Lunch at Leonardo's

One of my favourite buildings in this region is the Clos Luce, the place where that incredible Renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci lived from 1516 to his death in 1519. Although it is not as grand as the other famous chateaux, it really is beautiful and its more modest dimensions pay a more respectful homage to this great man. One of the most famous features of the Clos Luce is the secret underground tunnel connecting it to the Royal Chateau of Amboise. This tunnel allowed the young King Francois I to visit ageing Leonardo without having to pass through the great unwashed masses of the city. Only the first few metres of the tunnel are now visible, as much has now collapsed over the past 500 years.

The Clos Luce is only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, so I headed off there after breakfast, eager to refresh my memories of this lovely home and (even lovelier) gardens. I managed to get there before the peak tourist crush descended. I was even happier when I found that there was a special discount on the entry price, not because I had my senior's card, but because it was apparently some sort of special day in France. The discount was just enough to pay for my coffee in the kiosk.

After walking through the home and museum, I found refuge in the lovely shady garden. Back home in Melbourne, Hawthorn was playing Brisbane in the preliminary final. The exciting last quarter saw Hawthorn stage a magnificent fightback, only to fall short by 9 points at the final siren. Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, I was then able to have a video call to my grandchildren and show them Leonardo's home. By coincidence, one of them had just been given a Leonardo da Vinci Lego set, so he was especially interested to see what his real house looked like.

All that remained was the short walk back to the hotel. It would have been even shorter if I hadn't missed one of the corners and ended up accidentally walking back into the centre of the town.Read more