Greetings readers,
We find ourselves coasting up and down the Atlantic coast of France, one day Bordeaux the next St. Nazaire then Lorient and so on, it would be more interesting if I had time to go ashore and have a good look around but I am having to work so all other activities including blogging and going ashore take second place.
Above a fine example of Middle 20th century German architecture at Lorient, France. The things one can do with concrete, it took less than a year to build, things were done quick in them days.
A new day dawns over West France and we lie at anchor off St.Nazaire, birthplace of the Queen Mary 2 and also a serious monument to German concrete technology. The cruise ship to the right in the picture is not really so interesting, but the small concrete structure to the left that looks like a garage door is the lock for the u-boat pens, bomb proofed with 6 meters of concrete, it never got into full use according to the French pilot. The gerry’s surrendered here last, even when the red army was waving the hammer and sickle in Berlin, the boys here were not giving up the French Cafe lifestyle that easy. In the end they surrendered as we all know, the u-boat crews used to have severe party’s before and after each mission as the chances of returning were only 40%, they used to leave their accordions and guitars in the cafe or bar they were partying in before the mission, after the war the cafes were full of musical instruments, the owners were in Davy Jones locker.
Anyway enough about the War, or the mentioning of it.
Lorient was also interesting because of the Celtic heritage, our agent could speak Breton, Welsh and was asking me to help him with some Irish grammar, to my shame I was unable to help him with all of his translation. All the street signs are in French and Breton, the spirit of Asterix lives on here, the French central government is looked upon with the same disdain as the Romans before them.
Symbol of Breton independence movement, look familiar?
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