Nantes

I was shattered yesterday. I had walked 46 miles in two days with an 10 or 12kg pack and I just needed a rest.
So I treated myself to a day in Nantes! I love a continental city; always vibrant, cultured and well dressed.

The sixth largest city in France, Nantes used to be the capital of Brittany when the two countries were separate. It was a commercial port and responsible for nearly half of the French Atlantic slave trade. Instead of downplaying this, the city believes that we need to be reminded how much of the wealth of the city was derived, and to reflect on that when we enjoy its riches.

To this end it has built the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery. I haven't taken photos because they could not convey the power of the piece which is very large and on two levels. The effect is visceral. One part of the installation is a walkway along the Loire, a bit like a section of the Embankment in London. Inset in the walkway are small glass bricks, like fallen confetti after a wedding. At first sight it is a wonder to see the light reflecting from the many, scattered glass pieces. Then you look at the bricks close up and you notice it is engraved with a name. The name of a ship. A slave ship. And there are so many ships. And it's a walkway so people are just walking over them. Just watching and taking this in is extremely moving.

In total, it is estimated that twelve million people were enslaved in the Atlantic slave trade, and one and a half million died onboard the boat.

Naturally this gets you thinking. Of course, I can't change history but I can be aware of the danger of perceiving differences and attaching negative values to those perceived differences. Seeing the difference and not the whole. Slavery was built upon differentiation. In fact, when I think about it, differentiation is at the root of many evils.

Photos - giant mechanical elephant!, elegant shopping at Passage de Pommeraye, castle, man rolling back tarmacRead more