High Contrast Grey.

In the gallery of the Machines de l’île they had more of their steampunk creations that are intened to be part of a three story carrousel of sea creatures. [Nothing less would be expected from the city that is the birth place of Jules Verne.]

But as they reach their point of completing all the different creatures they have started to move onto a new project of building a larger than life tree out of metal framing with wood planks and covered in plants. The whole plan is to have one of their animal creations (a heron) at the top that, with some baskets, will give people rides at the top.

This idea of combining architecture and nature is making me quite giddy. Although they are predicting that it will be another 5 years until it is completed.. I guess I will have a reason to come back to France.

I spent the weekend in Nantes with a few of the other American students.

I wish we had had more time in which to explore this city. Unlike Rennes it is larger, but yet it as well seemed to be more modern in an industrial sense which led to this beautiful atmosphere of post industrial as metal signs rusted. Less medieval and less cobblestones.

We had planned to see the Machines de l’île, namely the elephant, before we even left. I was asked when I had learned of these artists and their works, but I can’t seem to remember. I almost think I learned of them back when I was in the Biltmore.. something that I have known of long enough that it had, in my mind, become common knowledge. I seem to run into the problem quite frequently that when I assume things are common knowledge that not everyone else shares the same view.

When we came upon the elephant standing here in their studio/gallery I had to walk up to it and touch it to confirm that it is actually made of wood, like it looks.

Its leather ears flapped in the wind.

I didn’t get to ride it this time (even though it was just a little bit more than 20 euros), but Jessye and I have planned that when she visits in December than we will make a trip down to Nantes and have a ride on it.

From the gift shop I got my father a postcard with the technical drawings that they did to design it.

It seems I have been coming across quite a few elephants in France.. perhaps it is a sign that I should go see the statue of ‘the four without asses’ (the fountain of elephants in Chambéry).