The Friendly Mechanical Giants of the Isle of Nantes

This blog post is dedicated to the pregnant Indian elephant who died a very pointless death in Kerala on May 27, 2020. You are beautiful and majestic; you deserved better.

Five years ago, a "suggested" video in my Facebook news feed caught my interest. It was of a steampunk wonderland that, to a travel-eager younger me, looked like Disneyland designed by an alternate Walt who was high on steroids and stanned Verne and Lovecraft with a passion. I remember gazing at the clip of what is probably the most unconventional merry-go-round in the world, replaying over and over again the part where sea dragons and giant angler fish made out of repurposed machinery screeched while they ran endlessly in a circle, like the competitors of a fierce yet never-ending race.

During the clip's final minute, I watched with even more captivation as a recreation of the most amazing land animal walked across my laptop's screen carrying an array of people on its back, with its makeshift leather ears flapping in the air and trunk playfully spraying water at passersby. It was a wonder of engineering, and as soon as the video ended I knew I had to go and see it for myself in the near future.

Fast-forward to April 2019. I finally had booked a solo trip to France, which I convinced myself was to aid in my recovery from a temporarily-debilitating disease but really was so I could finally see the giant mechanical elephant in the Isle of Nantes. 

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Welcome to the quiet port city of Nantes, France.

The home of the giant mechanical elephant of my dreams is Les Machines de l'Île de Nantes (Machines of the Isle of Nantes). Wikipedia doesn't really describe the place as a "theme park" but rather as an "artistic, touristic and cultural project" located where a series of shipyards once was-- the perfect place, no doubt, to plan, assemble, run, and maintain the well-oiled machinery of today's most idiosyncratic contrivances. To get there from my hotel, Appart'City Nantes Cité des Congrès, I had to either take the tram from Duchesse Anne/ Château des Ducs de Bretagne station to Chantiers Navals or leisurely walk to my destination for 25-30 minutes. (Tip: Opt for the walk.)

Cross the bridge from Pont Anne de Bretagne.

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TICKETS

Before I went for my trip to Nantes, I bought a 48-hour Nantes Pass online. It's a pass that provides its holder with free transportation throughout the city and free admissions to some specific attractions, as well as other countless perks and discounts for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Upon arrival, you have to redeem the physical card from the Information Booth at the Nantes Atlantique Airport.

The Nantes Pass comes with free entrance to the Galerie des Machines and a free ride from EITHER the Giant Elephant OR the Marine Carousel (yes, you just have to choose one from the other). Otherwise, they would all cost 8.50 Euros each. (Follow this link for more information about the ticket prices.) To redeem your physical tickets, you have to present your Nantes Pass to the staff at the ticket booth near the Gallery (more about the Gallery as you go through the post).

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Yes! Tickets!

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OUTSIDE ATTRACTIONS AND FACILITIES

There's a huge space outside for vehicle parking and for hire for big events such as concerts and school gatherings. There were also a few food kiosks selling non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks and snacks like hotdogs and burgers during the time of my visit.

The souvenir shop is located just next to the entrance to the shipyard. There are tons of picture books, themed snacks, and various other merchandise for the awestruck visitor who wants to take home a keepsake of their time in Les Machines de l'Île de Nantes. Twisting on top of the souvenir shop is the Prototype Branch of the great Heron Tree where guests can take a small stroll on the walkway (more information and photos about the Heron Tree and the Prototype Branch towards the middle of the post).

It looks like a shipyard, but the eccentricity of its appearance gives justice to what's really in store for visitors inside.

The souvenir shop.

The Prototype Branch swirls protectively around the souvenir shop.

A view of the souvenir shop and the Prototype Branch from the side.

The tinned cookies/chocolates/mints are, in my opinion, the best souvenirs to buy here purely because of the cute tins.

The park also has a cafe, named the Branch Cafe. It sells brunch and lunch items such as soups, sandwiches, and hot and cold drinks. The cafe is pretty much empty during the morning but in the afternoon, it's an entirely different scene.

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The Branch Cafe.

THE GALERIE DES MACHINES (GALLERY OF MACHINES)

The first attraction that you will encounter as you enter the shipyard will be the Galerie des Machines. The entrance fee to the Gallery is originally priced at 8.50 Euros per person, but if you bought the Nantes Pass as previously mentioned, you can enter for free.

A mini representation of the Marine Life Carousel inside the Gallery.

A carousel piece in construction.

The Galerie des Machines is a huge space that showcases the Isle of Nantes' many mechanical bestial conceptions. Twice every hour, machinists demonstrate how each and every machine works and even let guests ride and operate them-- although the entire demonstration is only conducted in French, so I was grateful for the information plaques found in front of each machine which I relied on for details. 

I really enjoyed my time in the Gallery as did-- I'm quite certain-- all of my fellow awestruck visitors. On the day that I visited, there also happened to be an educational tour for middle school children so my heart was full whenever I heard them gasp or squeal in excitement over getting picked to ride in a demonstration, being chosen to man the controls, or just watching closely from the sidelines. Mind you, even the adults were making known their excitement over something that should have been trivial for their ages but I'm not apt to complain because I'm one of them.

Here are the cool mechanical beasts featured in the Gallery:

The giant mechanical Spider resting in its hole in the ground, waiting for its turn to shine in the spotlight.

Front view of the Spider.

Back view of the Spider.

One machinist and three lucky guests get to pilot the giant mechanical Spider.

Big, bold, and menacing.

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2. THE MAJESTIC HERON

The Heron is one of the more kid-friendly and whimsical pieces of mechanical marvel housed in the Gallery. With an 8 meter-long wingspan, the Heron gives its pilots and passengers the experience of flight as it takes off into the air and circles around and around the audience from the rafters.

The heron, waiting to ferry passengers in its woven pods.

As with the Spider, the Heron is maneuvered by one machinist and can carry three additional passengers. While the two passengers riding the Heron's woven pods can't really control anything of the Heron, the machinist and the third passenger sitting along the head part can control where the Heron goes as well as opening and closing its spectacular leather wings. The majestic bird was truly a sight to behold!

The Heron showing off its wings as it takes flight.

3. THE HUMBLE INCHWORM

More cute than intimidating, the humble but giant Inchworm is the machine where children tend to flock to first, as with the middle schoolers who were on an educational tour on the same day of my visit. The Inchworm can carry one child passenger while another child controls it. It then slithers where it is lead to go, its body majestically arching to propel itself either forward or backward. I could tell that the kids had a lot of fun watching and riding the Inchworm.

Hello, Mr. Inchworm. I am certain that my little six-year-old niece will enjoy taking you out for a spin (or a slither, rather)!

The kids are listening attentively.

The machinist gives a brief description of how the inner workings of the Inchworm work. 

The giant Ant.

I love how innocent it looks, though.

The giant Ant in action.

5. THE SLEEPY SLOTH

The Sloth in the Gallery doesn't really do much, but it was cute and I loved it!

Hang in there, cutie!

6. THE AERO BIKE AND THE GREAT HERON TREE DEMONSTRATION

The Aerobike (I don't even know if it's officially called that) looks like it had been a part of the exhibit in the Paris World Exposition during the late 1800s. Its outdated design features a closed spheroidal chamber that could only accommodate one, non-resilient wings made out of thick fabric, and a single propeller at the front.  In the demonstration, a machinist pilots the Aerobike by pedaling it like a bicycle. The Aerobike goes up into the air (suspended by thick cables) and is subjected to different weather simulations like a thunderstorm, fog, and intense winds. It was a little boring for me since the narration was in French, but the kids felt like they were watching a period piece action movie and were cheering enthusiastically for the machinist like crazy.

The Aerobike subjected to fog and haze.

The narration for the Great Heron Tree demonstration was also conducted in French, so I didn't understand a lot again. Much of what I know about the tree comes from the internet-- and I am loving what I've read about it so far.

A basic wooden rendition of the great Heron Tree.

The creators of Les Machines de l'Île de Nantes have pre-conceptualized the whole park in 2007 with an ambitious goal in mind-- to create the world's largest hanging gardens since Babylon. And the actualization of that dream will see the completed construction of the great 114-foot Heron Tree, the wonders of its gardens and mechanical fauna cradled in its multiple manmade branches. How amazing is that? The setting will be in the cliffs of Britanny in the Chantenay quarry, though, but visitors to Nantes can still have the pleasurable experience of walking in the Prototype Branch before the real thing opens in 2022.

For the great Heron Tree demonstration, they made a heron circle around a future representation of the tree while two others perched at its topmost height looking all lovey-dovey.

THE BOTANIST'S SHED

The Botanist's Shed is an area at the back of the gallery that visitors can access at their own leisure. The area showcases both live and fake flora and is meant to educate visitors about the effects of plants in our ecosystem. Incorporated within the green space are vibrant pieces of metallic sculptures that may either be intentionally repurposed from scraps or were failed prototypes of earlier designs.

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Welcome to the Botanist's Shed!

This is supposed to be either a treehopper or a Pokemon.

It's a shame we won't be able to see it move.

And this, I think, is another kind of treehopper I would like to name Heracross if I had the right to do so (Pokemon fans, give me a high-five).

Nice and green. Relaxing!

Hmmm, what could this have been?

I don't think they bite, but please follow the signs.

A lone pitcher plant in the corner.

This picture makes me want to be a botanist instead of a nurse. Plants are more compliant with their medicines than elderly people.

CARROUSEL DES MONDES MARINS (CAROUSEL OF THE MARINE WORLD)

In an open space separate from the covered shipyard where the Gallery is located stands a tall, vividly-painted structure that emits a moderately-loud screech every time it is in operation. Upon initial inspection, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins (Carousel of the Marine Worlds) looks like a disorganized collection of ragtag pieces of junk, but a closer look would reveal a colorful and oddly-fascinating world that can't be found in any ocean.

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The Carousel of the Marine Worlds.

The Carousel of the Marine World is not the typical merry-go-round that blasts kalimba versions of children's songs while kids in princess and knight costumes ride gaily in a beautifully-painted wooden horse of their choice. What makes the Carousel truly unique is its pieces (in a normal carousel, you'd call them "seats"). Aside from the fact that they are all marine animals, the pieces are also made from repurposed machinery. Each piece's design is unique, and because riders can control some parts of their specifically-chosen piece, each piece's movable mechanism is also exclusive from the other. Also, almost all of them can be ridden by more than one person; depending on the piece, up to six people can be accommodated in one enclosure. I was instantly reminded of the first time I read Twenty-Thousand Leagues and developed a whimsy of working as a submarine crew when I grew up-- if only I didn't develop mild claustrophobia.

Another amazing fact about the Carousel of the Marine World is that it is three stories tall. Each level and their pieces are based on layers of the ocean. 

The ground level of the carousel is called the Seabed, and the pieces there are mostly bottom dwellers like planktons and crustaceans. It's the least scary level; as proof, I saw little children flock to this level for a ride.

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The Seabed.

The creatures of the Abyss.

This lanternfish looks like it's either ready to tear you apart or form a rock band with you.

The manta ray and the anglerfish.

The Seabed and the Abyss.

The topmost level of the carousel is called the Surface, and the pieces here are more fantastical, more hardcore than the former two levels. You'd not only find pirate ships and fish-shaped arcs here but also horse-drawn sea chariots and sea dragons. I wanted to ride one of the pieces here, but it was bitterly cold during the time of my visit and the Surface level is an unenclosed space only sheltered by a big top, so I opted to ride the manta shrimp in the warmer Seabed level instead.

Are these actually horses or kelpies? 

A fish-shaped arc in the Surface.

A sea dragon in the Surface.

Visitors planning to ride or explore the Carousel of the Marine World should be aware of certain facts about its schedule of operation. In planning your trip, you should be aware that on certain days or during certain times of a day, the carousel will not be accommodating riders; this is called the Discovery Mode. Furthermore, the Discovery Mode is only an animated exploration of the carousel so visitors may not freely access the levels nor the pieces. I don't know much about this mode; from what I understood from the website, it may just entail a guided tour of the inner workings of the carousel.

If you want to see the carousel in full swing during your visit, you should go on a day when the carousel is on Fairground Mode. This mode is further split into two: visit with a ride or visit without a ride. These options have different ticket prices, as with Discovery Mode. Follow this link for more information about ticket prices, and this link for practical guidance on which modes of operation are occurring on which dates (I highly recommend planning it out in advance). 

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THE PROTOTYPE BRANCH

I was very excited to ride the elephant of my dreams, but the timeslot that I booked for myself was taking too painstakingly long to arrive. The staff at the ticket counter instructed me to be at the loading point on the second floor of the shipyard half an hour before boarding, but I went a whole hour ahead because there was nothing better to do. Sure, there was a pre-boarding movie screening about the conceptualization of some of the machines but it was in French, and even if it was in English my attention span wouldn't be able to tolerate it. Luckily, I discovered that I was on the same floor as the entrance to the Prototype Branch where I figured I could kill some time. 

Directions to the Prototype Branch and the elephant ride.

A view of the warehouse from the second-floor.

Take a walk on the wooden walkways of the twisting and turning Prototype Branch.

I had the whole area to myself!

The Prototype Branch, as I've mentioned earlier, is a master template for the many branches that will make up the Great Heron Tree and subsequently the world's largest hanging gardens of the modern time in Brittany, France. If my experience of walking on the Prototype Branch is a viable basis for what's in store when the Heron Tree opens in 2022, then I'd say the real thing would most likely feel like you are walking on a great, big tree that has its own civilization and ecosystem. Anyhow, it's something I am most eager to find out personally two years from now!

I'm deathly afraid of heights, but somehow I feel more relaxed than scared on the Branch.

Overlooking Nantes.

Hello, Nantes!

Some branches are off-limits to visitors as they are too steep to climb.

How I would love to see more flowers up here!

The walkways are a bit of a tight squeeze.

LE GRAND ELEPHANT (THE GRAND ELEPHANT)

The Grand Elephant-- as my pachyderm friend is officially called-- is the last (but definitely not the least) attraction that I get to experience before finally saying that the goal of my Nantes trip has been met with zeal! To ride the Grand Elephant, you have to book a timeslot with the staff at the ticket counter. The Elephant can only carry a maximum of 50 people at one time and it only voyages four times daily with three different itineraries for half an hour each trip. Its official webpage states that it is 12 meters high, 8 meters wide, and 21 meters long. It weighs 48.4 metric tonnes and can run-- err, walk-- at a speed of 1 to 3 km/hr. Amazing!

Fifteen minutes before my scheduled timeslot at 1330H, I returned to the loading point expecting to be the first person there but was slightly amused (read: disappointed) when I saw that an eight-person queue had already formed before me. At twenty minutes past one in the afternoon, boarding promptly began and my excitement was at an all-time peak. I was finally gonna get to ride the Grand Elephant. 

My thrill from being thisclose to Mr. Elephant was palpable.

He looks like an old but really gentle creature.

The Grand Elephant's top deck from the back. Aside from this, he has two wooden terraces on either side of him located one floor down.

Boarding the Grand Elephant. Ooh, these wooden French doors are absolutely stylish!

The Elephant doesn't seem to mind ferrying a whole bunch of strangers on its back.

The Elephant's indoor lounge with chairs and heating.

At half-past one on the dot, the Grand Elephant gave a mighty roar as its engines started and trudged ever so carefully out of the warehouse to its destination. I leaned against one of its sturdy wooden balconies and watched as tourists of all ages excitedly swarmed the Elephant on both sides, waving frantically as if it were really alive and comprehending, taking photos and videos of its majesticness in its entirety. Sometimes, the machinist would make it trumpet very loudly as it proudly strutted past. However, I had the most fun whenever I watched it playfully spray a shower of water from its trunk towards its many gawking onlookers, and they would excitedly squeal in response to getting wet. It was such a pleasure to both be passenger and observer to this gentle marching giant!

The Elephant proudly marching along.

The Elephant amidst the beautiful springtime foliage of Nantes.

Admiring this beautiful and proud work of art from a distance.

The gargantuan Elephant marched on towards the Carousel des Mondes Marins enjoying the attention from its many pint-sized admirers. From the balcony, I went up the spiral metal staircase to the top deck, where there were more seats and the view was more appreciable. It was a little bit gloomy and cold on the morning of my visit, but thankfully the skies started to part in the afternoon when I rode the Elephant. I knew that it was God's blessing for me. I felt immense relief and comfort while the sun shone and a gentle breeze blew.

Eventually, after 30 minutes, the Elephant came to a halt in Carousel des Mondes Marins which is actually one of the disembarkation areas. We had to say goodbye to our newfound friend as a new batch of passengers boarded. 

Riding the Elephant was such a wonderful experience, and I believe it's a must-do for everyone who will ever have the pleasure of visiting the Isle of Nantes.  It's more than just a dream come true for me-- it was an eye-opener. As I walked back towards my hotel after a long day in Machines of the Isle, I couldn't help but look back at my Elephant ride. I couldn't help but shed a tear about how lucky I was to have come across that Facebook video five years ago and how I almost didn't get to live to experience it. From two months before the time I visited Nantes, I was diagnosed with a lung infection-- and while it was curable, I was already in very bad shape when they found it. Six months afterward I would finish treatment for it with a gleam of pride in my eyes, but that's another story for another day. The Elephant might be big and mighty, but it is not infallible; a lot of things can hurt it, but it is an extremely intelligent animal. It recovers. It learns. And it never forgets. 

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