Once again, I went somewhere because I could and purely out of curiosity because nobody travels to Saint-Nazaire to enjoy the beach—the home of one of the world’s largest shipyards is anything but clean and glamorous. Of course, it doesn’t help it was completely destroyed during WWII and rebuilt Soviet-style.
The result is a grey city, soulless streets, and nondescript buildings. It would be a great setting for a zombie movie, really.
Very little effort is put into making Saint-Nazaire a homey city because Saint-Nazaire is busy putting effort into luxurious sea giants nobody around here will ever board after the first foray into open water.
Saint-Nazaire is a working-class city. Just walk to the beach and you’ll see people taking a break after their shift, their welding helmet tied to their coverall. The main street is full of ethnic shops because workers come from all over the world—check out the licence plates close to the shipyard as well, cars are driven from Romania, Lithuania, Italy or Greece. Saint-Nazaire doesn’t work on a 10-7 schedule, you can see when shifts start and end and I’m guessing the city never really sleeps, except there’s no party, it’s just the graveyard shift busy assembling, cutting, welding and adjusting.
That’s why I find Saint-Nazaire fascinating.
It’s unique.
And so is standing in front of half-finished cruise ships.
The MSC World America we saw last summer was floated out of dry dock, it’s almost ready. The first ultra-luxury Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is now in the outfitting dock for final-stage construction.
It’s another world out there, really.
Base sous-marine de Saint-Nazaire, 9 Bd de la Légion d’Honneur, 44600 Saint-NazaireBase sous-marine de Saint-Nazaire, 9 Bd de la Légion d’Honneur, 44600 Saint-NazaireBase sous-marine de Saint-Nazaire, 9 Bd de la Légion d’Honneur, 44600 Saint-NazaireBase sous-marine de Saint-Nazaire, 9 Bd de la Légion d’Honneur, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de St Nazaire, 8 Quai du Commerce, 44600 Saint-NazaireRue du Port, 44600 Saint-NazairePont Ecluse SUD AVAL, Rue Joseph-Hippolyte Durand, 44600 Saint-NazaireBd de Verdun, 44600 Saint-NazairePlage du Petit Traict, 44600 Saint-NazairePlage du Petit Traict, 44600 Saint-NazairePlage du Petit Traict, 44600 Saint-NazairePlage du Petit Traict, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de St Nazaire, 8 Quai du Commerce, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de St Nazaire, 8 Quai du Commerce, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de St Nazaire, 8 Quai du Commerce, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de St Nazaire, 8 Quai du Commerce, 44600 Saint-NazaireAv. de la Forme Ecluse BP 173, 44600 Saint-NazaireAv. de la Forme Ecluse BP 173, 44600 Saint-NazaireAv. de la Forme Ecluse BP 173, 44600 Saint-NazaireAv. de la Forme Ecluse BP 173, 44600 Saint-NazaireAv. de la Forme Ecluse BP 173, 44600 Saint-NazaireAv. de la Forme Ecluse BP 173, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazairePhares et Balises de Saint-Nazaire, Canton de Saint-Nazaire-1, 44600, Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireMSC World America being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireThe Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ship being built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-Nazaire
Workers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireWorkers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireWorkers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de Penhoët, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de Penhoët, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de Penhoët, 44600 Saint-NazaireBassin de Penhoët, 44600 Saint-Nazaire
Ce sont les bateaux de croisière que je vois à Victoria !
Ils font du chemin 🙂