That Was the Week That Was ...

Après la Bataille
Paul Louis Narcisse Grolleron
Source

I seem to be fully recovered from my recent illness, no fun at all I tell you, no fun at all.

Actually, wasn't all that bad once I had the antibiotics going strong, it was the clear liquids for the first day, bland food for a few days after that which was no fun. I mean First World problem, right?

At least I have food, yeah?

Retirement gets closer and closer, I've spent some serious time lately getting all the paperwork in order. Some of it is gubmint paperwork, which usually means "user unfriendly" and not that clear. Once I pulled my head out, I got it done.

Managed to get some good rack time in over the past week. Early to bed, early to rise, etc., etc., etc. Sure made Jack a dull boy though, even if I did really, really need it.

That opening painting caught my eye as I cast my net around the web of worldwideness to perhaps catch a topic to write about. The painting is of a Second Empire French dragoon who seems to be unassing the battlefield in a somewhat furtive manner.

His mount is probably exhausted, having had to haul his rider all over the battlefield in what appears to have been a losing effort. In the 1870 Franco-Prussian War the French didn't win many battles. A few, but they did wind up losing the war, their emperor (Napoléon III, nephew of the more famous Napoléon I) was captured at the Battle of Sedan and the victorious Prussians declared the founding of the German Empire at Versailles. Yes, that's in France, at the old royal palace of the Bourbons.

Die Proklamierung des Deutschen Kaiserreiches¹
Anton von Werner (PD)

That's Bismarck himself in the fancy white uniform at the center of the composition, Kaiser Wilhelm I is the white-haired chap up on the raised platform (stage left) being acclaimed as emperor by all the other chaps. He was the grandfather of Kaiser Wilhelm II (the bogeyman of World War I fame) and had been present at the Battle of Waterloo. He'd assisted in the defeat of the first Napoléon and his generals had defeated the third Napoléon.

For those of you wondering who was the second Napoléon, well, that was Napoléon I's son, who died in his twenties in Vienna where he was a "guest" of the Austrian government under the rule of his grandfather, Kaiser Franz I. Mom was an Austrian princess don't ya know?

An interesting time period that war, nasty in a lot of aspects, perhaps I'll write about it someday. The last "old school" war with cavalry charging about and men marching around in lines and columns, standing in the open, and getting cut to shreds much like our own unpleasantness ten years before.

All that being said, I'm back in the saddle, so to speak, and ready to get back to writing. Once the Muse shows up of course. I don't control her, she comes and goes as she sees fit. If I try to force her to be creative, it often blows up in my face.

So, I'm back, be patient, the free ice cream will be forthcoming.

Any day now.

¹ The proclamation of the German Empire