Exploring Nantes

France Sightseeing in Nante (Tue 19 June 2018)

Weather: 16⁰C min – 24⁰C max, mostly cloudy

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“When in doubt, pedal it out.” ~ Unknown

After spending the morning exploring from the seat of my bicycle I have decided that, of all the towns I have stayed at during this tour of France, Nantes is my favourite. So much character in this town, amazing architecture, beautiful botanical garden, creative and innovative, and a foodies delight. There is so much to see and do here it is a pity I am only staying two days.

The first thing I did when I awoke was to prepare a 12 Km route winding around Nante’s main attractions, including: the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, the Bouffay District, the Quai des Antilles on the île de Nantes, and the Jardin des Plantes. One of the good things about bike touring is that you can cover a lot of ground in a short time.

First off was the Cathédrale, which I think you will agree from the photos is incredible with all its stained glass windows as well as tombs containing deceased persons obviously of some importance.

Next I discovered my favourite district in Nantes – the Bouffay Quarter which, during medieval times, was the heart of Nantes. The Place du Bouffay and its adjoining narrow streets is full of shops, bars and restaurants in every imaginable style, while still retaining its medieval flavour, with a few timber-framed buildings dating back to the 15th century. This is where fairs, markets, jousting contests and even executions were once held.

Three centuries of development have made the Jardin des Plantes the beautiful place that it is today. Whichever direction I looked there were photographs begging to be taken as I wheeled my bicycle through the gardens.

The île de Nantes (Island of Nantes) is an island located in the centre of the city, surrounded by two branches of the Loire River. On the western tip of the island is the Quai des Antilles, which is part of the renewal project of the former port sites. Redevelopment has been cleverly carried out so as to retain the site’s history, with cobblestones and rails conserved, while catering for new uses of the area by creating a beautiful boulevard of broad sidewalks, restaurants, bars, and bicycle lanes. But clearly the highlight of the island is the Grand Elephant that lives in the central street of the warehouses. When the massive, majestic, wooden and metal animal goes out for a walk,up to 50 passengers on board embark for an amazing journey. While I was there a group of young kiddies were squealing with delight every time the elephant squirted water out of his trunk in their direction.

Tonight I am heading straight for Place du Bouffay, which has plenty of my type of unpretentious restaurants where good food can be obtained without breaking the bank.