Puzzle : La Joconde

Smile!

Yes this puzzle brings back a memory and makes me smile.
I did it once before - although that's not strictly true as in a sense I didn't quite complete it, someone else did.

It was back in 1974 and I was living then in Vierzon, renting a room from a propriétaire on the outskirts of the town. There wasn't much to do in the evenings and one way of passing the time I decided was to tackle a jigsaw.  A good sized one mind you, at least 1000 pieces.

Thanks to the local librairie I was able to to get a puzzle of La Joconde, Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and it turned out to be a labour of love. I hadn't at that stage seen the original in the Louvre and when I did it struck me as smaller than I expected.  All the same I got to know those brush strokes fairly well and the background?  Well there's a lot of detail there too.  Jigsaws are a great way to appreciate a work of art.

And as for the smile?  Getting there.

My efforts with the puzzle were a great source of conversation with my landlady who remarked progress on a daily basis.  She commented the knowing approval of the femme de ménage as she observed the work move to completion.

And then?

After many painstaking hours over several evenings there remained one piece.  I am sure that it was a portion of the nose.  I decided that I wouldn't snap it into place and instead left it to the side.

It stayed there for quite a while until one day Madame La Propriétaire met me at the doorway on my return home. Monsieur Christopher should know that the femme de ménage could restrain herself no longer and felt moved to insert the remaining piece! Apologies all round but the poor lady was clearly  exasperated to see the puzzle completed.

I hadn't left the piece out to bother anyone and it wasn't bothering me. Patience is a virtue, found in no man but in every woman except of course for the femme de ménage.

The incident made me smile then and still does.

So here I am again, nearly 45 years on with a new version of the puzzle.  1000 pieces.
Time to get reacquainted with a masterpiece.

Will I leave out a piece to be inserted by someone checking my progress?

Of course I will. Serves them right for being nosey.

Quand mon verre est vide..

Quand mon verre est vide, je le plains,

Quand mon verre est plein, je le vide.

    Raoul PONCHON

Have always loved this simple jeu de mots, word play. Literally when my glass is empty I feel sorry about that. When it's full, I empty it.
Within moderation of course.

L'amour n’égale pas la mort

There are reports that domestic abuse in France has risen by almost one third in these times of confinement. Sadly, that is probably the case in other countries.
Stop. For good!
Love doesn't equal death.
l’amour n’égale pas la mort

Blanquette de Limoux

Hands rough with weeding. Cooling bubbles. Ça s'arrose !

La cigale chante

Want one of these! A mechanical cicada that makes that nostalgic sound characteristic of warm summer evenings in the south of France.
It's available online and I've just placed an order. This, some bright lights, a bunch of lavender and a glass of pastis...winter will be that little bit shorter.

80 minutes with Seamus Heaney at National Library of Ireland

So very pleased to have been part of this...

Ambling to Amboise

An ambling ambition

This was supposed to be a leisurely trip to Amboise.  An ambling ambition. The idea was that we would get a late morning train for Amboise and visit the château. It's within easy reach of Tours where we were staying and that leisure time would include a snack at the Mie Caline outlet close to the station. Sure enough wrapped around a bacon and cheddar filled baguette everything seemed to be going swimmingly.

As often before on this trip, I had used the very useful OUI.sncf app to buy two tickets, located the train and boarded with ease. The train was quiet and comfortable and tempted with the strong wifi I got involved in some catch-up messaging. Mistake!
Starting to feel drowsy, I closed my eyes.
Yes, I had been aware that the train had stopped but since it seemed we had only just left I paid no attention.  Rousing a little later P. remarked that she had seen a château en passant and I figured perhaps that was Chenonceau.  However looking at the time I realised it was later than I had thought and the train station had been Amboise!!

Blois-Chambord

A quick walk up the train - to find the conductor who turned out to be extra-specially nice.  He confirmed that we had indeed missed Amboise and were now approaching Blois-Chambord.  If we were quick, he suggested, we could get out and take the next train back in the Tours direction.  It was due shortly.  Offering to pay any required supplement, the conductor declined and added the comment that if asked I should simply explain again as I had done to him.

We did as he suggested, descended at Blois-Chambord, and after that rush of adrenaline caught the next train back only a few minutes later.

The journey was short and we had a lovely afternoon in Amboise.

En plus/more

Check out the OuiSNCF app on the App Store or Android. Have used it several times and it's really useful.

If you're in Tours, Amboise is probably the closest Château to visit by train.  Yes, there is a walk from the station but it is gentle.  The old town of Amboise bordering the castle wall is lovely with plenty of eating places.

Amboise has plenty of connections with Leonardo da Vinci including his castle and burial chamber.