Day75: Bastille Day - Rest day in Nantes

Day 75: Bastille Day - Rest day in Nantes.

It was great to have a sleep in this morning and catch up on some washing,admin, planning the next leg of our trip and some sightseeing.

We had originally thought that we would finish our adventure in St Nazaire, 50 km from Nantes on the Atlantic coast. This is an uninteresting industrial town and it is unsafe to cycle across the 3 km bridge to get to it. So taking all of this into account and with time on our hands we decided to cycle along the Velodyssey or Velo1 to Brest on the Atlantic coast. We do not have the map for this and all the shops were closed due to the Bastille day long weekend but luckily the TI had a map that gives one an idea of where the route goes, but unfortunately it is not very detailed. We will probably be able to get a better map when we pass through Redon.

Bastille day was celebrated here with a picnic in the evening on the banks of the Loire at the Parc des Chantiers, a concert at 21:00 and a fireworks display at 23:00. We wandered along the Loire to Parc des Chantiers to join hundreds of people from Nantes picnicking, playing cards, drinking and chatting. It was such a relaxed laid back atmosphere in the warm evening sun which we really enjoyed. The music was no good, so we decided not to stay for the fireworks. 

Parc des Chantiers, Les Machines de L'lle is a fascinating park where a team of mad builders have set up their workshop. They have let their imagination run wild and have created a menagerie of machines from the treetops, savannah and ocean, that roam free.It  is possible to take a ride on the Great Elephant that walks along authentically and sprays the passers by with water.

On our way there we stopped to look at the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery. This is a thought-provoking trail that follows the history of the steps that were taken to abolish slavery. It took 200 years to get a resolution passed and there are still instances where people are being subjected to slavery today. Nantes was a port that was used by the ships to offload slaves from Africa and then ship them to the Americas. There are 2000 plaques set into the walkway depicting the name of every ship that docked here to load or offload slaves. The memorial was conceived by the artist Krzystof Wodiczko and the architect Julian Bonder and is punctuated by quotations in every language from every time and place.

While walking to the Parc des Chantiers we were surprised to see the Loire flowing in the wrong direction; this was the tide ripping in at quite a pace. Nantes is situated 50 km from the coast, yet the Loire is tidal this far upstream.

Ile Feydeau, the shipbuilders' residences from days gone by. We stayed on the top floor with the mosquitoes.

The. Plaque set into the pavement at the entrance to the Abolition of Slavery Memorial.

A map showing the routes for the transport of 12,5 million slaves.

The high tide water covers the walkway on the banks of the Loire.

Picnic at Parc des Chantiers. Where's Wally? I mean Jenny!