Les Machines d l'île in Nantes, France – Le Grand Éléphant

This gorgeous mechanical elephant actually walks around!  It is one of a number of animals in a special art park in Nantes in France.  I would love to visit this place.  So undeniably quirky!

I've travelled a bit in France but somehow have missed Nantes – which is the 6^th largest city in France.  Nantes is in Western France on the Loire river quite close to the coast.

The machines are housed in old shipyards and were created by 2 French artists – Francois Delaroziere and Pierre Orefice.

The elephant is 12 meters high (that's 40 feet in old money) and 8 meters wide – that's one very big elephant.  It goes on walks and can hold over 40 passengers.