During our ride yesterday, Dodie's MKS quick release pedal fell off three times. We kept putting it back on, and each time it appeared that the quick release mechanism was working properly. Clearly there was a deeper fault that we just could not see. So late last night Michel and I crept out to the garage for a look.
We used a flashlight and a little pick to see if the little ball bearings in the pedal socket were there and working right. It seemed OK, but we dug up a pedal wrench and removed the quick release fitting so we could hold it in our hands and examine it. We were not sure quite what we were looking at, so I went to remove the other side for comparison. Finding that other side jammed (which has happened before) we used a pliers to free it. It responded by popping out a mystery wire. So in summary - now both sides were buggered.
In response to that, Michel dragged out a new pair of standard pedals - the ones that had come originally with his trike. When I remarked that I would bring the defective pedals home but probably throw them out, Michel pointed out that if I threw them now, I could substitute, in terms of airline weight restrictions, a couple of pounds (actually, 405 grams) of French chocolate bars. Now there is an idea!
When morning came, I asked to cycle to the bakery - since this is one of my favourite European activities, not usually possible in North America. At the bakery, the baker was quite interested in Michel's trike. Now here I was, wearing a big grey coat that Michel had leant me, and my bike devoid of all panniers. Childishly, I said to the baker "Hey my bike is neat too - it folds, you know". "Oh, yeah", was the weak reply.
So there it is. Our trip is not over yet - we still have days of cycling planned, we have a trip to Paris planned. But just like that we are beginning to blend back in to the background. We had better start planning the next major outing asap! We have a number of ideas. In one of these pages soon we will post them and see what comments they may draw.
Grampies are beginning to fade away for this trip, but hang in there - it's not over until its over!
St Luce, where Michel lives, is 10 km east of Nantes, on the same north side of the river. Michel's plan for running us around on the bikes today took us to the south side of the river and up a tributary of the Loire, called the Sevre. The Sevre enters the Loire just opposite Nantes. However there is a large island in the Loire just at Nantes, so the city itself may not always be visible from points on the south shore.
At some distance up the Sevre we stopped for a picnic. As always, I was amazed by the heavy duty equipment that seemed to exit from Michel's gear. This time it included a large salad bowl, salad dressing in a jar, and a jar of pickles.This, especially the jar of pickles, made us think of the scene in the original MASH movie, where Trapper John pulls a jar of olives out of his parka, to make a proper martini in the middle of Korea.
This area around the Sevre is quite moist, and it seems two types of cattle do well in such lands. The one is actually Highland cattle, the ones with the large horns. So we came upon a small herd of these. One of the little calves was so furry and little, it seemed almost like a dog. The second type is simply called Nantaise. These have horns too, but not so big, and faces much like Brown Swiss.
Michel will be our guide to this section of the Loire.
The next thing along the south shore is the little village or district called Trentemoult. This is a former fishing village, where the houses were built in three stories, with the bottom one often abandoned to flooding that did occur on the Loire. The houses are often painted with bright colours, making a picturesque combination.
Colourful Michel by one of the colourful three story fishing village houses
The island that is opposite Nantes in the river, Ile de Nantes, is the site of former shipbuilding industries and formed part of the port at Nantes. It includes a large warehouse that is known as Le Hangar a Bananes, though presumably it was not just bananas that were offloaded there. The building is now entirely filled with restaurants. Beyond this on the island is something that has become a famous Nantes symbol, the Galerie des Machines. The star performer here is a giant mechanical "elephant", with articulated legs and trunk. The thing does not actually walk on its legs, relying on wheels instead, and it is not internally powered, relying on a power plant behind. Still, it is an impressive thing to see.
The company that constructed the elephant has now completed a similarly animated dragon, that was on view here while a Chinese crew was trained. The dragon is presumably somewhere in China now. The next project seems to be a giant tree populated by birds, and called l'Arbre Aux Herons. Maybe we will stop by in a few years and see how they are doing.
One thing that is well known here, but of course not to us, is that Nantes was the city of Jules Verne (1828-1905). author of many adventure novels, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Around the World in 80 Days, etc. Apparently Jules Verne was big on sailing, and had a boat called the St Michel. Recently the St. Michel II was built here on Isle de Nantes, and we stopped in to see the workshop. There was really not much to see there, but one of the workers took an interest in us, no doubt because of the Canadian flags on our backs. A long conversation resulted, mostly a monologue from the fellow, reviewing the history of French emigration to Canada. In the end, my language circuits again overheated, and I was glad Michel was there to say our final comments and goodbyes. The takeaway message I got from this, though, was again the close connection that the French still feel with French Canada. Unfortunately I can not say that I detected the same reciprocal feeling in Canada, even in Quebec.
The Jules Verne museum, across the river. We may check it out tomorrow.
This former naval vessel (now painted crazy colours) is a museum. Lucette, one of our companions in the ride from Ancenis yesterday, works there as a guide.
From Isle de Nantes we headed back to St Luce, along the north side of the river, but not going into Nantes downtown. We are saving that for tomorrow, I think. Meanwhile we continued to notice the many apartment buildings on the outskirts. These often seem to have a bit of quirky design. I would not necessarily say that Nantes has developed an interesting and unique modern style, but almost.
Michel prepared galette at supper, which is a kind of a crepe made from buckwheat flour. Typically you cook ham and eggs inside it. I surprised Michel by putting maple syrup on it. Michel surprised me by actually having maple syrup!
