Mom's Thoughts on France, pt 4

This is how we traveled in Nantes- by tram. It was exciting. Nantes is a very busy place, full of romance and high energy. It’s a mix of old and new. The cathedral Saint-Pierre marked the high point of this destination. Never had I seen such an enormous structure. An ice arena was set up just outside the gigantic cathedral doors- a clash in time as young skaters glided around to the sound of Reggae.

Then there was the walled city of Guerande. Oh was it cold there. This was another huge giant step back into time. We walked on cobblestone streets. We peered into shop windows. We looked at unique stone shop signs and ornate stone statues. In fact, we liked it so much that we made two trips to Guerande.

We toured many castles. Some were in ruins and some were as if you could move right in and set up your kingdom. Castle Ranrouet, on the Guerande peninsula, is within walking distance of Herbignac. Standing in ruins, surrounded by what was once a moat, it inspires you to wonder about what life must have been like in the Middle Ages. As we walked around the structure, I imagined residing in such a fortress. It was here that we saw our first gypsies. We were told that gypsies are a common site and roam freely throughout the country. They travel in painted wooden wagons pulled by horses.

(Mom got a more romantic picture of this than the usual! The gypsies we saw really were in painted, horse-drawn wagons - very pretty and very unusual. Most of the "drifters" we see in Brittany travel in modern campers and are a huge annoyance. They trash up parking lots, bother the locals, steal and vandalize as they go... and they always seem to haul along several noisy, yapping dogs that you can hear howling from across the village every night.)

We visited the Chateau de Suscinio. This magnificent castle was in pristine condition, as if patiently awaiting the return of the Lord and Lady of the Manor. I wished we could have had more time to explore its vastness. There were grand halls leading from room to room. In the open arena inside the castle walls you could almost hear the sound of horses clashing as jousting took place, with veiled ladies waving and cheering. You could hear the echoing voices bouncing from wall to wall. There was a well in the center of the arena. We wandered through passages surrounding the entire chateau.