Sunday, June 23, 2013

Saint Nazaire



On the last day of our bike tour we arrived at Saint Nazaire, a major shipping port on the Atlantic where the Loire meets the ocean.  In the background is a huge bridge under which enormous ocean-going vessels can pass underneath.  In the foreground is a classic fishing "pier"... here at low tide.

6 comments:

  1. I"m not sure about that pier. Beware!
    V

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    1. Yeah, they all seem to be like this. I don't know how they stand up to the winds on the coast.

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  2. Glad to see this photo Stuart! Saint Nazaire is where the French ship building industry has it's largest Atlantic port. Alstom used to own the shipping port then sold it in 2006 during a major restructuring. Here's something more from our friends at Wikipedia!

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    Chantiers de l'Atlantique, is a Saint-Nazaire, France based shipyard; which forms part of the STX France SA business unit, majority owned by STX Europe with a 66.6% stake and the balance 33.34% held by the French state. It is one of the world's largest shipyards, and built the iconic ocean liner the RMS Queen Mary 2.
    The shipyard was owned by Alstom since 1984, and became part of Aker Yards when Aker Group acquired the Alstom Marine business in 2006. In 2008, the South Korean company STX Corporation acquired Aker Yards, and the shipyard became part of STX Europe (formed by the renaming of Aker Yards).Its location near Nantes, France, at the mouth of the Loire and the deep waters of the Atlantic makes sailing large ships in and out easier.

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    1. It really is an interesting place. There is also a World War II submarine base (built by the Germans) that's been partially converted to shops, a theater, exhibitions, etc. Every other building in the city was completely destroyed by the Allied bombings. So, by European standards, it's a new city.

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  3. I love the balance of this shot.

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  4. Merci, Anne. And yes, I think that fishing pier is delicately balanced on its pilings !

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