Explored Nantes today, visiting the cathedral first, as we'd parked underneath it. Undergoing exterior restoration - nice to see the original pink stone colour emerging. Also been rebuilt a bit since a major fire in 1992. Further down by the Loire river banks was the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne. Free entry and you can walk around the grounds and ramparts. Built in the 1400s by Francois II and his daughter Anne (later Queen of France) as a fortress during the st...

Visited the Resistance Museum near the town of Maletroit before heading any further south. Musem was very interesting and had a good range of exhibits about the formation and operation of the Resistance, mainly in Bretagne. Passed through St Nazaire after a quick drive around - a bit depressing for a seaside town. Arrived in Nantes mid-afternoon and (luckily) got a motel just down the road from a huge shopping centre called Atlantis, that incorporates an Ikea. ...