The Hotel of the Universe

Reflected in the window of the Hotel of the Universe is the Town Hall of St Malo. Within – a universe of joy.

There within the walls of St Malo, directly opposite the ancient town hall stands the Hotel de l’Univers. From the moment I stepped through the door I knew that in all the universe I would never find a hotel I could love more.

The discrete back stairs with a wooden banister rail worn so perfectly smooth it made one want to commit indiscretions just for the joy of running your hand along it. The rooms, each with their own little personalities with abandoned fireplaces of marble, suggesting previous incarnations. Floors so appealingly uneven that each step was an adventure. The seemingly abandoned tiny ballroom, deliciously cool and dim, with time alone separating one from the Belle Epoque and the grand piano standing as though the very last vibrations of a salon piece by Debussy or Delibes had just stopped resonating.

The dining room with the last vestiges of Art Nouveau whiplashing its way around the cornices. The charming lounge of paneled wood with hundreds of photographs of little pleasure boats gifted by the owners over the decades, the fading only increasing the romance.

The strangely empty salon filled with ancient armchairs that begged to give repose. And the wonderful lift.

Oh the lift, so narrow and tiny that one patron had changed the maximum number of passengers from 4 to 2 and written “Aiiii!” above the “up” button. How we loved to ride it’s red fabric lined interior, knowing that just behind the rear panels was Narnia.

It may not have suited the traveler who demands hospital like cleanliness or carbon copied comfort. It may not have suited those who demand obsequious staff and gargantuan buffets. It may not have suited those who have lost a sense of adventure after years of privilege and excess. But, it suited me, and it will always live in my mind as the perfect “Hotel of the Universe”.

This is my 100th Post!

If you would like to join me on a walk down memory lane and see some of my other photos then click on the gallery images that take your fancy.

On a crisp morning in spring we turned back and say this wonderful view which I snapped with joy.

Early Morning in Dinan, a charming street waits in readiness to be transformed in to a bustling restaurant strip in spring.

Did Jane Austen take a turn about the room? Of course she did, and so did I, but not before taking this picture of the enticing facade.

I shot this after a visit to the Opera. Opulence perfected!

The tiny Square Rapp is an Art Noveau gem and with a view like this when you step out the door each morning life must be good for the luck few living there.

We photographed this view from a platform in Dinan. Oh that we had the time to wander down to see it!

Your Christmas Getaway – Feeling a little down this December? Why not rent Vaux le Vicomte and flee to France. Don’t bother telling your family and friends. You can always claim you were abducted by aliens if they ask any questions.

Oxford through one of the apertures at the top of Magdalen Tower Oxford

I snapped this lucky shot in April in Paris with les Invalides in the background. A wonderful day!

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité – the cornerstones of French society.

As I recall, I took this photo in a tiny ante-chamber at Vaux le Vicomte which turned out to be a 17th Century toilet. As a vulgar tourist remarked nearby… “What a way to go!”

I hope the treasured memories you have in your own mind are as wonderful as those in the British Museum when I took this photo on a summer’s day.

I awoke feeling like I was standing in this picture I took of Vaux le Vicomte and ended thinking I was in a nightmare.

Taken on a summer day, this is the corner of the Fremantle Markets – a must for lovers of exotic coffee and handmade soaps.

Summer in Oxford and the punts look so very easy to operate. DO NOT BE FOOLED!

I was pleased with this shot of the Sheldonian Theatre seen behind the the Hertford Bridge commonly know as the “Bridge of Sighs”. I know I sighed when I saw it. https://amaviedecoeurentier.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/bridge-of-sighs/

A view of the Oxford Camera I snapped around midday in summer. https://amaviedecoeurentier.wordpress.com/2015/01/28/papa-bouilloire-chapter-3-continued/

At the risk of losing a limb, I snapped this photo in Exmouth as we drifted in sea kayaks over a coral outcrop about 500m from shore.

My Heart belongs to Paris and Sacré Cœur was at its finest on this lovely day in Autumn when I snapped this picture.

Produced by Nobutaka Shikanai, with sculptured glass by Gabriel Loire, and reliefs by Atsushi Imoto, this 18 metre high tower of stained glass is a wonder of art and engineering.

A beautiful warm day in Exmouth, Western Australia…before the shark…

This photo I took of St Paul’s Cathedral glimpsed from the Millennium Bridge is just the beginning of the wonders I encountered on my journey. https://amaviedecoeurentier.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/papa-bouilloire-goes-to-oxford/

Does this picture accurately meet the criteria for the Weekly Photo Challenge “Express Yourself”? I certainly took it myself while in Guildford the other day.

Lamp base on the Pont Neuf I took in Paris in spring. The first true view of the city I had in my life after debouching from the Metro.

The sun just rising on the horizon, the moon and a single star hovering above the makeshift tent we built on the desert island.

This tent and camp bed are to be found in Fontainebleau. I took this photo in the dim light and was pleased to see how well Napoleon’s “glamping” experience came up.

Voted best facade in Paris 1901, the front door of the building caused scandal when on closer inspection the door clearly represented male “rude bits”.

I paused as we climbed the winding streets to the top of Mont Saint-Michel and took this photo past the gnarled tree, over the rooftops and onto the horizon. The tiny people exploring the marshes come up clearly when the zoom is applied. https://amaviedecoeurentier.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/mont-saint-michel/

When in North Western Australia, always look down when you walk. If the blue ringed octopus doesn’t get you the stone fish or the cone shell will

Windmill in Brittany – A lucky snap from a coach companion resulted in this fantastic photo.

In response to Word Press Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy Place