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Published: April 12th 2007
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Well, Thursday morning I set out bright and early for Nantes to rescue my monkey. I got a free stuffed monkey (see photo below) with my big box of PGtips tea in England and then promptly left him in the hotel in Nantes in February.
So I got myself out of bed and onto the 7:22 bus to the station. Nearly left my 12-25 Discount card in my room which would have meant getting to the bus station, turning around and going back to bed. Got a one-way ticket to Nantes so I wasn't commiting to a return time.
I browsed the magazine store repeatedly but nothing looked very interesting and eventually I had browsed the shelfs long enough I didn't need a magazine anyway.
I slept most the train ride to Nantes and got there just before 10. I learned last time that Nantes is more than compact enough to walk, so I skipped the tram and started walking into town.
I had absolutely beautiful weather, warm and sunny with no chilly breeze.
I stopped and crossed the highway to go look at the funky tower that Sarah and I took pictures of from
French Graffitti
I liked how it says "Limite" with the E like it would be in French. :P the chateau last time. I didn't figure out what it was until later when I found a postcard, but it's the LU tower- the makers of Petite Ecoliers amongst other biscuits and cookies.
There was a fair set up by the Chateau and I walked around it and got some pictures then started walking through the old center of town towards the Musee des Beaux Arts. I first came across a sign that said "Chapel of Immaculate Conception" or such this way! Come look! So I went... and there was nothing to see. It was not only shut, but you can see below the car that was parked in front of the door. You couldn't see much on the oustide half that showed and the other side was cut off by the dead-ending of the road into a private building complex.
There was at least a sign on the way down the little street that said some famous composer was born there, so I guess that was interesting. But in the end I backtracked and continued to the museum.
It was a cute little museum, a bit from each era and some crazy and some good modern
Fastest way to church?
Why just drive right up to the door, of course! art. One of my favorites was http://www.artnet.de/artwork_images_1064_238388_jean-emile-laboureur.jpg but not just the etchin, in color.
Lots of pretty paintings of Italy as well. 😊
After that I went to a big garden. It was absolutely beautiful- statues, fountains, all kinds of flowers, waterfalls, duckies... it was huge and beautifully in bloom. The whole place had a sweet scent.
I sat on a bench on the edge where I could look out at all the flowers but for the pretty roses behind me and had a picnic. I had a camembert sandwhich, orange, apple, grapes and chocolate. Quite a picnic feast. I hope they sell Jazz apples at home soon- they are a great new braeburn/gala cross. Mmm...
I felt something hit my head and rubbed off some muddy looking brown... couldn't figure what it had fallen from so some creature may have shat on me but it was still a nice picnic.
Then I walked back through town around all the little shops and the bustle of the locals to the hotel and rescued monkey! It's nice to have him back. The center of Nantes is great- it's that very French looking architecture with lots of
iron balconies. Lots of neat random little shots and of course the same old stores you find everywhere here like Galleries Lafayette.
After that I didn't want to go to the history or Jules Verne museum since it was so nice out and I don't like his books anyway, so I sat in the Place du Commerce and had a nice diablo fraise- strawberry soda.
After taking my time there I headed back out to the train station thinking I'd catch an earlier train that I expected. I got there 3 minutes before the 3:25 left to find out the next one wasn't until 5 - what I had planned on originally. So I bought a ticket and headed to a cafe across the street for some much needed espresso.
Did my best not to fall asleep at the table and then went back over to catch my train. Didn't get as much sleep on the train back as it was packed and the girl next to me got up a lot (quite apologetically).
I got back and to my room around 7 concluding a long but fabulous day.
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