Wednesday 22nd May - R versus the Machine. Scores 10k plus.

D wakes early today and skips to the boulangerie. By the time we have finished breakfast the sun has broken through. The forecast is a bit mixed but better than yesterday. We have a plan which involves taking a tram into town. This nearly fails at the first hurdle as no trams appear to be running at our local stop. We walk one stop east, to the mainline and are soon heading further east 
Our first target is the Jardin des Plantes, opposite the main railway station. These gardens are well laid out and beautifully maintained, with the best plant labelling regime that we have ever seen. Bordeaux should send a delegation here to see how it is done.Unlike Bordeaux the Frog Chorus are not shy here, nor are they restrained. There are various sculptures dotted about, some quite orthodox and others a bit wacky.

R declares it the best garden she has visited for quite a while. We move to Phase 2 of our plan. Our ticket covers buses as well as trams and we cross the station to catch a number 5 bus. This runs on a reserved route and has platform stops like a tram. It only needs rails and it would be a tram. In this town the buses have a clang just like a tram. 
As we board the bus it starts to rain but by the time we get to our destination it has stopped. We are visiting Les Machines de L'île on a recommendation. By the time we reach our destination, on an island in the middle of the Loire the rain has blown through. 
We buy our tickets just in time to join a group being shown the various machines that make up the exhibition. These vary in scale but are fascinating to watch. R is very much into the spirit of the event and volunteers to help work the sloth.After a picnic lunch we walk over the Pont Anne de Bretagne and pick up a tram back into the centre. The city is full of quirks and oddities such as the Ode to Sidestepping and the Jungle Interieure.
One of the more famous attractions is the Passage Pommeraye, a classic shopping arcade built in 1843 on three levels.
We round off our day out by visiting a highly rated Traiteur for some supper time treats.
Today was a notable day as R managed a whole day without her stick and her SmartThing registered 10,785 steps. First time over 10k since the op.

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