Marvel

It’s really a shame how quickly the extraordinary becomes ordinary. We seem to have a limited ability to marvel. Nebraska has one of the most significant dinosaur finds in the world, the Agate Fossil Beds, but I never even heard of it until I lived in Europe and never met a Nebraskan who’d visited. When I lived in Holland, I was always touring castles the Dutch ignored. In the UK, I once went to Stonehenge with a friend. He looked at it for a few minutes, said, “Huuh” and got back in the car.

Here in Autun, I was surprised to find Roman ruins. I came for St. Lazarus but this was a bonus. Autun was founded by the Emperor Augustus at the end of the 1st century BC. Wanting to impress, he had a few monuments built; two gates, a temple and an amphitheatre. They’re still here.

Ready to be impressed, I walked over to Porte d’Arroux and diligently read every word on the plaque. As directed, I noted the acanthus leaves topping the columns and examined the deep groove that held the wooden door. What a wonder to have that here. You could almost hear the chariot wheels race by. I felt humbled and contemplated the vast sea of history – for almost a minute.

Next I walked on to the Janus Temple, a very impressive structure near the river. Again, I marvelled. I read (most of) the plaque but didn’t go around back to see the foundations of stairs that once existed there. The ground was a little soggy.

Then I got in my car to go see the other gate, Porte St.’Andreus. It’s only a kilometre farther but I was feeling a bit fagged and didn’t want to walk. This gate is bigger than the first and the real showpiece for the town. Just as I was approaching, I noticed a billboard:

Mr. Bricolage
Direction Porte St. Andreus
Puis 1ère rue á Droit

and I hooked a quick right.

No matter the country, I always feel at home at a hardware store. Whenever I go to the states, my sister and I always spend a lot of time there. Once we whiled away a whole afternoon looking for a synthetic alternative to wrought iron. And I’ll never forget the happy time we had assembling the stuff to make a water fountain for her pond. A kit was too expensive so we paid a lot more for miscellaneous pumps, ingenious filtration devices (car air filter) buckets and rubber tubing. Oh, that was a day well spent.

In foreign countries, I’m always keen to see the fittings and fixtures used by the natives. It’s pleasant to stroll the aisles of sealants, adhesives, tools, tile and wallpaper and study the paint section for unique brushes and sundries. They sell a very good quality drop cloth here at a reasonable price. Yesterday I spent a few relaxing hours looking for cupboard magnets and a board. Actually, I was there twice. On my first visit, I’d been absorbed by hinges and locks for some time when a clerk asked me to leave. They were closing for lunch and I was the only client in the store. I had heard a series of (unintelligibly french) announcements on the loud speaker but assumed there was a price check or “Could Etienne please assist in Automotive”

Naturally, I felt a bit foolish but it was nice to be recognized by all the staff when I returned in the afternoon. This visit was successful and I came away with both items plus a cunning ball bearing operated slider for our bed. The store is called Mr. Bricolage. I always said “Mister” until Claire pointed out that it would be “Monsieur”. In my opinion, it should be “Madame” because I cant think of a place I’d rather visit.

Oh, and about that Roman Amphitheatre – I think I won’t bother. It’s actually in pretty bad shape. There are unsightly cracks in the walls, worn flooring, some water damage and the whole place needs weather-proofing. I’d recommend a trip to Monsieur Bricolage.