A day out in Nantes

We went to Nantes for a day and found this building which is almost finished - laser cut stainless steel which looks amazing

I love the reflection of the trees on the steel

.....and then we went to see "Les Machines de l'Ile" - another very different technical marvel


This elephant walked around the whole area and we were on it! Very steampunk in design and beautifully made - powered by a Heath Robinson type diesel engine.
The elephant itself is made of wood with leather ears and it moves exactly like a real one in every way, swaying and shooting water & steam out of his trunk - and bellowing at the crowd.

 

Another truly amazing thing is the fact that there were no barricades, no seat belts and people could wander in and out of its path

 

OZ Workplace, Health and Safety would have a fit

Here's my other boy

Photo from Gabrielle, showing Roy relaxing on his favourite stool

Both Roy and the house & garden are thriving under the tender care of our friends.

The Arboretum in South Angers

Seven acres in the middle of town - what a delight

For those who want to see more of DM

Here he is!
The upstairs floor in our house was not built for modern Aussies - even I hit my head.

Once again in the forest of Durtal

Chateau Montgeoffroy

We had a private tour of this place - but no interior photos allowed. Unusual, as we have been able to photograph, sans flash, everywhere else.

The very personable young man gave me a set of postcards which weren't our sort of take on the place. Especially as the kitchen with it's 128 copper pots and the circular tack room were to die for - but not done justice I feel.

Anyway here's a few of the exteriors, no doubt with a few more to come.

We were there for hours and got this shot of the gateway as we were leaving at sundown.

One for Bob Blasdall

You know, Bob, how I captured DM's heart with my horse riding ability on Dunk Island.....

Certainly haven't improved much.

A couple of very French portraits

 

Don't ask me who he is, but I like him and he has bobbed up in a couple of places

 

In Angers

After the visit of the Equipe Cableage

We are go for uploading

More images from the light show in Angers

One of the riverbank in Chinon

These are on the drive to Durtal, 20 mins away

...and these are in the moat of the chateau in Angers. There was never any water - they kept their animals in there and grew vegetables.