from our publisher  Miguel D. DESNERCK, special correspondent in Nantes: 

A serie of articles about the European Green Capital 2013, NANTES.

Les Machines de l’Ile, it’s a huge cultural, touristic and environmental realisation.

François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice are brilliant cultural entrepreneurs. They recreated a very attractive activity while there was notinh more on this place.

The Ile de Nantes once hosted the shipyards in the past -which disappeared due to the industrial crisis- . The location is now occupied by different new activities and “les machines de l’Ile” are one of them.

Les machines de l’Ile are an enthusiastic project which gathers on the same place culture, tourism, litterature history of Nantes, architectural heritage and leisure for old and young.

Les machines de l’Ile give shape to the imaginary machines and animals which are part of the works of the famous french writer Jules Verne. Jules Verne, this great futurist writer was born and lived in Nantes. Nantes gives Jules Verne a wonderful tribute with this huge project.

The machines come from the past and directly from the science fiction books of Jules Verne. And they work. They are of all shapes, sizes and colors. They make noise, walk, fly, go up and down, are vibrant and vivid. On a technological point of view, their realisation was a real challenge.

The most spectacular of these animals are a true huge elephant of 4m high which can transport more than 20 people. The animal shouts, splashes water like a real elephant, walks like a real elephant. Amazing.

A prehistorical flying bird is also worth seeing and lots of other animals are presented in the same spot.

Not far away from “les machines de l’Ile”, le “carrousel des mondes marins” brings you directly in  the world of the novel “20000 lieues sous les mers” of Jules Verne to let you make a trip with Captain Nemo. Also very impressive.

 

www.lesmachines-nantes.fr

Miguel D. DESNERCK

TO BE CONTINUED