Day trip to Angers, May 23

Today I woke up and decided to take a day trip to the city of Angers, just 45 minutes by train from Nantes. I had heard it has a beautiful castle and the neighbor below my apartment said it’s a great place to visit.

There are several trains each hour to Angers (and back to Nantes), so I paid 10€ and rode the TGV to Gare d’Angers St. Laud. Damn, that train went fast!

Angers sits on the Maine River, a short but broad river that empties into the Loire, that results from the confluence of 3 other rivers: the Mayenne, Sarthe, and Loir, making it the largest river confluence in France.

Walking out of the train station, I started toward the Maine because the oldest part of the city is usually located by the river. That’s where I found the Château d’Angers that was founded in the 9th century by the Counts of Anjou as protection from the Normans, and expanded to its current massive size in the 13th century.

Then I walked through the old city center, along its cobblestone streets, to the Cathédrale St Maurice d’Angers, also built in the 12th-13th centuries.

Then I took a spin in my new Renault 4L « Quatrelle »

Just kidding of course, but isn’t that cute?! I actually saw several of these in various colors while in Angers.

But seriously…

At the end of the day, I walked back to the Gare Angers St Laud and caught a train back home to Nantes. Another exceptional day!