When Diane de Poitiers (more anon) infamous mistress of Henri II first set eyes on Chaumont (an unwanted acquisition) she conceded that it was pretty.

Visitors climbing the ramp from rue Emir Abdel el-Kader to Château Amboise may wonder about the street name. They may be even more curious about the incongruous garden of remembrance in the Château grounds, more suited to the deserts of Arabia than the banks of the Loire.

Who was Emir Abdel el-Kader? What was his connection with the Château? The religious and military leader was held in honourable confinement in Château Amboise for four years, a diplomatic way of saying he was a prisoner of war.

The habits, the how’s, when’s, why’s and where’s of this enchanting bird differ according to which source you read. Some say it lands now and again, some say not. Some say it’s the fastest bird in the word, others dispute it.

Monarchs gives rise to Styles. One has only to think Victorian or Georgian. People know instinctively what the Louis-Philippe (1830 to 1848) style is. They may not be able to describe it but can recognise it. It’s pretty, dainty, delicate, elegant yet practical.

There’s always something going on in Amboise, especially this year with the town commemorating the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo, its most famous resident, but there was an extra frisson this evening. The town opened a brand new art gallery. Well, the building is not new, it has a fascinating history, but the gallery is.

Billed as ‘chairs’ these wonderful, Heath-Robinson type creations cleverly cobbled together from what looks like recycled bits of iron, wood and stones on the île d'or are anything but. Reminiscent of Sandy Calder mobiles they are sculptures, works of art. This is, for want of a better term, an Interactive Installation. The huge self-activated pendulums are Patrice Douchet’s homage to his friend, the artist Jean-Marie Guérin who created the ‘chairs’ in 1998.

Merci M. Grossetête and merci Amboise Mairie for a stimulating, life enhancing afternoon. The celebrated French artist Olivier Grossetête famous for his huge, ephemeral, transient cardboard and gaffer tape installations was in town. His works are not for elitist galleries they are for the people who live in the places where they are made.

Nobles vied with each other to be invited to the royal court in Amboise. With no room for them in the Château, they built their own to be near, which is why there are so many in this area. The aristocracy spent fortunes and waited months on end to meet François, yet here was Leonardo, a man of low birth with daily access to the King.