It’s easy to overlook the apparently innocuous. That ache that comes and goes. The headache that bursts out of nowhere for seemingly no reason. That splinter that didn’t get cleaned out properly and days later is festering.
Things never stay as they are. Living or inert, they are subject to change. And often, when that change occurs, it can seem sudden. Yet most likely, a subtle unseen transformation has been going on behind closed doors.
After Scoot’s impromptu debacle last August, he spent some time behind the scenes being nurtured back into his former showroom glory. In Türkiye, he got to show off his brand new lilywhite bodywork. But, unbeknown to us, underneath that shiny coat of admiration, something was afoot. Suddenly and inexplicably his petrol cap wouldn’t close shut. Gaffer tape came to the rescue, but at the cost of his vanity.
Back on home soil and after a couple of wasted repair shop visits, Mr S decides to take matters into his own hands. Removes Scoot’s front cover panel. Take a decco. It seems that after his snatch and grab, the metal cable housing had taken a knock. Not enough to sever it from its mounting. Then, over the course of our ensuing journeys, vibration had dutifully been nagging away at the weakened joint. Until ‘ping!
With our site a mere 8.4k from Château de Chambord – the largest in the Loire, it’s time to give Scoot his first run out. An ideal opportunity to test his new mend.
Oddly, having visited France many, many times, this is our first Chateau experience.
Inside, the three floors are connected by a central double-spiral staircase. The amusing feature being that two people can pass one another, see one another as they pass, but not meet! Work that one out if you can.
We step off together. Get blown over by the wonderfully exquisite engravings of Octave de Rochebrune. He created nine masterpieces of Chambord, over a period of twenty-six years. The images contrived with unbelievable patience, attention to detail and the ability to capture light and shadow.
There’s enough English translation throughout and our audio-guide/Histopad (8″ tablet) was not really required. It did have a a neat 360 feature though. In any room you could slide the image back to mid 16thC to see how it would have looked then.
We break off for a lunchtime sarnie. Unthinkingly, order a couple of ‘normal’ coffees. Get served espresso’s in tiny paper cups, no more than 60mm high. “Could we have some milk in one, please” “Yes, of course, that will be an extra 50cents!” – the added milk would have barely filled a desert spoon.
Our four hour visit ended with an all-time first – a parking fee for Scoot – 6€ !!