Well, I’m in Nantes for the weekend. My first ever visit here. It’s the original capital of Brittany but somewhat bizarrely is in the modern administrative department of Loire Atlantique. I think that’s kinda sad and I believe it’s pretty controversial, but it also reminds me how we humans are constantly dividing up the territory to make new maps.
I’ve only been here about 24 hours but so far I’ve found it both convivial and cosmopolitan. I’m not used to city life any more. It’s busier and buzzier than what I’m used to. This is a real student town but the university doesn’t open again until next month. I expect it’ll feel different again once all the students return.
There are a lot of beautiful buildings here, open “places”, big squares and lots of green areas. The Loire runs right through the middle.
I like the street art. It surrounds you with local creativity, and gives you lots of opportunities to encounter what lies beneath the superficial commercialism of the town centre.
It’s been thirty years or more since I visited Brittany but I’ve always felt a connection through ancient shared roots in Celtic culture so I wasn’t surprised when the waiter at lunch time asked where we came from, and when we replied we were Scots, he said “We don’t speak the same language but we’re connected here”, placing his hand over his heart.
You just never know what cultural rivers continue to flow deep underground, below the maps, and even below the territory.
Heroes Not Zombies 
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