Before becoming a teacher, Dana worked as an architect (in fact, she has a masters in architecture from Yale). So, if you know Melinda’s attraction to all things design-related, it will come as no surprise to learn that the two women spent the day exploring Nantes with an eye on design. I came along for about half of this, including the first stop, which was to Le Lieu Unique.

If you are familiar with the delicious Lu biscuits (cookies), they were created in Nantes and for years made in this building. On January 1, 2000, it reopened as a contemporary arts center. It’s pretty darn cool and I can’t believe today was Melinda’s and my first trip to it. I took today’s arty photo of Dana and Melinda (with the help of a mirror) inside the building. Learn more about the building at Wikipedia.

We exited the old biscuit factory and started heading west, our final destination being the Machines de l’île,
something we knew Dana would love. But as we started walking, there was a long line outside a bakery, a sign that the food was good. So we grabbed some sandwiches (jambon beurre), stopped to eat them next to the river, and then continued on our walk. Dana was excited by the architectural design of several buildings, which pleased Melinda no end. I made my exit as we arrived at the “machines,” which you should really check out at this YouTube page.