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24.03.2018 - 25.03.2018

Trip to Nantes

We stayed at the Hotel Astoria near Gare SNCF tram stop. It was within a block of the Parc des Plantes and the Castle (Château des ducs de Bretagne). We visited both the second morning of our stay.

As with many city museums in France the 5 city museums in Nantes are free the 1st Sunday of each month from September to June. We didn't go on a Sunday - that's just info for those of you who want to visit.

Jules Verne was born in Nantes France in 1828. Tributes to him are all over the city and many are consolidated in the Jules Verne museum. To get to the Jules Verne museum we had to climb the very steep Saint Anne's stairs. It only had about a third of the steps as the Métro stop Abbesses near the Le mur des t'aime in Paris (the never ending stairs), but there were still a lot of steps. At the top of the stairs we had a great view of the port on the Loire river.

Jules Verne used electrical and other experiments in plotting his stories. Several of his experiments were on display in the museum. The museum also displayed Verne's writing desk with sea snakes in containers on top, a ship model and a first edition of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (among his most popular novels and which he wrote while in his 40s). In the museum there were many great illustrations from first editions of Verne's writings including of a compilation of a French literary magazine for children and a first edition of Around the World in 80 Days.

Mock-ups and tools used for the novels included a diving suit for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, navigation instruments from the 1800's and a diorama of a scene from Master of the World.

The museum also had a letter from Frank Borman, Apollo astronaut, crediting Jules Verne with imagining a trip to the moon sent to Jules Verne's grandson in 1969.

Outside the museum is a small park with several statues including a Navigator and Jules Verne as a boy in Nantes.

March for our Lives
Democrats Abroad, Brittany organized a vigil for March For Our Lives in conjunction with the marches at that time in the United States and around the world. Allison read poetry and other writings addressing violence and we held peace flags and signs. A couple visiting Nantes from Alaska saw us and wandered over. They held a flag and shared some of their thoughts.

I helped make the event flier and I brought 4 very large peace flags and 2 UNICEF flags.

The Château des ducs de Bretagne (aka Castle of the Dukes of Brittany) in Nantes is a castle with a moat. John was very excited about the castle having a moat. We saw a wide variety of ducks in the moat. When we entered the castle we examined the works for the little functioning drawbridge. We wandered around the grounds a bit checking out the statues and ornate decorations on the building. John walked up on the ramparts. He was excited about that, too. His excitement derives from his vibrant imagination as he looked out over the city and saw things the way he imagined that kings and generals saw the city and its surroundings as they defended Nantes. He loves history. Here is an extensive collection of very cool photos of the castle. More details about the castle can be found on its Wiki page.

We went into the castle for the self-guided tour of the Museum of History of Nantes. The museum displays more than 1,150 objects in 32 rooms on four floors. According to the museum web site, "The history of the city is told in a tour divided into seven sequences. This city portrait covers all the major events in European and world history, from the Edict of Nantes (early French step towards religious freedom), the colonial period and the slave trade right through to the major upheavals of the 20th century. Nantes as seen through the eyes of writers, poets, painters, film-makers and others."

Some of the contents of the museum were dioramas of the city layout in the late 1500s, figureheads from sailing ships, ship models, sculptures, cornices, displays of slavery artifacts, 14th century tapestries and much more.

Le Parc des Plantes
The Jardin des Plantes de Nantes is a municipal botanical garden located in Nantes, France. It is open daily without charge, but a fee is charged for the greenhouses.

"Illustrator and great author of children's literature, Claude Ponti was invited to give life to his dream world. After more than 30 years feeding the imagination of children and parents, the creator of the "martabaffe", "bouchanourrirs" and other "crapouilles" launches for the first time in an outdoor experience and in three dimensions. These unique creations have been designed specifically for the Jardin des Plantes: you will pass under a giant bench, cross a smiling pear and a whole colony of totem birds. " Varied topiary included a laid-back chick, a bear, a sea serpent in the pond and coverings for sculptures. Whimsical park benches were also scattered through the park. A couple of waterfalls and some water spouts were soothing influences.

We were enchanted with the beauty of many species of birds at the parc. We saw lovely golden ducks unlike any we'd seen before.

"The great diversity of plants in the park favors the arrival of certain species of bird life in the following manners:
1. By the construction of ponds and waterfalls: Martin fisher Alcedo Athis, Wagtail streams Motacilla cinerea.
2. By the choice of coniferous plantations: Goldcrest Regulus regulus, Crested Tit Parus cristatus, Hardwood trees: Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Greenfinch Carduelis chloris.
3. By maintaining the size of trees and shrubs, by planting summer flower beds: Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis.
Regular lawn care: Yellow Wagtail Motacilla Alba , Barn Swallow Hirundo Rustica.
4. By the presence of lawns lined with shrubs and trees evoking clearings attract Blackbird Turdus merula, Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, Starling Sturnus vulgaris, Pool Hen Gallinula chloropus have lost their wild instinct.
For the vast majority of birds the nest is built with plants: mosses, twigs ... Some make a very elaborate nest: Goldcrest Regulus regulus and the Magpie Pica pica . Others perform a more basic construction: Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus , Turtledove Streptopelia decaocto. Some adapt to different plants or human constructions: Wren Troglodytes troglodytes and others more specialized to a type of plant Crested kinglet Regulus regulus with conifers. Some specialize in one part of the tree: Garden Creeper Certhia brachydactyla, Sitelle torchpot Sitta europea, and the whole family of peaks ... whose morphology has adapted."
In brief: the bird population of Parc des Plantes is expansive and amazing.

To get to the Jules Verne museum we climbed the very steep Saint Anne's steps.	At the top of the stairs we had a great view of the port on the Loire river.	The Jules Verne museum is housed in a 19th century mansion.
Electrical experiment used by Jules Verne in ploting a story.	Jules Verne's writing desk with sea snakes in containers on top.	Ship model with first edition of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea".
There were many great illustrations from first editions of Verne's novels.	First edition of a compilation of a French literary magazine for children written by Verne.	Diving suit from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
Navigation instruments from the 1800's.	Model from Master of the World	First edition of Around the World in 80 Days
Letter from Frank Borman, Apollo astronaut, crediting Jules Verne with imagining a trip to the moon.	Navigator statue in a small park near the port.	Jules Verne as a boy in Nantes statue. Part of the Jules Verne monument.
View from our hotel window.	Monument to the 50 Hostages (World War II memorial)	Ruth provided the flags for the March For Our Lives vigil.

Democrats Abroad in Brittany hosted a March For Our Lives vigil.

Alison gave readings about the March For Our Lives.	Charles de Gaulle statue near the Monument to the 50 Hostages.	Jardin des Plantes had great topiaries.
Sleeping bear topiary	The Woman of the Sheaf statue	Jardin des Plantes had a great variety of duck species.
The benches at the Jardin des Plantes were a little Doctor Seussy in size and shape.	Twisty benches	Rocking benches
Different kinds of ducks were everywhere	This little tunnel brought you...	... under a little waterfall.
There were sculptures in many little corners.	The Château des ducs de Bretagne still has a moat with a duck population.	The main gate of the château (castle) still has a working draw bridge.
Anne of Brittany was born in the château.	Dual draw bridges at the main gate	Primary well of the château
Ironwork and pullies over the top of the well.	John up on the ramparts taking a photo of Ruth.	Ruth down by the well taking a photo of John.
Beautiful cornice work on this 14th Century château.	The residence area of the château.	The armory and barracks
The moat from up on the ramparts.	The eastern end of the château.	Window of the chapel.
North tower	In the museum we found a map of Brittany and Nantes from the 1700's.	The coat of arms for the Duke of Brittany.
A model of the château and medieval Nantes with a 14th Century tapestry in the background.	Navigation guide from the 1690's.	Manacles from the French slave trade in the 1700's. Nantes was a waypoint from Africa to the French Caribbean.
Modern painting of the cruelty of slavery.	Figurehead from a sailing ship from the 1700's.	Weapons and navigation aids from the 1750's.
Spiked slave collar and slave manifest.	Napoleon gave these keys to the local government of Nantes as symbols that they may rule in his name.	Ceramic jars and bottles from the French spice trade.
Coins and a merchant's little pocket scales.	There were several sailing ship figureheads.	15th Century armor

The Isle of Machines

I adore animatronics. Les Machines, a steam punk homage to Jules Verne, is a collection of the coolest animatronics I've ever seen (even beats out the Nice Mardi Gras floats which are wonderful themselves). The giant robot dinos at the Wild Animal Park north of San Diego and the traveling display of Insect Robots which spent some time at NASA south of Houston were also pretty great, but you couldn't ride in any of them.

Parc des Chantiers (Building Park) on the Isle of Nantes is where Les Machines de I'ile are located: The Great Elephant, The Marine Worlds Carousel and The Machine Gallery. We ran out of time before we saw the Gallery but we will be back to see the Gallery and for future Democrats Abroad meetings and to see other sites in Nantes.

The Machine Gallery, Marine Worlds Carousel and Great Elephant (along with other mechanical creations) are based on designs by Leonardo Da Vinci and ideas by Jules Verne (a famous purveyor of steam punk ideas.) The two artists/engineers of the project, Pierre Oréfice and François Delarozière are responsible for the ideas, design, and creation of the many wonderful projects at the Isle of Machines.

The Mechanical Great Elephant is staggering in size. It weighs 48 tons, stands 40 feet tall and carries 50 people. Delighted visitors watched The Great Elephant slowly walking through the Parc. We bought advanced tickets (required) to ride inside the elephant (which has three levels) watching gears and hydraulics for the motions of legs, head, tail, flapping ears and trunk. Periodically we would be treated to the simulated elephant roar (powered by compressed air manually released) and we'd also get back-splashed with water gushing from the trunk aimed at bystander children. Of course the kids squealed and giggled. Lots of happiness.

There is also Long Ma, a giant dragon and Kumo the Giant Spider (la Grande Araignee). We didn't see them during this visit - they might have been in the gallery or they may have been on loan somewhere. The Machines are loaned to other cities in France and the dragon has also been to Singapore several times. At times the big machines are together in Nantes.

The Carrousel des Mondes Marins has 3 stories with many mechanical animals on each level. The guides encouraged us to go to each level and watch the ocean animals in action and then choose an ocean creature to ride and animate as the carousel goes round.

John and I rode in a giant fish with long pointed teeth. We operated the eyes, various fins and the tail using levers, gear cranks and pedals. We could see that we were moving parts of the fish but the view from outside was more interesting. Before we boarded the ride and when the ride ended a metal gangplank/walkway extended to the opening of our creature ride to allow us to enter and exit. This was true for all the rides on the second level as we were not attached to a floor.

There is another Steam punk Carousel in Toulouse which was built by La Machine, the production company in Nantes. That carousel has been loaned to Brussels and other European cities.

La Galerie des Machines has mechanical animals, insects, plants and vehicles most of which are rides. During production the stages of development are on display in the Gallery.

The mechanical elephant at the Machines of the Isle of Nantes.	Animatronic leg	Steampunky mechanisms inside the body of the elephant.
Looking down into the inside of the elephant's leg.	Riding along side the elephant's head.	This was the compressed air elephant's trumpet.
The brass stairway had an Asian flavor.	Ruth looking down from the elephant's head.	The elephant's exterior was very ornate.
The animatronic trunk sprayed mist at the onlookers on the ground.	The elephant ride ended at the three-story carousel.	From the carousel we had a great view of the elephant with the Loire River in the background.
The carousel had animatronic steam punk creatures to ride.	Animatronic crab ride	We chose this toothy deep-sea fish for our ride.
A gangway provided our entrance into the fish.	View from the fish's belly.	Tight quarters.
Squid ride.	Undersea horses.	Animatronic flying fish.
They had tamer rides for the little ones.	I loved these old style posters.	Sailing ship anchored on the Loire River.

22.03.2018

John's birthday celebration - a day early. We are leaving for Nantes on Saturday so we moved up John's birthday celebration by one day. We planned to go to the city gates and a 60s burger place.

We hadn't checked to see if there were any strikes (strikes had been announced two days ahead of time) so we boarded our regular bus and it took us somewhere we didn't want to go. As a result we walked a bit to get to downtown, our original destination. Fortunately we live only a couple of miles from downtown so the walk home wasn't a big deal and we met some locals along the way.

We went to the 60s burger place and had an adventure with ordering the degree of doneness of the burger. Like steaks here there are 5 levels of doneness (from rarer than very rare to well done) : 1 Bleu - Done on a very hot grill for one minute on each side. 2 Saignant - Meaning bloody. Very rare, but cooked slightly longer on the second side than a bleu steak. 3 à point - Rare for British or American standards. This implies that a steak is cooked a little longer than a saignant one. 4 Bien cuit - 'well cooked'. This level will still often have some pinkness in the middle of the meat. A 'steak bien cuit' is cooked until the juices run brown on the surface of the steak. 5 Très bien cuit (!) - should get you a steak that is totally cooked through!

I couldn't remember these designations so John and I were served à point when we wanted something in between 3 and 4 (medium rare in America). This was the only burger place we've been to so far which offered more selections than well medium and medium rare. Those other burger places were geared more to American and British palettes.

So we are reminded to verify transportation strike schedules every time we go out and to refresh our knowledge of cooked meat designations before going out to eat beef.

Scheduled Railway strikes

SNCF (government run train company) workers are threatening a series of walkouts in April, May and June in response to the government's planned changes to the rail network and employment rules, which they have called "a declaration of war". Union CGT-Cheminots announced it wanted to strike "two days out of every five", beginning April 3 to June 28.

In total, the strike would spread over 36 days. The following dates, which include several during the spring holiday period and a number of 'pont' days, have been scheduled:
April: 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 28 and 29
May: 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 28 and 29
June: 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 22, 23, 27 and 28


The transportation worker strikers were joined in solidarity by students, teachers and other public sector workers. It was a very large strike (200,000 across France), but there had previously been larger ones since Macron took office. The public response was supportive but the public also supported most of Macron's planned reforms which they see as a way to avoid services going downhill.

I love these old buildings in the historical quarter of Rennes.	Basilica Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle in the historical quarter.	Archaeological dig near Basilica Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle.
The canals of Rennes provide some very peaceful scenes.	Most of the canals have footpaths for leisurely hikes.

16.03.2018

One of the local online newsletters, "The Connexion, wrote, "Spring is set to be put on hold, as a second Siberian cold snap will see winter return with a vengeance over the weekend.

National forecaster Météo-France warned temperatures are expected to fall as much as 10° C from their current spring-like levels from Saturday through to Monday, and hinted that it could remain cold for up to 10 days."

13.03.2018

Winter has returned. I thought we were going to have spring weather going forward but the temps dropped below freezing at night and in the low 40° F during the daytime. John and I needed to go to the prefecture (administration center) to change our address and the day we chose to go was very cold.

If you are a temporary resident in France you must register your new address with the prefecture everytime you move even if you move within the same prefecture. In France, a préfecture is usually in the capital city of a département. As there are 101 départements in France, there are 101 préfectures in France. A préfecture de région is in the capital city of a région. This is the city where the préfect - the appointed government representative - resides.

The prefecture in Rennes is much less crowded than was the one in Nice. Of course we were very happy about that.

Préfecture d'Ille-et-Vilaine et de la Région Bretagne.	We waited for our appointments in chairs. Much better than the long lines in Nice.	Things moved fairly quickly in spite of a computer system crash.

10.03.2018

John and I enjoy going to the swimming pool for many reasons. We love the wild animals including ducks, swan, deer and mountain goats that surround the pool building in the park and greet us as we arrive and exit. The little kids like to feed seeds to the birds and apples to the deer. It's a sweet experience. We get physical exercise and a serene closer-to-nature experience all in one.

A swan and a petit garçon say bonjour.	Ruth fed salad greens to the deer.	Cautious grandmother and little toddler feed the deer.

06.03.2018

We celebrated my birthday a day early. We visited the "Espace des Sciences" Centre, which may be translated as the "Science Centre". According to the Science Centre website, "It is an organization dedicated to the promotion and the diffusion of scientific, technical and industrial culture to a wide audience. Created in 1984 in Rennes (French Brittany), this organization, which belongs to the European network of Science Centres, obtained in 2008, from the French government department of Higher Education and Research, the label of "Science, Culture and Innovation". Among the regional science centres in France, this centre is the most visited: 180,000 visitors in 2009."

The Science Centre had an exhibit of nocturnal animal behaviors. There were displays for cute furry baby animals and for eerie creepy crawlies. There was 3D software that allowed the user to navigate through various ecosystems. Another display compared the hands/flippers of various mammals. Another display contrasted human vision with cat vision. We knew they could see well at night but we didn't know that their vision is as though a bright light is shining when we can barely see in the darkness.

The Science Centre is a cool place that has many educational shows including a planetarium. We spent about 3 hours there and there is more to see. Plus the exhibits change frequently. Next door is Merlin's Lab Check out some of the history, features and exhibits of the Brittany Science Center. Also next door to the Science Center is the city's main library which also has many educational displays.

Then we went to my favorite Mexican restaurant but, alas, it was closed for business. Sigh, I really liked that Mexican restaurant. So we went to another 60s style burger place instead.

Ruth's birthday lemon meringue pie came in a cute little box from our local bakery.	We are always on the lookout for interesting buildings on our outings.	The Rennes Science Center / public library / planetarium
The Science Museum had an exhibit of nocturnal animal behaviors.	Mother squirrel cuddling with baby	A museum is not complete unless it has some creepy crawlies.
Nocturnal mammals	There was 3D software that allowed the user to navigate through various ecosystems.	Another display compared the hands / flippers of various mammals.

02.03.2018

Spring began! The temps reached 60° F in the daytime and stayed warm for several days. Lots of sunshine and no rain or wind set a great stage for outdoor activities.

01.03.2018

The temps have been below freezing for several days which froze the pond in our park. John took some pics. He watched the ducks fly in and skid across the ice. They then slipped their way into the small patch of open water.

An artic freeze "from Russia" plus a humid front from Spain resulted in local snow, but only for 3 hours. It had already snowed for 3 days in Nice. I guess that Spanish humid front hit them sooner than it did us.

Our pond froze over but the ducks found a space where they could play in the water. It is very nice that there are so many wild animals in Rennes. And very many plants too.

There is a gazebo in Parc Oberthür which has mosaic tiles on its floor. John took some photos of the snow covered park from varied viewpoints including from the gazebo.

Danny watching the early morning snowfall from his kitty tree. He hasn't seen snow since we left Oregon.	The snowfall on our quiet street.	A thin layer of ice covers the pond at Parc Oberthür
City worker sweeping snow and duck tracks on the ice.	The ducks found a patch of water in the ice.	A view of the park from the gazebo.
Mosaics are everywhere in Rennes. This is the floor of the gazebo.	Snow covered path at Parc Oberthür	Berries and snow
Looks like John is ready to go back inside.	Snow covered Rennes Mairie de Rennes (city hall)	Parlement de Bretagne (Parliament building of Brittany)