Life Is but a Dream ?

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While wondering what to blog about today, this Sunday evening, (am becoming a Sunday blogger only???) not for very long though, as time seems to be in short supply these days, and never have time to think for very long about much of anything, before something else comes along, sweeping the stage of the previous act, and requiring attention and concentration, until the new subject becomes the old, getting swept away in the rapids of each passing moment, each passing day, and don't the weeks and months and years go faster and faster ? Becoming a blur. Is this what life is finally; a passing dream ? The illusion of things we hope to hold on to, but finally we hold on to nothing for very long, before it all slips away, merrily down the stream.
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But yes, wondering what to blog about today brought me quickly back to the subjects of reflections, and the ongoing growing collection of reflections over at James' place for reflections on the weekend... and the nature of reflections, those ephemeral minor miracles in light bouncing around carrying elusive illusions of images to alight in our eyes, travelling the optic nerve, and onto the movie screens in our brains. How utterly fabulous and magical.
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Reflections on water, reflections in glass, reflections on polished metal... who could have possibly dreamed up such visual phenomena ? Was just listening to Joni Mitchell sing Both Sides Now in a performance from 1970, and could listen to her all night, taking in the message that there are always more than one way to look at things, clouds, love, life, whatever, and don't miss the reflections off the odd reflecting pools we may come across in unexpected places along the way.
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It had never occurred to me until just now to type "Reflections" on Google Images to get a sampling of the 172 million results which that search criteria returns, some of them incredibly beautiful.
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So, this first reflection is in the hemispherical cover of a heating dish for posh hors d'oeuvres at the grand opening inauguration of the new luxury hotel in Chantilly, the Auberge du Jeu de Paume, built with funding provided by his Altesse the Aga Khan. It's been a construction site for the past two years, but finally now you can shell out from between 400 to 2000 euros a night to sleep here. Guess I won't be sleeping there any time soon.
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This next scene is one of several like this decorating a corridor in the hotel, modeled after the "Singerie", or monkey room in the Chateau de Chantilly, which is just a short walk from the new hotel. Note the reflections in the painted ice the monkeys are skating on...
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An old, (or new treated to look old ?) mirror in a lounge in the Auberge. Am not sure that the horse's head was actually solid silver, but one never knows in a place like this.
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The champagne was flowing freely...
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And all that just a stone's throw away from the Chateau de Chantilly, caught here in the setting sun, whose light was coming in on a downward slant, bouncing off a window, and reflecting all the more dazzlingly off the water and back to the camera, like a well played billiard shot. Sweet dreams...
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