Inside Student BlogsThe Last Days in NantesNantes, Spring 2012
There are too many things going on at the same time, and not enough time to process it all. This is the end of a semester, meaning there are finals. It is also a move, which entails packing up and heading out from a place where you have lived. It is the end of a trip, where you want to make the most of everything, and see everyone before going. It is a goodbye to people you may not see for a while. When you pack all that into the same couple of weeks, it’s just weird. There’s nothing else to say.
Never before have I chosen to go to a bar with friends rather than studying for a final. Granted, I’ve never been able to go to a bar during finals time before, but that’s beside the point. When you only have so much time left with these people and places, it’s not the same as a normal semester. (But don’t worry Mom and Dad, I believe I did quite well on my finals).
I think the weather has known we feel weird, because it has been cloudy and dramatic, and quite rainy for a while. I don’t think my umbrella can take much more of it actually. It’s been a running joke that it could kill someone, because several of its spines are now no longer attached to the umbrella material. This both shrinks the area protected from the rain, and makes my umbrella a great source of fear among all nearby people with eyes.
Despite the clouds, we have been able to make the most of these last days. I went to Hangar à Bananes for the first time. It is an area of bars, clubs, and restaurants that used to be an old banana hanging area (I think to ripen them before sale). Being there at night is the best because of the lights. I also saw the Jules Verne museum, and picked up a Jules Verne book. Apparently, he is still one of the 15 most read authors in the world. I am definitely more interested in reading more of his books now.
We also ate on a boat as our farewell diner with IES. That was wonderful. I don’t think I can put the end of this trip into a good description. So I won’t try. I will say that it has been amazing, I have changed, I have met great people, I have improved my French. These pictures are a seemingly random assortment of some of the final moments from my Nantes experience. At least, this time around.
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- At night, this part of the Isle of Nantes is light up with these rings.
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- The banana crane at the Isle of Nantes. Or it might have been used for picking up ships. Not quite sure.
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- This is one of the places where they would build ships and then slide them in and out of the water.
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- At night, the chateau is lit up by these red lights.
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- I think this illustrates Addie quite well. This is in the music room, after having played music for a while.
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- This is on the way to our river boat diner, the celebratory conclusion to our program.
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- Dining on the boat.
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- A view of a really cool little chateau along the river.
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- This is a model of a plane design by Jules Verne, displayed at the Jules Verne Museum.
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- I don’t think this would actually fly very well. Sorry Jules.
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- Here is a view from the museum. The clouds are crazy.
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- The little white house up there is the Jules Verne Museum.
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- More intense clouds.
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- This is a really wonderful house in Nantes. And, there was good weather that day!
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