Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: 44

The "Saint-Nazaire Bridge" spans the Loire River and so links Saint-Nazaire on the north bank and Saint-Brevin-les-Pins on the south bank. In 1975, when the bridge was opened, it was the longest one ever built in France (3356m). It even held the world record for the longest cable-stayed bridge for eight years (720m).

The "Saint-Nazaire Bridge" spans the Loire River and so links Saint-Nazaire on the north bank and Saint-Brevin-les-Pins on the south bank. In 1975, when the bridge was opened, it was the longest one ever built in France (3356m). It even held the world record for the longest cable-stayed bridge for eight years (720m).

Saint-Nazaire on the rivermouth of the Loire served as a harbour for Nantes, which was a center of the slave trade between the 17th century and 1830. 43% of the French slave trade was organized in Nantes, what means that about 450.000 slaves were transported from Western Africa to Central America where they were traded for goods produced in the colonies. French artist Jean-Claude Mayo created this monument in 1989 to commemorate the abolution of slavery.

La Baule, officialy named "La Baule-Escoublac", is a "young" seaside resort. Around 1880 Parisian industrialist Jules-Joseph Hennecart bought about 40 ha of dunes for the "Société des dunes d'Escoublac" and comissioned architects to design a seaside resort. After the railroad connected the new resort to Paris ,ore than 250 posh villas were built. After WWI the resort was "redesigned" based on experiences from Deauville, combining casinos, luxury hotels and sports facilities. La Baule had become a very fashionable seaside resort in the 1920s. Meanwhile old grand hotels and new appartment buildings form the backdrop of the long beach.

Very early morning in Nantes. Seen from the hotel room.

The church, that now serves the parish, once was the abbey church of a large Benedictine abbey. It was founded in the 11th century at wish of the abbot of Saint-Gildas Rhuys (on the coast 60 kms west). Saint Gildas ("Gildas the Wise") was a scottish born, well travelled monk, who had founded the abbey of Saint-Gildas Rhuys within the 6th century. Relics of Saint Gildas were kept here. These triggered a pilgrimage, that developed so successfully, that the old church could not handle the masses. So the large abbey-church, seen here, got erected during the 12th century. The Benedictine convent prospered due to the pilgrimage, but declined over the centuries later. The last five monks left after the French Revolution and the abbey got sold as National Property. Some decades later the crumbling convent buildings were purchased by Père Deshayes, who in 1807 had founded the "Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Instruction" with Michelle Guillaume in 1807 in nearby Beignon. In 1828 the "Congrégation des soeurs de l’Instruction Chrétienne dites de Saint-Gildas" moved into the old buildings. By now this is the "Maison Mere" (mother house) of the congregation. Standing in the nave of the former abbey-church, facing east to transept and choir.

The church, that now serves the parish, once was the abbey church of a large Benedictine abbey. It was founded in the 11th century at wish of the abbot of Saint-Gildas Rhuys (on the coast 60 kms west). Saint Gildas ("Gildas the Wise") was a scottish born, well travelled monk, who had founded the abbey of Saint-Gildas Rhuys within the 6th century. Relics of Saint Gildas were kept here. These triggered a pilgrimage, that developed so successfully, that the old church could not handle the masses. So the large abbey-church, seen here, got erected during the 12th century. The Benedictine convent prospered due to the pilgrimage, but declined over the centuries later. The last five monks left after the French Revolution and the abbey got sold as National Property. Some decades later the crumbling convent buildings were purchased by Père Deshayes, who in 1807 had founded the "Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Instruction" with Michelle Guillaume in nearby Beignon. In 1828 the "Congrégation des soeurs de l’Instruction Chrétienne dites de Saint-Gildas" moved into the old buildings. By now this is the "Maison Mere" (mother house) of the congregation.