September 29, 2021
Rest Day: Nantes à vélo
Yesterday we bought an assortment of mini pastries, mostly because the price was right. We said to each other: this is too much for breakfast, but they'll make good snacks for later. It was not too much for breakfast. I'm the one who ate all the "extras" we had planned to save.
Michel arrived right on time, and we had to scramble a bit to get ready:
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I was glad to hand the navigation reins over to him again, while he took us across the river and along the south side so that our tour would make a sort of loop. Today was an exercise in balance and handling. There were a lot of sharp turns, varying surfaces, and pedestrians to dodge. I love that Michel showed us some unusual places, such as this pasture just outside the city:
We also rode to the Memorial de l'abolition de l'esclavage, which, as Michel explained it, was a recognition of Nantes's role in the slave trade. It made a pretty powerful statement. I don't think it's included in the walking tours of the city.
Everyone talks about the elephant. Here's the elephant. It's on a pretty cool island. The elephant is cool, and the little kids went absolutely bananas (peanuts?) over it:
Jules Verne is Nantes's hometown hero. The mechanical fancies created here follow a steampunk aesthetic that would have made him proud. I have to admit that I've never read any of Verne's stories. Time to add him to my reading list.
As we approached the city center, we began to realize that this is the largest city we've visited since leaving Paris. It has the kind of big plazas that make Europe such an awe-inspiring continent:
Nantes has its own château:
It has lots of interesting public art:
It has plenty of waterfront to enjoy:
I joked with Michel that he should quiz us at the end of the tour. To be honest, I would have failed it. I was as engaged with the bike ride as I was with the sightseeing. It's always fun to combine the two, even if both get a little watered down in the process.
I'd like to thank Michel for his generosity, and to this community for connecting us.
We ended the tour in time for me to tackle the stove-cleaning project. I was wary of losing a part, or reinstalling something backwards, or any number of careless things that turn my attempts to repair an item into a trip to the store to replace it. I followed the instructions I found online, all of which made perfect sense, until I got to the point of reinstalling this little needle valve. Which way did the needle point when I dropped it out of the cylinder? With no photos or further instruction to guide me, I made a guess and hoped for the best. I primed the stove. So far so good. I turned the fuel knob. Sputter, sputter, sputter... Oh great, I broke it. Then all of a sudden: clean blue flame! It was a wondrous sight. I'll continue to report on its performance, since there seems to be some interest in it. Not everyone cooks while on tour, but we'd be pretty dead in the water without the stove.
There is a storm approaching, and we don't quite know what to do about it. I decided to kick the can down the road, declaring that we would camp tomorrow night and then reassess on Friday morning. By that time our tent will probably be wet, but we'll be near Angers and should have lots of options for holing up in a dry place.
Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 1,379 km (856 miles)
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3 years ago