Most school-age children in Nantes have a half day of school on Wednesdays, meaning Ella is home just after noon. You’ll recall that last Wednesday we used the early afternoon to find the ultimate American cheeseburger, and even discussed returning to the Burger House for another today. But we decided instead to go for a long walk in the direction of the end of Line 2 of the tram, walking on dirt trails and through a lovely neighborhood. We got a simple lunch and then wandered over to where we could catch the tram back home. As we waited I started taking pictures.

Among the many pictures I took is this one of Ella at the tram stop. Both buses and trams use it, so there are more places for people to wait. But what’s striking are these very interesting seats, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before at a bus stop or train station. They’re like tiny isolation booths that cause your voice to echo when you speak. I was reminded of the “Cone of Silence” from the classic TV show “Get Smart” (one of my favorites, as you might recall). Do you see how she’s enclosed in glass? I’m sitting in one and Ella is sitting in one across from me.

Once on the tram I took a few more pictures and then we passed my favorite library. Just past that there is a little two-day circus going on. From the tram we saw a few ostriches and some miniature horses grazing. This may cause you to wonder what we actually ate for lunch, I know. Cone of Silence, Ostriches, Miniature Horses. I didn’t even mention the ghost that showed up in one of the pictures!