Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Saturday's Happenings

This past Saturday, my friend Peter and I ventured off into the great abyss that is Nantes on a Saturday. There were many things we had set out to accomplish, including the Mediatheque market and the Solidarite du Chocolat. After meeting at the IES building, we were sucked into the amazing thing called the Internet for a few moments. Poor Peter is living without any kind of Internet at his host family’s house, so he had a desperate need to check his email. Although technology engulfed us for some minutes, we shifted ourselves back into everyday-life mode in order to go to the Mediatheque market. I had no presuppositions as to what a Saturday market in Nantes would entail. Not far from the IES building, there is an area called Mediatheque, right near the Loire River. Peter and I walked a few blocks down to where we had heard the market would be, and I think we were both expecting to see something small. Instead, we were met with a scene of red and white tents, thousands of people, fresh fish, and different types of underwear. The market was full of anything and everything, including meet, produce, breads, and fresh pastas as well as low-budget clothing, shoes, and 40 packs of batteries. Seeing the market was an immediate attack on all of my senses, as there was too much to see. I felt the need to slowly look at every piece of merchandise as well clutch my bag and run out from amongst the tents as fast as possible. The market was quite an experience, and although I am glad I went, I will probably not go again just for the experience. The smell of fish on busy city roads mixed with roast chicken, bread, and the smell of cheap fabric does not need to meet my nose again. Next on the agenda for the day was a chocolate festival Nantes was hosting. It is called “La solidarite de chocolat” which translates into “chocolate solidarity.” The point of this festival is to bring people and cultures together through chocolate. The majority of the funds from the two-week festival go to a big boat race that will be happening in order to raise money for world hunger non-profit programs. The boats are all parked in the Loire River right now, and at the end of this week, they will all sail away to St. Nazaire, a port city on the Atlantic Ocean. The chocolate festival was held on Ile-de-Nantes, which is an island that sits in the middle of the Loire River. The island is still considered Nantes, but you just have to cross a bridge to get there. It was one of my first times going to this area of Ile-de-Nantes, and I amused myself greatly with chocolate and with seeing all of the sites. My friends and I walked half of the length of the island, seeing many of the old industrial sites that are a part of Nantes history. While walking, we were fascinated by a boat that was carrying people from one side of the Loire to another. After crossing back over the Loire, we tracked down where we could take this boat from. It just so happens that the boat is part of the “Tan” or the public transportation system here in Nantes. Since all of us students have monthly passes to use any “Tan” transportation, we decided to take the boat to the other side of the Loire. We truly had no idea where this adventure would take us, but about five minutes later, we discovered the answer. The boat docked in an area called Reze which is just another city across from Nantes. Reze has a great deal of history in its architecture, as it is home to many small doors and shuttered windows. Not finding that much to see and with food on our mind, my three friends and I found ourselves a nice creperie in which we ate our lunch. A bottle of cidre, a crepe, and a galette later, the three of us got back on the “Tan” boat and back to our lives as Nantais.

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