I didn’t want to rush to the Isle of Nantes because I know we will end up there several times during our “French summer.” The home of the giant mechanical elephant and other Jules Verne-inspired art projects is a fun place to hang out and it’s still fairly new to me—at least compared to the Château des Ducs or the Jardin des plantes, where I spent all my Wednesdays afternoons as a kid.
The Isle of Nantes had a few new cool attractions, including an 18-metre-long ball pool (with a “lifeguard”!) and the HAB art gallery dedicated to contemporary art. The elephant is still here and I wasn’t sure how Mark was going to react since he is much more aware of his surroundings than he was last year, as a baby. He watched with a mix of fear and curiosity, it was actually funny to see his face.
The best part of the Isle of Nantes, to me, isn’t the slightly gimmicky attractions and art projects, but the walk along the Loire River. The view is beautiful and during the day it’s peaceful since most bars are only open in the evening. We strolled along the Buren’s Rings and the Hangars à Bananes, and then back to the Quai de la Fosse, under a burst of beautiful sunshine.
The elephant structure is very impressive !
Yes, it’s a cool attraction.
Hi Zhu,
Where is the giant ball pool in Isle de Nantes? I went there but couldn’t find it in the playground area.
See the Titan Crane? When you walk toward it, from the Elephant, it’s on your right side. It’s by the Loire, close to a “hangar” where they sell designer clothing.