The Wonder That is Versailles - a Palace of Dreams

There are fewer things grander in European Architecture than the Palace at Versailles. 

The Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles

Like Louis the XIV,s motto "nec pluribus impar", the Versailles Palace is more than a match for anything of the era. 

It fascinated me during my lectures on Landscape Architecture not just for its scale and grandeur, but also the ingenuity of some of the features. The kings of France took quite a bit of flak for the construction and maintenance of the Palace which eventually crippled their economy and lead to the French Revolution. But what a dream the Palace was! What started as a simple chateau and a Hunting Lodge in the forests for King Louis XIII, got transformed to one of the most grand Royal Courts in the world, that literally crippled a country in its maintenance. 

The Versailles Palace reinforced the glamour and lavish architecture inside and outside with the varied and colourful court life of the Royal entourage, the French Nobility and aristocracy. History notes numerous intrigues, secrets, treaties, scandals that lent colour to Versailles in the 17th and 18th century. All these have been graphically illustrated in many books and most recently the TV series "Versailles". 

 Louis the XIV, the Sun King,  improved upon the medieval chateaux he inherited from his father into a daunting and sumptuos Baroque residence and court that had around 2500 rooms and and a garden defying all expectations of grandeur..and profligacy. At it's busiest, the Palace had around 10000 people in it daily, occupied in various forms. For Louis the XIV, it was the Chateaux de Versailles that was the centre of the World. A palace to showcase and project his power, position and aura.

The gardens at Versailles were some of the most advanced for their age with never before seen features. The water parterres (large rectangular features of water body) were the highlights. They connected the various paths and reflected the various features, as well as the lit up the outside. If one stood at the Palace terrace, the line of vision would lead one through the orangery, many elaborately constructed fountains, sculptures, pyramids, a belvedere here, groves, there, to the large north and south water parterres.

Perhaps not satisfied with the crowd and his entire court at Versailles, King Louis XIV built another smaller (by Versailles standards) and a more private Palace 7kms to the west of Versailles, at Marly.  The Marly gardens featured some of the most unique hydraulic engineering seen at that age. 

Machine de Marly was a marvel of that time that was built to pump water from the Seine via aquaducts to the Gardens of Marly and Versailles. The complicated hydraulic system had fourteen gigantic wheels, initially operated manually, to haul water from the Seine, via 250 pumps. The water from Seine was directed  by well constructed dykes, and the water wheel transferred it to the aquaduct de Louveciennes, a series of basins, reservoirs, through some complex piping and machinery to eventually feed the water bodies at Versailles and Marly. 

The machine was however not sufficient to entirely feed the extensive water features of Versailles and Marly. It was considered to be extremely noisy as hundreds of workers operated it round the clock to keep it going! Even then it served Versailles for 133 years, before steam engines and other modifications took over.

    

Machine de Marly at Marly 
Vue de la Machine de Marly (1723) by Pierre-Denis Martin (Source - Wikimedia)

Elevation and perspective of the Machine de Marly (c. 1715) by Nicolas de Fer

 (Source - Wikimedia Commons)

By L.-A. Barbet - Les Grandes Eaux de Versailles, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38927687

Historians see Marly as a finished product as a result of all the experimentation on at Versailles! The Sun King was definitely one of those people who believed everything can be achieved, from the exquisite Hall of Mirrors where he held Court, to shifting his entire court to Versailles,  to having an exotic orangery and other marvels mimicking nature, to dragging water from the Seine to feed the numerous water features and magical gardens of the grand palace. 

To be able to dream, conceptualise and finally execute a marvel like the Palace at Versailles must have required quite a vision, and of course unlimited resources at command. Even though the subjects and courtiers of the Sun King and his descendents would have had every right to complain for the taxes, inconvenience, the world is still rich by Versailles.

References

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/gardens/fountains

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/europe/france/the-mechanical-wonder-that-powered-versailles-fountains/

- Sm R

Climbing Ben Nevis

 The morning of my third day at Fort William, I started for Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the British Isles and a favourite with trek lovers. It is a one day trek and one can easily reach the top if one plans accordingly. The walk from the B & B to the mountains was a distance of 3 kms. Not being an early waker, I reached the spot around 10 am. The beautiful walk had a curling field on the way. Curling was a popular old sport in the highlands which combined the raw strength of the Highlanders with strategy and skills. One has to slide huge round stones from one end of the play area to the other to reach its destination. It is called curling as the stones take a curvilinear path to reach the circle at the other end!

Curling Field, Ben Nevis

Reaching the foothills of the Nevis opened up a sight of a series of hills so breathtaking in beauty as only something so far up on the hemisphere can have. A stream bubbled along the foothills (River Nevis actually) and one had to cross it on a quaint wooden bridge. Then one had to climb up the stiles which lead to a paddocked field with sheep. Someone from the hot dusty tropical climate of coastal India could entirely appreciate the atmosphere of the place, and I was caught many a times just standing around and gazing. The climb was along a series of steps cut into the hills, and was quite unlike another climb I had done the previous year at Mt. Kinabalu. Unlike Mt Kinabalu, it was a raw climb, not too touristy, no porters or sitouts, or rope guides along the way. Even guide rails were missing at most places. 

I came across quite a number of interesting people along the way. An elderly Indian gentleman, who stayed in the vicinity, on his way down was surprised to see a solo lady climber from India. There was an adventurous young Chinese girl who was travelling on her own in Scotland by public transport. She had come straight from China (she was not a student in UK, I mean). Then an Australian lady who had camped in her car overnight at the Ben Nevis foothills, to get an early start on the climb. I love those Australian women. I feel they can do anything. I met a few of them on my journey in North UK. They have this unbounded energy and confidence. This particular lady was kind enough to give me a lift back to the B & B. She was interested that I was an Indian. She was going to start a new career in Chakra Healing. The Scotland trip was the beginning of a new start for her, having just left behind her old life which included her job and husband. 

"The path to the top is strewn with boulders" - Did anyone say that? Thats the truth anyways. The path was cut into the mountains. There were little bridges over gorges and planks over streams, The footpath was there in name only at many places along the route. The mountain goats were there in their lairs. Babbling brooks followed one on the trail (or the other way round, since I was climbing!)

I made it to a small loch nestled amongst the Ben Nevis, a bit after the halfway mark. It was called the Halfway Loch or more correctly the Loch Meall an t-Suidhe. The path to the top is on the right of the Loch.  I realised I didnt have time to make it to the top, having got a train to catch to my next destination, Glasgow (having dropped off my rental car the previous day at Inverness). So I climbed down to the Loch and dipped my feet in its pristine water, for some chilly meditation!!!

The range of mountains around the Glen Nevis make a stunning panorama. Carn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mor, Aonach Beag are the neighbours to the Nevis. Now try saying those names the Gaellic way as you prepare to climb the range!

The Halfway Lochan, Ben Nevis

Climbing Tips - Even though I went at the fag end of the British summer, the weather was chilly enough to layer up. I chanced upon a rare phase of Scottish sunshine and only had one day of drizzle in my Highlands stay.

Boots or shoes with grip are necessary as the route to the top is filled with rubbles and has a steady gradient. 

Walking stick is a must for any climb in my opinion as it makes everything so easy

Guides or being with a group would be good as they can point out the various features. However I tend to fall behind in groups as I satisfy my curiosity, so I avoid them. 

The biggest tip is - If you enjoy trekking, you are bound to enjoy this. Relax, wear some good shoes and have a nice journey!

I had this trip way back in September 2014. Just came across my notes and blog on paper,  dug some old pics and so here it is!

"Footpath" on Ben Nevis

The babbling brooks along the way

Across a wooden bridge

Panorama of hills

Mind Medicine - The Best Vaccine

The vaccine scene for the corona virus seems to be reaching the final stages. For better or for worse we will be getting a vaccine soon. Whether it will have long term side effects as some discrete reports suggest, time will tell. But again, the entire vaccine industry is under severe scrutiny and not just for the Corona vaccine.

The biggest crisis that the last few months has thrown up, together with the scrouge of the virus is that of the mental variety. While those that have got the severe form of the virus have definitely faced distress and disruption in their lives, its the rest of the population worldwide, the majority, that has faced a different kind of challenge, with the abnormal changes to lifestyle.

The crisis has seen varied responses - from the most conservative, masked, dont mix, stay at home, dont eat or step outside, wait it out response to the brazen it out, and dont care, and life goes one as usual response and many forms of in between. 

The virus, its consequences, sometimes deaths and suffereing, mostly the negativity, has continued to prey heavily on our minds these past many months. The best vaccine to get rid of all these effects is to ensure we take care of our minds.

There is a small story I read recently, the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his Antartica Expedition. Apparently the ad Shackleton placed when looking for his crew went like this - "men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success".  

What does it say about the intrepid people who answered this ad? Were they fools? Ernest Shackleton was a legend by that time and men answering the ad and wishing to go on this expedition knew what they were in for. They understood life had no guarantees and they wished to do the things they loved. What made them stand out, was their indomitable spirit, their attitude, their thirst for discovery. Even though Shackleton's voyage was not successful in it's goals, it stood out just for the way he and his crew members survived it. Iced in for a major part of two years, a sunken ship,  taking a 800 mile open boat (the saved lifeboats) trip to solid ground.

The mind has endless possibilities. The biggest challenge it faces is the will of the person to be positive. There are so many layers covering our day to day living that it becomes an arduous task to just peel away those layers to reveal the simple task of living. But once those layers are peeled away, the mind shines cleanest and brightest. The successful leaders will tell you, that they just focussed on the job. So it is our job - to keep on living with a free mind, positive attitude. Life has no guarantees.

A race horse has blinkers to avoid external distraction. Thats what we need to do, put on the blinkers, stay focussed, and happy, and positive - and we couldn't ask for better vaccines. 

- Sm R