Well, Bonnie pretty much summed it up in her last blog entry. We are trying to stay positive and focused, and the travel is a good distraction.

We spent our one free day in Nantes, a mild but wet one, experiencing some of the city's more interesting sights. Probably the most unique among them was a short walk from the hotel on an island in the middle of the Loire River. It was called Les Machines de L'le, an attraction unlike any other we've seen. Of course we started out with a bang. As we arrived, the rain hit hard ,so we ducked into a cafe on the grounds for a tea to wait out the weather. Lots of folks were milling around, and there seemed to be some event going on. Food was laid out, and coffee flowing, pretty odd for a Sunday morning. We thought that it was a community event, and joined in. Maybe 15 minutes into it, when Bonnie struck up a conversation, we learned that we had become wedding crashers. There was no sign of a bride and groom in garb, and everyone was casually dressed. Needless to say, as soon as we found out, we got outta there. So, this was how our day would start.

Nantes is the birthplace of Jules Verne, and a group of engineers who started out as buskers have gone the way of the Cirque, and grown to become a large enterprise. They are masters of creating exotic machines that replicated huge animals made out of metal and wood. There are lifelike, fully moving, engine driven and capable of accommodating 2 or more passengers..We saw a flying heron, a huge monstrous looking spider, an ant, and a caterpillar. Each took a few lucky ones for a short demonstration ride. We joined the horde of spectators.

But the highlight was a huge 3-story high elephant that was very lifelike, and gave 45 -minute rides around the grounds to 50 passengers at a time . This massive machine walked, blasted out ear-splitting elephant calls, sprayed water from its ever moving trunk, flapped its ears and wagged its tail. It was so very impressive, so of course, we had to go on a ride. Because we had arrived early, we had snagged two ride tickets.We rode at the very top. It was a surreal experience to say the least. If you're interested, here's a video of the elephant.on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrTnYOWi1RIWith this amazing experience, and somewhat lightheaded, we then tried a 3-level carousel on the grounds that had a fantastical nautical theme. Believe it or not, it was a thrilling ride, as we opted for a wildly rocking rowboat. We hung on for dear life, but laughed all the way through.After all this excitement, we were ready for some of the more traditional sightseeing. We did a walking tour through the narrow streets in the oldest part of Nantes, visiting a 500-year old fort-like Chateau built for the Dukes of Brittany, a massive cathedral, and other historical sights in the area. Dinner spots were plentiful, with a majority of them offering crepes of all types. So, crepes it would be. We found a charming little place with a warm ambiance, ordered some wine, and had a relaxing and enjoyable meal. The French know how to cook! The rain had returned and we scurried back to our hotel. Along the way, I was tempted to hop onto a lamppost and sing ala Gene Kelley. By the way, if you're wondering where our photos are, we have had a minor problem. Our tablet chose Nantes as the place to bid its farewell. It has breathed its last byte, I'm afraid, and until I can get a replacement, it will have to be text only for now.(Oh happy day. Pictures have been retroactively added.)