Friday 10th September 2010.

We are staying in the watchmakers house in the village of Pontlevoy in the Loire Valley. The watchmaker, Louis Clergeau, is long dead, but he’s a very interesting man for two reasons. First, his hobby was photography and he went around the area taking photographs in the 1920’s. When I saw the booklet about him I was reminded of Fr. Browne the Irish priest who went round the parishes of Ireland taking picture of ordinary people and activities.

Secondly, he’s interesting because of the ingenious tour this village has devised using his photographs. Remember, in Nice, I planned my perfect bus tour? Well, thanks to Monsieur Clergeau I have found something pretty close to it here in this small village. It’s called Le Musee Dans La Rue (The Museum in the Street).

There are little plaques attached to the walls on the streets around the town showing a photograph by M. Clergeau on that very spot in the 1920’s. Along with the photo there’s a short description.

I took a picture of the plaque near the boulangerie, and today’s boulangerie to show you.

Actually, there’s a third thing that’s interesting about Louis, he took the time to do the thing he loved, photography. And 90 years later people are still enjoying it. You don’t always have to give up the day job to follow your dream, you just have to make it a priority in the time you do have available. Joseph Campbell (of The Hero’s Journey) said “When you follow your bliss, doors open where you never even knew there were doors.”

In France the doors are very pretty, and so are the windows, in fact, the windows are so big it is possible to use them as doors too!!!!!