April adventures in the pays nantais with Arielle et Liria

On the first Saturday of les vacances d'avril (the April break), the clouds cleared from the sky and the people, for the most part, cleared from la Roche-sur-Yon.  That evening, I waited on the quai at the station for my friend Ali's train to roll in from Paris, bringing the total of Americans in la Roche up to three.

We spent un jour tranquille (a calm day) here as everything was closed in true Sunday fashion.  We took full advantage of the sunshine and blue skies to picnic in a park, sampling an assortment of Vendéen specialties, and to plan out our week of travels.  It's calming to find that some friendships remain, not exactly the same, but just as strong despite the distance and time apart.  This year, I've often experienced what I've started calling the "Splinching Effect" (for those of you who dabble in Harry Potter lexicon): instances when I'm very aware of existing somewhere between two countries, two languages, and multiple sets of cultural norms.  Times when I want to refer to a Minnesota joke or stereotype in the staff lounge and no one gets it; when I'm speaking English to an American and I realize I'm translating phrases directly from French and it sounds strange; when I find myself starting to understand and defend the French bureaucratic system (yes, it happened)...  It's nice to find that, despite these twists in personality and mannerisms, I have consistent relationships on both sides of the Atlantic.

Nantes' claim to fame

Monday was a sunny day spent in Nantes, making the usual tour of the château, gardens, churches, Loire riverbanks, and winding streets of the Bouffay neighborhood.  I crossed an item off my Nantes bucket list: seeing the giant mechanical elephant take a group of passengers on a walk around the Île des Machines!  People strolled the streets and lounged on the grass near the river, a welcome change after the long rainy season.

Tuesday brought another boost of vitamin D, this time in the seaside town of la Rochelle, which is about an hour southwest by train.  The town is very old with a long fishing industry history, which we learned about at the Musée Maritime.  Through the process of being jostled between English and French rule in the past, the fishermen community developed and is now known for their rather rebellious and independent spirit.  Part of the museum includes going through an old naval ship; we survived the tiny corridors and steep steps to see the boiler rooms, navigation boards, and living quarters.

Walking around the Vieux Port

Today, la Rochelle is a popular vacation spot, complete with a huge port, sandy beaches, and a comfortable centre-ville of shops and restaurants.  There are also boat tours out on the sea, a huge aquarium, and a plethora of water sports that can be booked.

After the day of exploration and our fill of beach time, we headed back to la Roche for an exciting evening of...packing our bags for la suite!

P.S.  I'll just leave this here:

Spotted in Nantes