Felt Vincent

While daughter #1 and I put the world to rights yesterday over coffee, His Lordship was improving himself with a dose of culture in the National Gallery over the road.

I know I am a Philistine and a particularly miserly one at that when I object to paying an amount in two figures to look at paintings of the old Masters when I can look at them for free in all the art books on our shelves.
There are even occasions in the past when I have almost hyperventilated while walking round exhibitions having to look at hundreds of paintings to get my money's worth, and nearly having to ask for the brown paper bag remedy.

I do however like the gallery gift shops, and it appears that HL visited one yesterday at the Inspiring Impressionism exhibition when he gifted me the felt miniature of Vincent Van Gogh holding his famous sunflower but missing his ear. Although he actually cut off his left ear, the famous portrait taken looking into mirror, shows the bandage on his right side- just so you are clear on that point!

The Sunday toast has been consumed, the rain has come as forecast and HL and I have settled in for another wet Sunday with the papers, the knitting and watching the final day of the Tour de France on the tele this afternoon.

I hope nothing happens to deny Chris Froome his 3rd Tour victory, backed by the phenomenal Team Sky, which yesterday guided him carefully up slopes and down descents of mountains in horrifying rain. It made me wince to watch the speed the cyclists descended on the twisting alpine roads running in water. Hopefully the Paris cobbles will be dry today.