These are pictures from late October when Mom and Dad had come down to visit me. They found it very cold so we visited places near and around Paris. Versailles is a colossus. Its gardens are the biggest I have seen and the palace is incredibly lavish. Louis IV came here in 1682 and the french kings stayed here all they way until the revolution forced Louis VI out of the palace in 1789. But the place is much older and the first chateau was built here sometime in the 11th century.
The best part about this place is the expansive set of interconnected gardens that are spread across an area of 8000 hectares. In between is a waterbody that is a cross between a lake and a canal. Part of it flows right to the foot of the main Palace. Ships would sail into it at some point in history. There is more than one chateau here. Including a mini chateau gifted to Marie Antoinette with its own chapel and garden. It is all so spread out that it would tire one to walk around the whole place. So mom and dad bought tickets for a tram that shuttles around the palace.
A tree
Old walls connect a distant past,
To a courtyard and a house,
Large spaces inside,
And a restless tree.
Bare branches crawl up,
A side of the wall,
Stick a hand out,
And wave at the passerby.
Hey did you see the winter,
Coming this way?
The passerby stops,
Pops his head out of the hood,
And gives his neck a good shake.
His features blur,
A blank page behind a long nose,
Protected by the shaggy beard.
He says, Pardon,
Je suis sur mon chemin,
And walks away.
The tree squints at the horizon,
Spots a dab of red,
And imagines a sunset,
Behind the gray evening.
6 comments:
Great pics and a great poem...Would love to sit by the lake in midst of the chateau and lose myself in dreams...awesome place!!!
wow! didnt know u were back to blogging... and these r great pics!
priyankari:
Yeah if only it were spring or summer. its awfully cold now :)
how:
Yeah! My resurgence has so far been a covert operation.
beautiful photos Wriju.
"The tree squints at the horizon,
Spots a dab of red,
And imagines a sunset,
Behind the gray evening."
this is so alive. You are still my Little prince poet.
Chloe I am overjoyed to see you back. Even the poem feels alive :)
Guess what Mr Wriju i really am too jealous about u ,ur travels days never stop back India and now in europe.... Your pics and the memoirs do make me have this flying feeling to all of these places,pretty soon would do that :) and yes the Poems ur good at it :)
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