[monplaisir] magnificence of nature and man

Pyetrdvoryetz, near St. Petersburg

Versailles is sheer magnificence on a gargantuan scale. Schoenbrunn is sheer elegance. But of the "Russian Versailles", Peterhof, Petergof, Pyetrdvoryetz, whatever you wish to call it, by the ocean near St Petersburg, Alexander Benois, in 1913, wrote:

Among the fabulous palaces of Versailles, Aranjuez, Caserta, Schoenbrunn and Potsdam, Peterhof occupies a place entirely apart. It is often compared to Versailles but that is due to a misunderstanding. Peterhof is endowed with an utterly special character by the sea. It is as if Peterhof was born out of seafoam called into being by the command of a mighty maritime ruler.

The Queen's Chamber, Versailles

Versailles rules over the land ... The fountains at Versailles are an elegant adornment, which could be done without. Peterhof is the residence of the sovereignof the seas. The fountains in Peterhof are no afterthought - they are the main thing. They are a symbolic representation of the watery realm, a cloud of spray from the sea that washes the shore at Peterhof.

Le Hameau de la Reine, Versailles

If Versailles is a triumph of architecture and layout, Peterhof is a triumph of engineering. At the height of its construction, 1715 to 1723, Le Blonde, Braunstein, Michetti and Zemtsov, the sculptor Rastrelli, the master fountain builder Paul Sualem and the hydraulic engineer Vasily Tuvolkov, together with a host of others, were all carving out this amazing series of canals, cascades, grotto, terraces and palaces.

The Cascade from the main palace, Pyetrdvoryetz

Perhaps the greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain is supplied by a special aqueduct, over four km in length, drawing water and pressure from a high-elevation source.

Pyetrdvoryetz truly connects with the sea via this canal.

Then, after all that is said, comes the magnificently small scale, simple Monplaisir, right down by the water itself:

Monplaisir is as old as Peterhof itself. The history of the whole palace and park ensemble began with the construction of Monplaisir. The palace was Peter the Great's favourite creation, and it was he who gave it this name. The Emperor himself chose the site for the construction and sketched the layout of the building. It is hardly possible to find any other place where his personal habits and tastes could be so strongly felt.

Garden of Monplaisir - my pleasure, Pyetrdvoryetz, near St. Petersburg

This place, Monplaisir and le Hameau de la Reine, at Versailles, continue to haunt me and hold a special place in my life. I suppose adding to the piquancy was that I was at each with the same girl and both places also feature strongly in the denouement of my first book, not that that is relevant.

Balustrade at Monplaisir, on the seafront at Pyetredvoretz

There are places in the world which are no doubt overrated but there are some which reward. If you love the sea and its interaction with the land, then Pyetrdvoretz really must be on your list to see at least once before you die.

French influence at the court of Peter the Great

[kosovo update] mitrovicaen republic the way to go

Centre of the new Mitrovicaen Republic

Predictable pap from the WSJ but with two sensible observations:

By a narrow margin, Serbs on Sunday re-elected Boris Tadic, who wants to bring the country closer to Europe, over the pro-Russia candidate. But his government already staunchly opposed Kosovo independence.

The ... Serbian enclave around the city of Mitrovica. Some politicians there, backed by Belgrade, promise to break away from Kosovo.

If Kosovo becomes an independent republic, the rot sets in, in two ways:

1. The domino effect begins, e.g. Republika_Srpska, Chechnya and one can't help but conclude that this is in line with U.S. foreign policy in the region, which is determined by the CFR*.

2. Serbia solidifies and hardens its line, with the Mitrovicaen Region initially breaking away and a more or less permanent state of war ready to break out at any time.

The cynical powers destabilizing southern Europe at this moment are fully aware of this scenario and that's why an independent Serbian enclave in the north of Kosovo is the only viable solution.

But this won't happen and Serbia, one half of the ancient Albanian conflict, will be ignored in this done deal. Ignoring one half of a conflict is hardly sensible foreign policy unless one wishes to see instability in a region. Then it makes eminent sense.

*the Council on Foreign Relations, America's most influential group devoted to US foreign policy

4. The situation in France

1. Sovereignty in this country 2. Legal reasons we can leave right now 3. The principle of prerogative 4. The situation in France 5. Masterly inactivity and executive action 6. It's all about culture, not race

Forget the rhetoric, forget politicking. Here is what happened in France on 29 May 2005:

A referendum was held in France to decide whether the country should ratify the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. The result was a victory for the "No" campaign, with 55% of voters rejecting the treaty on a turnout of 69%.

The question put to voters was:

Approuvez-vous le projet de loi qui autorise la ratification du traité établissant une Constitution pour l'Europe ? "Do you approve the bill authorising the ratification of the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe?"

Is there some way you can explain to me how this constitutes a legitimate mandate from the people to set up the EU as a state? By what legal terminology can this mean that the people voted Yes?

Here is what happened over these few days now:

Today, France’s deputies and senators meeting in Parliament in Versailles ratified by a vote of 560 to 181 the constitutional revision to allow the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon without the need for a referendum. The result of this voting opens the way for the final ratification, Thursday, first at the National Assembly, then the Senate. Out of 893 present, 741 voted. France is the 5th country after Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Malta to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, in which they sign their sovereignty away.

I take issue with only one semantic point. France did not sign away its rights, if by France you mean the French people. They voted 55% No. Their political leaders did sign away their sovereignty and in national terms, that constitutes high treason, which Wiki defines this way:

High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's country.

Please explain how a clearly expressed view of a national people being deliberately ignored in the creation of a new state at the behest of another nationality does not constitute high treason?

Britain has been treated the same way.

[super tuesday] pass the paper bag

Obama and the Sisterhood

At a packed Obama rally in Los Angeles, Winfrey addressed a backlash from some of her female viewers, who have accused her of being a traitor to the sisterhood because she was supporting a man over a woman for US president.

"I was both surprised by that comment and insulted, because I've been a woman my whole life and every part of me believes in the empowerment of women but the truth is I'm a free woman," the world famous television talk show host said'. "And being free means you get to think for yourself."

"I will never vote for anyone based on gender or race," she said. "I'm voting for Barack Obama not because he's black, I'm voting for Barack Obama because he is brilliant."

Clinton and Her Superbowl Victory

"Super Bowl, Super Tuesday . . . we've got one down, let's get the other one!" Senator Clinton said as she jumped in the air and high-fived a group of children.

Where's a paper bag?

[hamsters in the rain] and other emergencies

For what reason would you call them?

South Wales police force has published a list of top time-wasting 999 calls during the past year in an attempt to convince people not to pick up the phone unless it's really necessary.

According to icWales, the highlight of 2007 came when one woman demanded officers come and cuff her boyfriend because he'd put her hamster out in the rain. Another caller explained: “My husband has the TV remote and won’t let me watch EastEnders.”

The list continues with the anxious citizen who admitted: “I don’t have £1 for a supermarket trolley”, and one flustered bookworm who offered: “A friend has my library card, can you come and arrest her?”

Or the bloke who enquired: “Can the police come round and take my mother-in-law away? She has been here for 18 days.”

I can think of some choice ones of my own but this is a family blog.

[punxsutawney phil] six more weeks - great

Six more weeks of it, folks!

At the curiously-named Gobbler's Knob, in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, just a few moments ago, the little furry form of Punxsutawney Phil cautiously emerged, sniffed around for a bit...and then quietly muttered in Groundhogese that his own shadow he could see. So according to the seer of seers, the prognosticator of prognosticators, an early Spring is out of the question for 2008.

Good thing too! I love the winter so much. You've all seen the film, of course.