#amateurvoltaire’s travel diary

[amateurvoltaire]

Little Yellow Emperor: the Life of Napoleon in LEGO

The Battle of Waterloo Domain is hosting a LEGO exhibit called "THE LEGEND OF NAPOLEON IN LEGO BRICKS." As a recovering LEGO addict and an eternal fan of 18th/19th-century French history, I simply had to go. After successfully bribing the husband with beer and fries and the children with waffles, we made the trip today.

The exhibition was smaller than I expected, but some of the builds were genuinely impressive. It traces Napoleon's life from his birth in Corsica to his death on Saint Helena—a neat, bite-sized way to introduce his story, and a fun way of recreating history. However, one thing that did bug me a bit: while the audio guide is available in multiple languages, all the wall texts are in French. In a trilingual country, especially at such a touristy site, that feels like a bit of a miss (plus, it gave the Dutch-speaking husband an excuse to grumble).

Gripes aside (1), the exhibit was a lot of fun. Here are my favourite builds.

1. The Campaign in Egypt

This recreation of Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign is absolutely brilliant. The photos don’t do it justice—every detail, from the Sphinx to the busy French camp, is spot on. It's also huge and apparently took close to 70 hours to build! @chickenmadam can you spot Kléber?

2. Napoleon's Coronation as Emperor

The second build, depicting Napoleon's coronation, may be smaller, but it's full of impressive details. I especially loved the grumpy expression on Pope Pius VII’s face, along with the equally unimpressed looks from the rest of the clergy—it really adds character to the scene!

3. The Coup on 18th Brumaire

Again not a very big build but... those red capes... the hats... the outfits —need I say more?

4. Napoleon asks Josephine for a Divorce

This moment is supposed to be, by all accounts, heart-wrenching for everyone involved—Napoleon asking Josephine for a divorce. But, since it’s LEGO, it ends up looking unintentionally hilarious.

5. The Crossing of the Berezina River

This is another brilliant build, capturing what was arguably Napoleon's greatest military disaster. While it's not as large as the Egypt campaign scene, it’s packed with intricate details that make it just as interesting.

6. Napoleon's Civil Code

Yes. He has a GIANT parchment.

7. Daddy Napoleon and his son

Because the King of Rome has a purple teddybear and a grumpy statue of his dad in his room...

Bonus: The Battle of the Arcole Bridge

Not particularly impressive per see as a build, but this is one of my favourite moments in Napoleon's story, so... why not?

Notes

(1) Yes, they recreated the siege of Toulon. No, Bonbon isn't in it. That makes me sad.

[amateurvoltaire]

So I managed to drag the family to the Vendee for what my loving husband calls a trip to "look at obscure things no one knows about and eat loads of brioche." I'm working on a proper post to document the whole adventure because I really want to remember all the details. But, for now, let's focus on what's important:

For anyone burning with curiosity, I can confirm that baby generalissimo extraordinaire is both cute and surprisingly imposing in his all his statue glory.

[amateurvoltaire]

252 years ago, on a quiet Sunday, a boy was born, not in a fashionable 18th-century château but within the sombre walls of a fortress.

La Durbelière, with its moss-covered stones and silent moat, held the boy's first cries within its weathered 15th-century walls. This was a place of solid stone and ancient oaks, where the winds carried the scent of earth and the songs of the Poitevin countryside. This was a place where the laughter of the boy, his siblings and peasant children from the parish echoed alongside the thundering of hooves. This was a place where he grew wild and free, tracing paths through the tall grass and dreaming beneath the sheltering branches of trees that had seen so much.

This was a place where the boy would come to love his region and his people so deeply, so completely, that just 21 years later, he would give his life to protect them and everything they stood for.