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People of Nantes – Summer 2015 [2]
After Bastille Day, the atmosphere changed in Nantes. Many Nantais are now on holiday, they have been replaced by tourists from all over France and Europe. They are easy to spot: they have a map in...
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Right Place, Right Time
There are many decisions, situations or beliefs in life that I understand or sympathize with even though I take another road myself. I understand woman who don’t want to have kids, those who want a big...
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Industrial Wasteland on a Rainy Day
Some days are sunny, some days are cloudy and some days are—gasp!—rainy. I grew up in Nantes, I can take rain. In Canada, when rain is forecast, people don’t even go out. In Nantes, it’s business as...
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Connected
“Oh, a plane!” “Wow, this one is flying low…” “Oh, regarde l’avion!” You can tell tourists from locals in Nantes just by the way newcomers look up when they hear the sound of aircraft engines roaring...
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Not (Really) Guilty
“You’ve never visited the Courthouse?” “I didn’t even know you could go inside!” “Feng and I have been there a few times. They let you in as long as you don’t linger. They probably don’t want tons of...
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Honey, We Frenchized the Kid
Granted, Mark doesn’t speak much French except “au revoir”, “merci”, “grand-maman”, “bonjour”, etc. It seems to understand it just fine, though (just don’t mention le manège, he knows exactly what I’m...
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People of Nantes – Summer 2015 [3]
It started to rain last Sunday and it lasted for three days. Three long days during which we got soaked from head to toes. There isn’t much to do indoors in Nantes so we shrugged the weather off and...
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Cookies Heaven
In Saint-Michel, the old-fashioned cookie shop and nearby factory were revamped. For years, no one cared about the small galette Saint-Michel and other goodies, but now, they are back in the game. Good...
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Low Tide, High Tide
All along the coast of Brittany, the difference between low tide and high tide is pretty amazing. When it’s marée basse, it’s time to look for small crabs, mussels and other seashells on the rocks. I’m...
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At Least, the Ocean is Polite
“Bonjour!” It takes my eyes a second or two to get used to the darkness. Inside the bakery, the blinds are closed and I’ve just walked the two-kilometre-long road along the beach under the midday sun....
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Cultural Snapshot: 4 Things Found in Nantes [4]
Here is another installment of the “things found in Nantes” series, with the latest pictures! Broken glass on the Isle of Nantes French streets aren’t very clean. The stereotype of people stepping in...
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Written on Walls
I was kind of hoping for a major protest while we were in Nantes, but the streets remained quiet. July and August are les grandes vacances and the news focus on innocuous seasonal topics—the weather,...
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Postcards of Nantes
Nantes is a pretty place. I always tell Feng he is lucky that I’m from a sizable city and not Trifouillis-les-Oies (a French euphemism for “out in the sticks”). I mean, come on, a castle, old...
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Cultural Snapshot: 4 Things Found in Nantes [5]
Here is another installment of the “things found in Nantes” series, with the latest pictures! Le Paradis (for fast-food lovers) When foreigners think of French food, they usually picture huge loaves...
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Don't Lick Your Computer Screen
While we are flying from the old world to the new continent, enjoy some bread and pastries on me. Just don’t lick your computer screen. You can find all the picture in the France 2015 set. Pains au...
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Domaine de la Garenne Lemot and French People’s Illogical Nature
French people are very illogical human beings. I know what I’m saying—I’m one of them. I suspect it’s a genetic trait because my very French family also can’t help making seemingly illogical decisions....
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Grafikama Exhibition: Modern Graphic Art from Africa Rules!
Yet another day, yet another art exhibition to visit! In France, when in doubt, go check out some art. Love it or hate it, ultimately, who cares?—what matters most is having an opinion and feeling...
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“La Rentrée” Is in The Air…
One by one, all the small businesses that were closed in August are reopening their doors after the traditional “grandes vacances” break. Supermarket aisles are full of “back to school” specials and...
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The Art of Hanging Paintings With The Artist
So when I’m not visiting art exhibitions, my services are required to take pictures of an upcoming event and figure out the art of hanging 52 large paintings in one of Nantes’ most famous...
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A Strange Meteorological Phenomenon at Saint-Brevin l’Océan
At 11 p.m., my mum suggested a plan for the following day: a trip to the Forêt du Gâvre, a large forest near Blain. At first, I thought she was joking. At home, the words “Forêt du Gâvre” are a synonym...
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