From the migrants who are hoping to get a roof over their head before it gets cold to relatives worrying about soaring rental prices, everybody around me is obsessed with real estate.

Se loger (“to find a place to live”) is a real issue for many French people. In big cities, apartment buildings are old and landlords are notoriously picky—demand is greater than supply so you’d better make a lot of money and have a steady job as well as a good guarantor to be offered the chance to sign the lease. Forget about buying your own place unless you’re willing to live outside the city or work on a rundown property, which is probably why there are so many French comedies on renovation works.

As much as I hate these new, bland suburban residential developments in Canada, I must admit they get the job done—offering affordable housing to families.

Meanwhile, in Nantes, I tried to pay attention to unusual buildings and architectural details around me. From sinking apartment buildings Quai de la Fosse to modern towers in Beaulieu, from traditional cast-iron figurines (e.g. shepherd and shepherdess) used to keep exterior window shutters open to mascaron ornaments on façades to frighten away evil spirits, from new bridges to disused railway bridges, here are a few pictures taken in Nantes and around.