returntojazzzzzz

A return to Nantes exactly a year from my last visit - such a fantasticly french town - they have a jazz festival where main streets are closed off to traffic and every year commission masses of new public art and a curated exhibition across the city - most excellent - cycling is great as there are numerous bike lanes - Jazz is everywhere and its all free saw Big Chief Juan Pardo & Nala 7 Brass Band - hiphop jazz and Dolphin hyperspace - which was mad Space jazz. Great street food and a beautiful vibe! Fantastic exhibitions in interesting buildings - highlights were Anne-Charlotte Finel's mesmerising videos in the cathedral crypt, Justine Emard's truly haunting show at le lieu Unique - if you go check out their plat du jour - always amazing. HAB has a slightly heavy handed curated exhibition about the moon. The best work were the early documents and photographs. The chateau /castle had an brillant exhibition contextualising France's and Nantes role in its colonial past by Omar Victor Diop, excellent photographs. To be fair the whole space tells France's and Nantes role in slavery through objects and testimony. After 3 days went out to Les Sables-d'Olonne, by train to pick up bikes to cycle 20 miles to Longeville-sur-Mer where cycling and swimming and eating and reading were the only activities. Stayed in an amazing Airbnb 500 yrds from the sea. In terms of reading I've got to recommend Human kind by Bregman - it will change how you cope with the world. Recursion by Blake Crouch will twist time in your mind - I would love a diagram. The things we never say by Elizabeth Strout has given a road map going forwards by enabling me to reflect on the past. Stayed here! my review!! OMG I LOVE your house - its full of the most beautiful objects so thoughtfully displayed - discovering them brings joy - the narrative between the postcard and the bookends almost too much! - ceramics to DIE for - pictures to contemplate (the seascape in the bedroom is especially special) and then the design of house itself is SCANDALOUS - wonderfully ostentatious and yet petite - like a stubborn small child proudly squatting holdingtheir ground - inside EVERYTHING is considered and followed through to create a whole, designed for a purpose. 

cyclesreturn

A long week in France top and tailed in Nantes. This is an amazing city that has worked out that in a post-industrial world culture is the answer to having a thriving, successful city. There are wonderful, shared spaces full of art and possibilities. Most visible is Le Grand Éléphant https://www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/en/discover/the-grand-elephant/ it is actually worth actually having a ride on it. The museums and galleries are excellent - top recommendation is le unique - a best kept local secret is the plait du jour. Over the week I ate endless moules et frits, oysters, and pastries to die for. In between got a train to Pornic then cycled to Noirmoutier-en-L'lle across a tidal causeway - I do not recommend this if the red lights are flashing. Cycling through water up to the bikes crank in the dark as the tide is making the road invisible is not fun but after the 3-mile ride you do feel alive. The landscape is brutal, controlled and organised by man to industrially farm molluscs. When cycling make sure you look at the wind direction as it will determine your level of pain. Noirmoutier-en-L'lle itself is dinky, very few cars, the area appears designed for cycling around, the most challenging part of the day is working out what to eat and what wine to match it with. Managed to get some reading in - Orbital - what a gem of a book, it reminded me of Moby Dick in that it's not a book about space travel in that Moby Dick isn't all about whales. It was good to make time for reading two books that bounced off each other - both self-help books disguised as novels - The Course of Love by Alain du Bolton about relationships and Midnight Library by Matt Haig about the choices we make. They were both a little too close to feel totally comfortable but on reflection they have a lot to offer.