Nantes

A cruise on the Loire River

Nantes is the capital of the Pays de la Loire region in western France. The Gallic country is one of the most attractive European points for the traveler, starting from its capital Paris, the already more than known city of love, passing through the blue coast with cities like Nice that dazzle you with its beaches or even for the more adventurous the Alps are a desirable destination for any activity in the snow. Still, well, today, I am not here to talk about any of these cities. Today I am here to talk about the great port city, which offered the most resistance to the Nazi occupation.

The journey began months earlier when I boarded a bus from Southampton to Bruges (Belgium). The itinerary was the longest as we crossed the channel at Dover to Calais, touching the European continent after an 8-hour journey with 4 hours to go. We arrived in Bruges when the sun had not yet finished setting, and the weather was more like late spring than early autumn. We had just enough time to leave our backpacks at the hotel, take a quick shower to relieve the stiffness in our bodies after 14 hours on the road, and head for the Jan Breydel Stadium, where the local team Bruges FC was playing a group stage match against Atlético de Madrid, which was the excuse for our trip.

It's better not to talk about the match. It doesn't deserve a chronicle, an article, or a caption. Just leave that sad 2-0 defeat in the Atlético's memory. They say that when one door closes, another door opens. That conclusion of the match reminded me of Eduardo Galeano's definition of the "fan" in his book "El Fútbol a Sol y Sombra - and other writings": "Although the fan can contemplate the miracle more comfortably on the television screen, he prefers to undertake the pilgrimage to this place where he can see in flesh and blood his angels, dueling against the demons of the day." Night had fallen on the stadium, but the stadium was not left alone. As the visiting team, we had to wait for the police to take us out of the stadium. In that sad and long wait, while the more than 1300 fans were singing the anthem of our club in unison, my flag called the attention of another Atlético fan, who curiously neither came from Madrid nor was he Spanish. With great politeness and respect, he approached me to ask where he could buy a similar flag. The conversation went along a football and professional lines, leaving the door open to meet again in any other football stadium in any European country.

That football ground was the Stade de la Beaujoire, where my friend invited me to the team of his hometown. The "canaries," known to Nantes fans who congregate on match days in a beautiful stadium, inaugurated in 1984 and with a capacity of 38,000 spectators, is striking for its architecture with a roof covering the seats but is shaped like a roller coaster. Although on the international scene, it is not one of the most recognized, it can boast of being a historic French football club, founded during the 2nd World War by the merger of different local clubs; in its achievements, it can boast 8 Leagues, 4 French Cups and 1 League Cup.

How to get to the Stade de la Beaujoire, and what do we find on the way?

To get to the stadium, it is advisable to use public transport because of the good connections and the inconvenience of arriving by car due to the shortage of parking spaces. Here are the different possibilities and prices; all transports pass through the city center, near the Château de Ducs de Bretagne.

- Bus: Lines 23,75 and C6 - ticket price is 1,70€.

- Train: Line C7 - fare is 2,50€.

- Tramway: Line 1 - price 1,70€.

Around the stadium, you can find a multitude of marquees offering everything from typical regional food, such as ham and cheese pancakes for around 5€, to the traditional beer and white wine stalls of the region, with a pint costing around 4€ and a glass of wine for 1€. The atmosphere around the stadium's streets is impressive, partly thanks to the green and yellow flares. Inside the stadium, you can also find beer for 5,5€, and according to the latest regulation of the French football federation, flares are allowed.

Pre-match - Tour of Nantes

After four months of waiting, the big day finally arrived. Nantes faced Juventus of Turin in the second leg of the last sixteen of the Europa League with the tie still unresolved, 1-1 in the first leg.

I started the day accompanied by my friend and, at that time city guide, who was showing me the most impressive cultural sites of the city and at the same time telling me the history of his city.

We started the day in the "Marché de Talensac" with a coffee and a croissant, and the truth is that I missed the atmosphere of the markets. We continued our tour to the city hall, where we decided to take a break with a half pint. With our energies recharged, we approached the business area of the city. Still, the most beautiful thing was not the significant buildings, which seemed out of place in a medieval town like Nantes, but a small tavern that made me fall in love with its food and price. It was time to eat early, calm our nerves with a glass of local white wine, and chat a bit about the match while tasting that excellent carrot cream and the sea bass that the restaurant owners bought every morning at the central market. Although France is expensive, sitting down to eat in any restaurant is a pleasure as they offer a first course, second course, and dessert for around 20€, drinks not included. Continuing our tourist route, we visited a memorial commemorating the fallen in the 2nd World War. We walked through a beautiful park where at the end of it was the only statue in France of the last French king, the famous Statue of Louis XVI of France, which is located in the Place Marshal Foch, which is behind the Cathedral Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul. Once we had visited the cathedral, we went into the city's historical center, where we strolled through its narrow streets, visited the Passage Pommeraye, Neptune Square, and different squares and cathedrals coming out as we passed by without realizing it.

As the match was at 18:45, we decided to do a little pre-game with some friends near the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, which, as I mentioned before, is very well located to catch the transport to go to the stadium. It was raining cats and dogs that day, but the atmosphere in the city center was very nice, it was difficult not to see a person with a green and yellow scarf, The truth was that I only enjoyed the faces of the fans who tried to tell me what it was like for them to play a match of this magnitude against a big European team like Juventus, but sometimes it was difficult to decipher their language as they tried to speak in a French-English language that neither they nor I could communicate. Still, the language of football is universal; songs and laughter reigned in that bar. We went to the stadium by tram an hour and a half before the match.

Match

On the outskirts of the stadium, we met fans from my friend's association, https://activnantes.com/. Here is their website. The truth is that I want to emphasize the treatment of the fans with me, who are polite, hospitable, and good people. Finished beers and voice tuned, the only thing left to do was to carry the team to victory, it was to enter the stadium, and the truth is that you could feel the foundations of the stadium move every time the people jumped up and down. I situated at the back of the supporters' section, and the truth was that not even a pin could fit; my hair stood on end every time the fans started chanting to encourage the team, I looked around me, and all I could see were faces of happiness, passion, and adrenaline.

Minutes before the start of the match, a tarp with a message for the players began to cover the back of the pitch. The vision was null for the whole back when the players came on the pitch, but what was happening under that tarp was absolute madness, flares, firecrackers, smoke canisters, and all kinds of pyrotechnics to provoke noise and atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the match did not have much of a story. Juventus were under a lot of pressure as they suffered a 15-point drop in the Italian league due to match-fixing. Their only way to lift a title this season is the Europa League. It didn't take five minutes for Angel Di Maria to put the Transalpine side ahead, a masterpiece from outside the box that was impossible for the keeper to stop. In the 15th minute of the match, Di Maria dressed up as a demon and forced a penalty in his favor, causing a French defender to be sent off. With 0-2 on the scoreboard and a player down, the comeback looked complicated, but the people were still celebrating in the stands. They were proud of their team and how the players gave their souls and legs in every play. The team and fans kept pushing in the second half, but all our hopes were dashed when the hawk's eye showed that the Argentinian's header had crossed the goal line. The tie settled; all that remained was to enjoy the last few minutes in Europe and the experience. What is clear to me is that I will return to that stadium at some point.

Travel costs

- Flight: Direct flights from Gatwick to Nantes were available for £52 return.

- Accommodation: Accommodation per night is around £40.

- Ticket Price: You need to be a club member for European matches. Ticket price 22€.