France - Meurthe et Moselle

Nancy
Sat 21 Jun 2014     Cumulative distance 2344km (no change)
The Summer Solstice and Denis' birthday - double reason to celebrate! We've been told that across France the Summer Solstice is celebrated with street music and entertainment late into the evening and judging from what we have seen and heard, Nancy is no exception. We could hardly have chosen a better day to enjoy Nancy's attractions - glorious sunshine and lots of activity everywhere.

Nancy is situated on the left bank of the river Meurthe, about 10 km upstream from its confluence with the Moselle. The Marne–Rhine Canal runs through the city, parallel to the Meurthe. Place Stanislas, a large square built between March 1752 and November 1755 by Stanislaw I to link the medieval old town of Nancy and the new town built under Charles III in the 17th century, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 'École de Nancy', a group of artists and architects founded by the glassmaster and furniture maker Émile Gallé, worked in the Art Nouveau style at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century. It was principally their work which made Nancy a center of art and architecture that rivaled Paris and helped give the city the nickname 'Capitale de l'Est.' The city still possesses many Art Nouveau buildings (mostly banks or private homes). (Wikipedia)

Nancy - Summer Solstice

 

 

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Postscript
The evening celebration of the Summer Solstice continued till the wee hours and with the whole of the central city declared a pedestrian zone, the streets were awash with people of all ages. Numerous bands set up and played loud music of various (occasionally indecipherable) genres, while other just wandered about. We were particularly taken with the drum groups who created a thrilling rhythm. All in all an amazing scene. What a birthday!

 

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Nancy
Fri 20 Jun 2014     Cumulative distance 2344km
We set ourselves the challenge of reaching Nancy, about 85m away, so we could enjoy a full day there to take in its points of interest. Our route took us on minor roads across and along a series of river valleys and we knew that this invariably entailed a lot of ups and downs.

The weather was overcast and cool, almost chilly at times, with a light wind and it took a while to find the right gear to wear - not too hot when climbing, not too cold when zooming down again. As usual the scenery was superb and there was virtually no traffic. The wide expanses of crops were impressive.

We had opted to travel separately, each couple at their own pace, following a common route, at least until we neared Toul when each pair would decide, based on how they were feeling, the weather, etc as to whether to continue on for the last 30km to Nancy. As it turned out the hills were not as severe as expected, the wind and tempertures were moderate and so all decided to continue on, Marianne and David following the slightly longer river route, while Beth and Denis pursued the more direct route between Toul and Nancy.

Having climbed steadily as we approached Nancy, the entry into town was a long downhill run, all arriving around 1600 - a very good run. Nevertheless it was not straight-forward to find the town centre and, as Marianne and David were threading their ways with loaded bikes through the afternoon crowds towards the Tourist Office they happened on a nice hotel near the centre. After quickly checking availability of rooms, secure bike storage and price, they concluded this would be a good place to stay. After a few brief SMSs, Beth and Denis stopped their search for the centre and headed directly to the hotel. Fortuitously it was not far from where they were at the time.

We checked in and had a rest after our long day and then scrubbed up and ventured out into the bright evening light to explore a little. The centre, around Place Stanislas, with grand buildings, is amazing, both in the evening light and later (around 2300) when it was illuminated by a 'Son et Lumière' (Sound & Light) display, projected onto the buildings surrounding the large square.

We wandered through part of the old town where many restaurants were situated and chose one serving traditionional Lorraine specialities. Unfortunately, when David ordered Quiche Lorraine (what could be more local?), the waitress said distainfully 'Sorry, none left, the Germans came today and ate it all'. It seems we'll have to stay ahead of the coach tours tomorrow.

In the late evening, the town was in a happy boisterous mood - Friday night and France had just decisively won its World Cup game, taking it through to the round of 16. Lots of flag waving, honking of horns and blowing of trumpets to celebrate. A great atmosphere to enjoy the light show.

Ligny-en-Barrois to Nancy

 

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Nancy

 

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