Petit Beurre

Nantes is the home of petit beurre, a type of biscuit. Xavier tells me the romantic story of the LU factory where the first petit beurre was baked.

LU is actually the initial letters of the baker's and his wife's names. How romantic is this!

The next morning Xavier leaves home early for work and makes a little surprise for me. He leaves a note and tells me to enjoy fresh croissant and just press the button for the fresh coffee. Smile spreads over my face and I do exactly what he tells me to do, enjoy the French breakfast.

In the afternoon we start to discover the streets and main spots of the city. Nantes was a rich merchant's city in the past and today it's not much different. There are bunch of designers shops in the city as well as fancy restaurants. There are glorious cathedrals and fancy blocks all over the centre. However, I sadly find out the reason behind the richness of the city, Nantes was once one of the most important ports of slavery.

The slavery ships and remains of slaves are exhibited at the musee in the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne. The musse consists of seven huge rooms in which different themes are exhibited; a city of the Kingdom of France, a port of the high seas, a slave trading capital ext. It's worth visiting.

Trip to France

After all the fuss about the visa, I finally landed in Nantes Aeroport Atlantique. At the end of every journey my eyes look for a familiar face waiting for me and when I saw that face there, I felt that same feeling of security and affection again. Xavier, a good friend of mine, was waiting for me.

Xavier is a French guy I met in Ireland when he was an exchange student in Limerick. Although we couldn't spend too much time in Ireland, I didn't hesitate to stay in his place in France and travel with him. I was sure that he would do his best to introduce French culture in the best way possible, he's really proud of his country like most of the French people.

Xavier gives me a warm hug and my French adventure takes a start!

The taxi driver waiting outside the airport is not glad to bargain with us but at the end he agrees to take us to the station de tramway. There's hardly anybody at the tram as it's nearly the midnight.

Xavier's appartement dates back to 19th century. It's a four storey French block and Xavier lives at the second floor. The apartment has the tallest and the narrowest door I've ever seen. Inside is a studio apartment consisting of one bedroom with an open kitchen. I immediately realise the French balcon and can't resist to leaning out for a breath of fresh air. Brazing air fills my lungs. It doesn't take long to enjoy the coffee from the cafetiere and petit beurre.