marine

At the center of that maritime history for Saint Nazaire is the submarine base for German U-boats during World War II as pictured on the left. An impressive structure which survived the war and the allies. On top of the structure are some gardens and a viewing platform to the surrounding shipyards. Within the structure, are housed various permanent and temporary exhibits as well as continuing maritime activities. Check out the photo gallery for pictures from above and within the base.
One of those exhibits is the Escal’Atlantic. This exhibit takes one into the realm of ocean liners. Saint Nazaire has been and is a major player in shipbuilding for ocean liners and cruise ships. In fact, the Queen Mary 2, a British ocean liner, was built in Saint Nazaire by the Chantiers d’Atlantique. The Escal’Atlantic preserves many artifacts from the heyday of ocean liners and presents re-creations of sections of the ships as well as metrics on the capabilities of the trans-Atlantic liners through the years. Check out the photo gallery for all my pictures from this exhibit.

Escal’Atlantic

Espadon

Across the basin is the fortified lock which appears as a smaller version of the submarine base. Within it, is the French submarine S637, Espadon (Swordfish), as pictured on the left, which was in service from 1960 to 1986. As with all submarines, the spaces are tight with lots of machinery and gauges, most of which I have little idea of their purpose – but still found highly fascinating! And apparently many folks from France and other European nations do also, as it was one continuing conga line during the tour. On the sail of the submarine and one wall of the lock, informational graphics are projected. Check out the photo gallery for the full set of pictures from my visit.

Lastly, the town of Saint Marc sur Mer where I stayed is well known, at least in France, for La Plage de M. Hulot. The beach was renamed to honor the main character in the early 1950s comedic movie Les Vacances de M. Hulot, which was partly filmed in Saint Marc sur Mer. A statue has also been erected on the platform above the beach as pictured on the right. Check out the photo gallery for pictures of the town and beach. The very last picture is that of the municipal boulodrome for the playing of the popular pétanque.

Monsieur Hulot

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 Saint Nazaire and Saint Marc sur Mer. Next post will be from the land of the Walloons and the Flemish.

A bientot,

Papi

6 Comments

  1. Jackie
    Jackie on August 14, 2024 at 3:51 pm

    Thank you! It looks like you have great weather.

    • Papi
      Papi on August 16, 2024 at 12:14 am

      Thanks Jackie. The weather in Saint Nazaire and Saint Marc sur Mer was for the most part perfect. Did have a bit of rain at times and one day where the wind was quite chilly with the rain. But overall couldn’t complain.

  2. Uncle Bill
    Uncle Bill on August 15, 2024 at 9:44 am

    Great pictures, Mike! Appreciate the detail tour of the Submarine. I too am fascinated with the workings of ships and submarines.
    Safe travels in your wandering ways.

    • Papi
      Papi on August 16, 2024 at 12:23 am

      Thanks Bill. My understanding is that every submariner on a boat needs to know how to operate every piece of equipment in an emergency. This only just adds to my wonderment at these vessels and their crews.

  3. Christy
    Christy on August 26, 2024 at 12:50 am

    Fantastic photos! Thanks for sharing.

    • Papi
      Papi on August 26, 2024 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks Christy. Still trying to get caught up on the blog posts.