Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian NorthPfeiffer, Ida
History
Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North
Pfeiffer, Ida
Iceland -- Description and travel; Old Norse poetry -- History and criticism; Scandinavia -- Description and travel
Beautiful fountains play on the terraces; the walls of the corridors and
anterooms are covered with splendid frescoes, in imitation of those found
in Pompeii. The rooms abound in excellent engravings, paintings, and
other works of art; and the greatest taste and splendour is displayed
even in the minor arrangements.
A pretty Chinese chiosque, filled with good statues, which have been
unfortunately much damaged and broken, stands near the palace.
These three beautiful royal residences are situated in parks, which are
so united that they seem only as one. The parks are filled with fine
trees, and verdant fields crossed by well-kept paths and drives; but I
saw very few flower-beds in them.
When I had contemplated every thing at leisure, I returned to the palace
of Sans Souci, to see the beautiful fountains, which play twice a week,
on Tuesday and Friday, from noon till evening. The columns projected
from the basin in front of the castle are so voluminous, and rise with
such force, that I gazed in amazement at the artifice. It is real
pleasure to be near the basin when the sun shines in its full splendour,
forming the most beautiful rainbows in the falling shower of drops.
Equally beautiful is a fountain rising from a high vase, enwreathed by
living flowers, and falling over it, so that it forms a quick, brisk
fountain, transparent, and pure as the finest crystal. The lid of the
vase, also enwreathed with growing flowers, rises above the fountain.
The Neptune's grotto is of no great beauty; the water falls from an urn
placed over it, and forms little waterfalls as it flows over
nautilus-shells.
The marble palace lies on the other side of Potsdam, and is half an
hour's distance from these palaces; but I had time enough to visit it.
Entering the park belonging to this palace, a row of neat peasants'
cottages is seen on the left; they are all alike, but separated by fruit,
flower, or kitchen-gardens. The palace lies at the extreme end of the
park, on a pretty lake formed by the river Havel. It certainly has some
right to the name of marble palace; but it seems presumption to call it
so when compared to the marble palaces of Venice, or the marble mosques
of Constantinople.
The walls of the building are of brick left in its natural colour. The
lower and upper frame-work, the window-sashes, and the portals, are all
of marble. The palace is partly surrounded by a gallery supported on
marble columns. The stairs are of fine white marble, and many of the
apartments are laid with this mineral. The interior is not nearly so
luxurious as the other palaces.
This was the last of the sights I saw in Potsdam or the environs of
Berlin; for I continued my journey to Vienna on the following day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account