Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 July 2018

Drottingholm Palace

The Drottingholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish Royal family. It is located within the confines of Stockholm,conveniently close to the city center. It was built on a small island for one of the former queens of Sweden to which it owns its name - Drottingholm means "queen's island".


The palace and its grounds have seen many renovations, changes and additions over the past 400 years. But you can still have a feeling of what it looked like when it was a vibrant place of power. This hall is the Hall od State, palaces assembly and ceremonial hall. It is decorated with portraits of the most important European heads of state from the nineteenth century.


In the library, you can find thousands of books. It was created in late eighteen century, with the help of the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.


Let's take the official staircase. Quite impressive (as it was meant to be).


Amoung the very many chambers, we can admire the Chinese drawing room with magnificent tapestries.


Chinese motives were very popular in Europe an Sweden was no exception. You can find Chinese vases in many parts of the Drottingholm palace.


The Green Cabinet looks a bit like an ancient version of Instagram, all covered with pictures, both small ...


... and large.


This room is the State Bedchamber of queen Hedvig Eleonora. And yes, in eighteenth century a queen would receive her guests in a bedchamber.


On one side of the Drottingholm palace you will find a small lake.


And this is the backyard.


Shall we take a closer look?


The Drottingholm garden includes large alleys ...


... and narrow lanes.


This fountain, shaped like a series of waterfalls, is dedicated to king Gustav VI Adolf.


Though of course the garden is filled with numerous fountains, usually shaped into classical monuments.


Look at this path, it looks like carved in trees!


At its top you will find the Chinese pavilion.


It was a surprise gift for queen Louisa Ulrika on her 33 birthday. When a king thinks of a surprise gift, he thinks big. I only wonder how realistic it was that the woman did not get any hint of a such construction happening in her backyard (no matter how large the backyard is).


Though I guess a wise wife can be surprised whenever needed and by a gift of any size, should it be a pavilion ...


... or a bouquet.


I guess that you will not be surprised to find out that the Drottingholm Palace was inscribed by UNESCO on its World Heritage List.


It is indeed a wonderful and unique place.


Saturday, 10 February 2018

Bangalore

Over the last weeks we have enjoyed the snow and cold of Europe. I propose that we change the climate today and look for a place that is warm and sunny irrespective of the season. I have the pleasure to take you to yet another trip to Asia - welcome to Incredible India!


Let's jump on a plane - the flight will take us a few hours.


Finally, we arrive. Have you noticed that the Indian alphabet is nothing close to the Latin one?


Let's go to the city center. We could use one of those cute moto-taxis.


But be careful, the traffic is really bad in Bangalore.


You do not believe me? Well, turn up the volume.


I propose we take a short stop in one of the shops with local handcraft. You can buy here figurines of Hindi gods ...


... or a shawl, both beautiful and practical.


Are we done with shopping? Then I propose that we go directly to the hotel now. We will be welcomed with necklaces of flowers.


In the main lobby, Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, is welcoming the guests. 


On the floor we can admire a beautiful and delicate mandala made out of flowers.


We will stay in the Taj West End hotel, the oldest of Bangalore.


It remembers the times when English ladies and gentlemen walked in the gardens.


It was built in so-called colonial style.


In the garden you can see trees that are hundreds years old. 


The buildings themselves are covered with tropical plants.


And in th courtyards, turkeys enjoy the sunlight.


There have even have here a little pond. I have seen next to it people doing yoga. Hard to imagine a better and more serene place.


I hope that you have enjoyed this wonderful place. Before we return to the gloomy Europe, why don't we enjoy one more aspect of the vibrant and colourful India. The spices.


But be careful, the Indians add spices even to ice cream!


I let you enjoy the dessert and I run to send a few postcards to my Postcrossing friends.



Saturday, 6 May 2017

Brühl

Do you remember our little misunderstanding last winter? When my family took me to the Augustusburg castle, just not the one I was hoping to see? I have promised you then that one day we will see the UNESCO World Heritage site of the same name.


Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Brühl, a masterpiece of German Rococo style.


The Augustusburg castle was commissioned by the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, the brother of the German Emperor, as his summer residence. It is today one of the most visited sites in Germany.


As we approach the main entrance, you can see that the bishop did not count his money. The palace is big and richly ornamented.


But it is inside that one can fully realise what Rococo means, one of the most decorative periods in the history of art. Unfortunately, visitors are generally not allowed to take pictures inside.

Source: http://www.germany.travel
 Luckily nobody forbids to take pictures in the garden.


As we turn back, you can see the Augustusburg castle and the garden in one shot.


In front of us comes a pond.


Ponds are great pieces of landscape architecture since they allow to take pictures with reverse images.


But it is not yet all that is to be seen in Brühl. Let's move into the woods.


The bishop was an avid falconer so on the other side of the woods come the Falkenlust Hunting Lodge. It was built on a site selected in accordance with the flight path of the herons, the favourite pray in falconry. They breed in the palace garden and they fish in Rhine near Wesseling.


The lodge is not very big but it has been witness of amazing parties. Supposedly even Giacomo Casanova was a guest here.


Again, pictures inside are not allowed. But I have found an amazing website where you can see panoramic pictures of the interiors (and the gardens!) of Agustusburg and Falkenlust. You can change you spot in the left bottom corner. Enjoy!