Brittany - Lorient - Submarine base, sous-marin (La Flore, Daphne class submarine), Lorient patisserie

The submarine base in Lorient was constructed by the Nazis during the occupation of Lorient during the Second World War.  After the war, the base and its bunkers were left more or less intact (see below) and the base became an important French submarine base. The sub base is massive.  While reminders of the war and the occupation are everywhere in Brittany, it's nice to see an artifact of war being used for peaceful pursuits. Today some of the old bunkers are used for modern shipbuilding (fiberglass) and some of the old submarine slips are recreational watercraft mooring areas. We had the opportunity to visit "La Flore," the fifth Daphne-class submarine and now a permanently drydocked exhibit at the submarine base.  I have to say that submariners are a different breed as living in these cramped conditions must have been exhausting. Movies were shown occasionally on board, and when the crew all crowded into the relatively spacious forward torpedo room / living quarters it was up to the poor cockswain to attempt to keep the submarine from pitching foward due to its weight imbalance. Wine was served on board only occasionally - on days ending with "i" ;-) We spent a bit of time walking around Lorient after our tour.  Lorient is a relatively new city as most of the buildings were firebombed by the Allied forces (English and American) during the war (the town was under Nazi occupation).  The city has a modern feel but is very welcoming. We visited what I suspect may be the best patisserie in France to pick up desserts to enjoy after our excellent meal at home that evening. Signs in Brittany are in both French and Breizh, the traditional Breton language.