Jules Verne’s île des machines

Nantes is the birthplace of Jules Verne, in 1828. He authored 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, among many others. I learned that he is the second most translated author in history after William Shakespeare! Many think of him as the father of science-fiction, because of his fantastical, futuristic writings.

So today I walked to the Île des Machines, a tribute to Jules Verne on an island on the Loire River here in Nantes. I joined a tour that was in French but which allowed me to see demonstrations of the amazing machines at the park. It was so entertaining!

Here’s the mechanical heron taking flight!

And a chameleon catching a fly!

A hummingbird…

A mechanical ant…

A spider!

And a cute sloth…

As you exit the exhibit, you climb through a tree!

It was such a fun experience!