Day 9.            Wednesday 7th June 2017.   Mileage:        0000   Total:  292

From:             St. Nazaire                                        To:      St Nazaire

Weather:       Sunny, no wind.

0730 hrs. Awake. Let’s hope the weather front that has brought squalls these last day and half has passed. Certainly, it’s a bright sunny start to the day with no wind. Whilst Jackie prepares the porridge for breakfast Mike unlocks the bikes, checks the tyres and prepares for our trip out of town towards the Z.A. (Zone Artisnal). This is, we are told, where we can find a Monsieur Bricolage. That’s not a real person more a huge DIY store. Like B+Q. We need a hose adaptor for the water refilling operation we need to conduct later today. We had paid 4 Euros for our ten-minute shot of l’eau.

We seemed to have been cycling some time. We had found the ZA but despite cycling up and down could find no Mr. Brico! I stopped and asked a couple of workers pulling weeds on the round a bout. My French accent immediately gave me away and he replied in English something to the affect “I haven’t a clue chum hang on I’ll ask my mate”. He was clueless as well. All three of us giggled and Mike and Jackie took off once more. We spotted a Choclatier and Jackie suggested we stop there and ask directions. I know that ruse. I pretended I had not heard and cycled on.  Eventually we find Mr B’s store. Inside we make our way to the Gardena garden hose section and pick up the male coupling. Now we can draw water from our aire’s robinet de l’eau.

The day is clear, sunny with blue skies and a bit of a wind into which we have to cycle against to return to the old port. The stairs onto the roof of the fortified sub lock are open today and so we climb up and take various photos. This affords us a great view of the Southern end of the Normandie Dock onto which Campbeltown rammed herself before exploding. This vantage point allows me a quick precis on the St Nazaire raid for from here we can see all the points that were to be blown, captured or held till withdrawing. Jackie feigns interest and is as patient as ever.

Our next stop was the town museum on the waterfront on the other side of the lock but as it would close for lunch in thirty minutes we took ourselves off to the Old Mole, scene of much fighting as craft attempted to land commandoes under the very noses of the Germans sat on the Old Mole dropping grenades into the craft. At the landward end of the mole is the monument to the commandos who took part in the raid. Further around the bay which we pass are the monuments to the French killed in the various conflicts and a rather stunning statue rising from the sea of an American “Doughboy” in bronze, atop a huge granite column, stood astride the wings of an eagle with a sword held in his right hand. This is to mark the point where Americans landed to serve in France for WW1. It might not be generally known that the British Expeditionary force, or at least some troops were landed here also in 1939. With the Lancastria being sunk here also in the same year, a troop ship. The loss of life was so great that Churchill forbade the newspapers to print details for morale reasons back home.

Healthy Chicken Salad. Esplanade St Nazaire.

We continue cycling the crescent of the bay, along miles of wide well laid paths of concrete to the far side of the bay for lunch. Jackie said she remembered this La Bara-K from the journey in. It was great sat here sipping Monaco’s. There were as usual a few questions to be asked regarding the menus. Again, my French accent gave me away and the waiter replied in English. “Non”, said I, “Respondez en Francais seulement.” He smiled took our order for two green salads with chicken and went off clucking.

It was pleasant sat there. The long curve of the bay lay before us looking back towards the new marina and beyond The Old Mole. The esplanade, as wide as a carriageway allows plenty of room for us cyclists and skateboarders. Everything was very clean and litter free. There were quite a few people out walking and taking the sun.

Lunch over we returned to the Eco Museum, virtually on the spot where the Commandos came ashore from HMS Campbeltown. The museum charts the progress o
f the town from its earliest days and has much information on its history and association with shipbuilding. Even today on the stocks is a huge passenger liner awaiting completion. Airbus also have a factory nearby. Both of these facilities are open to tourists but you need to book a week in advance and supply all personal information.

We cycled back to the tourist office in the sub pens and Jackie sent off a few e mails. We then returned to the van, Mike locked the bikes away on the rack and Jackie put the kettle on.