#the chariot: andrés

[dxppercxdxver]

lyric ask,,,every hhsa character /hj

okay bitch (affectionate) let's fucking go

juno: half awake, i wander through this house / lost in a labyrinth and left with no way out / i built this hall of mirrors all myself / the faces staring back at me look like somebody else - wander. wonder. by the arcadian wild OR so throw on the black dress, mix in with the lot / you might wake up and notice you're someone you're not / if you look in the mirror and don't like what you see / you can find out first hand what it's like to be me - the end! by my chemical romance

nat: oh but i'm quite small and i never have it all together / and i'm just a girl who doesn't have any diamonds or pearls / but don't give me your pity 'cause there's more to life than pretty things / so i'll just give you me - five foot three by flannel graph

eloise: well, i'm just a stranger, i'm only a walker / i guess i am human, but sometimes i feel / like i'm only a ghost, like i'm only a wall / and if you come around, honey / i'll probably just follow you home / 'cause it's all that i know how to do - steamboat by adrianne lenker

andrés: and you've come to know me stubborn as a butcher / and you've come to know me thankless as a guest / will you recognize my face / when god's awful grace / strips me of my jacket and my vest? - hymn #101 by joe pug

lawrence: there's rules to life i know / and if you follow them you'll go / up to the mountains and the clouds / and where the golden rivers flow / but I've always been so good at breaking all the rules / i wasn't made to be their robot / and i ain't nobody's fool / i am the goat that got away / but i know there will come a day / when i'll be punished for my mind / 'cause i led myself astray - what's a devil to do? by harley poe

margaret: i picked up the sword that you gave me today / took your blessing and then i made my way / hoped the first challenge would be easy / oh, great deku tree, would you please me? / all the heartless want my blood / all of the gods wanna spit me out as cud / if I don't make it out alive / at least i'll see my undead wife - the dying song by montaigne

draven: so kiss me now / this whiskey on my breath / feel the lives that i have taken / what little soul that i have left / and oh, my god / i'll take you to the grave / the only love i've ever known / the only soul i ever saved - chasing twisters by delta rae

pidge: and i have so many / questions / about life, the universe / and everything / i look up at the / stars at night / and i sometimes wonder / if the atheists were right / 'cause this world is getting worse / don't know if i wanna be here after the night - 42 by sage crosby

northernfield: hey, danny-boy, i was thinking of our crew / but thinking just makes me sad, and that’s why i write to you / how do you do? / there’s been years between us / didn’t we have big ideas when our school was done? / we’d leave our smaller minds and move out to oregon / but i was the only one / who went the road less taken - those days are gone, and my heart is breaking by barton carroll

ebony: out of the blue, everything's new / all the talk we heard was true / the legends we all heard once / the whispers from the storefronts / hope for the best / prepare for the worst / we wait like stock-piled landmines, ready to burst / wait all your life to see what you see / open up your eyes and be free - sicilian crest by the mountain goats

juniper: i dragged her down / i put her out / and back there i left her where no one could see / and lifeless, cold / into this well / i stared as this moment was held for me - drowning lessons by my chemical romance

claire: but counting down the days to go / it just ain't living / and i just hope you know / that if you say / good-bye today / i'd ask you to be true / 'cause the hardest part of this / is leaving you - cancer by my chemical romance

this genuinely emotionally wrecked me thank you for this ask do come again

[deep-dive]

2023

albums/eps: a.s.o. - a.s.o. Amaarae - Fountain Baby Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet - STROBE.RIP André 3000 - New Blue Sun ANOHNI and the Johnsons - My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross Anthony Naples - Orbs bar italia - Tracey Denim Beach Fossils - Bunny Ben Vida, Yarn/Wire & Nina Dante - The Beat My Head Hit Beverly Glenn-Copeland - The Ones Ahead Biosphere - N-Plants Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner Bored Lord - Name It Call Super - Eulo Cramps Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You Chuquimamani-Condori - DJ E Cole Police - If I Don’t See You in the Future, I’ll See You in the Pasture Dean Blunt - Give me a moment DJ Lostboi - Music for Landings DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - Destiny Double Virgo - hardrive heat seeking Eartheater - Powders The Embassy - E-Numbers Everything But the Girl - Fuse Fever Ray - Radical Romantics Freak Heat Waves - Mondo Tempo Headache - The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth Hiroyuki Onogawa - August in the Water: Music for Film 1995-2005 Jam City - Jam City Presents EFM James Ivy - Everything Perfect Jessy Lanza - Love Hallucination Jim Legxacy - homeless n****a pop music Joanne Robertson - Blue Car Jonnine - Maritz Kelela - Raven Khotin - Release Spirit Kota Hoshino, Shoi Miyazawa - Armored Core VI OST Laurel Halo - Atlas Loraine James - Gentle Confrontation Maria BC - Spike Field mark william lewis - Living Matmos - Return to Archive MIZU - Distant Intervals ML Buch - Suntub Noriko Tujiko - Crépuscule I & II Nourished by Time - Erotic Probiotic 2 Oneohtrix Point Never - Again Osmotic & Fennesz - Senzatetto Pierre Rousseau - Mémoire De Forme Purelink - Signs Ryuichi Sakamoto - 12 Sofia Courtesies - Madres ssaliva - sector6park/counterfeit Sufjan Stevens - Javelin Tim Hecker - No Highs Tirzah - trip9love…??? Wild Nothing - Hold Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) µ-Ziq - 1977 7038634357 - Neo Seven

songs: a.s.o. - Love in the Darkness Addison Rae - I got it bad Alex Kassian - Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts Mix) Amaarae - Reckless & Sweet Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet - Clown André - Ants To You, Gods To Who ? ANOHNI and the Johnsons - Can’t ANOHNI and the Johnsons - It Must Change Anthony Naples - Silas Armin van Buuren & Punctual - On & On (ft. Alina) bambinodj - High as Ever Still Passin' Through (Remix) bar italia - Nocd Baths - Do I Make the World Worse Beach Fossils - Don’t Fade Away Beverly Glenn-Copeland - People of the Loon Bibio & Óskar Guðjónsson - Sunbursting Björk & Rosalía - Oral Blawan - Toast Bored Lord - Wait Wait Wait bvdub - Days on Heaven and Earth Call Super - Coppertone Elegy Carly Rae Jensen - Psychedelic Switch Caroline Polachek - Bunny Is a Rider (Doss Remix) Caroline Polachek - Crude Drawing of an Angel Chuquimamani-Condori - Eat My Cum Chuquimamani-Condori - Know Dean Blunt - Rinsed (ft. TYSON) Dj Lostboi - PUF 2 LAX DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - For Now and Forever Double Virgo - gainfully deployed EASYFUN - Long Long Time The Embassy - Amnesia ESP - North Fever Ray - Kandy Freak Heat Waves & Cindy Lee - In a Moment Divine Fwea-Go Hit - Back Wildin Headache - That Thing with the Rabbit Headache - Truism 4 Dummies Hemlocke Springs - sever the blight Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair - Demuro Ike - Rose Quartz Jam City - Magnetic James K & hoodie - Ether Jessy Lanza - Don’t Cry On My Pillow Jim Legxacy - amnesia111 Jim Legxacy - candy reign (!) Jonnine - Tea For Two (Boo) Kelela - Divorce Khotin - Computer Break (Late Mix) Kylie Minogue - Hold on to Now Laurel Halo, Bendik Giske, Lucy Railton & James Underwood - Earthbound Loraine James - Tired of Me Lorenzi - Lonely Cowboy Tales (Crayon Moon Remix) LSDXOXO - Devil’s Chariot Maria BC - Still Maria BC - Watcher mark william lewis - Living Mc LcKaiique, MC Celo BK & DJ Jeeh FDC - Quem Tá de Motão, Vou Sarrar Puta Na Marcone (ft. DJ Biel Divulga) ML Buch - High speed calm air tonight Nation & Ecco2k - Ça Va Nicole Dollanganger - Gold Satin Dreamer Nourished by Time - Rain Water Promise Oliver Coates - One Without Oneohtrix Point Never - Krumville Purelink - We Should Keep Going Shoi Miyazawa - Rough and Decent Slayyyter - Miss Belladonna Sufjan Stevens - Shit talk Tim Hecker - Total Garbage Tirzah - u all the time Troye Sivan - Got Me Started Wild Nothing - Suburban Solutions Yves Tumor - Echolalia Yves Tumor - Fear Evil Like Fire µ-Ziq - 4am

mixes: CFCF - CFCF for TERMINAL 27 Chuquimamani-Condori - Fact Mix 937 PC Music - 10 Physical Therapy - car culture remissions vol. 4 plush - LIVE AT SKSKSKSK S-candalo - Fact Mix 897 WHY BE - OdyXxey Radio Mix

movies: Afire (Christian Petzold) All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras) E6-D7 (Eno Swinnen) Evil Dead Rise (Lee Cronin) Grown in Darkness (Devin Shears) How Do You Live? (Hayao Miyazaki) The Killer (David Fincher) Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan) Last Summer (Catherine Breillat) May December (Todd Haynes) Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan) The Outwaters (Robbie Banfitch) Rotting in the Sun (Sebastián Silva) Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt) The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)

games: Alan Wake II Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Baldur’s Gate III Blasphemous II Diablo IV Humanity Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Lies of P Metroid Prime Remastered Octopath Traveler II Pikmin 4 Star Ocean: The Second Story R Super Mario Bros. Wonder Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

[xslytherclawx-writes]

hey i’m reading your ravenclaw au (love it so much so far!) and i was wondering if you had a list of older queer literature? because i’d like to start reading more of it!

thank you so much!!!

well, with the caveat of "what defines 'older'?"

first, there's the literature I've titled Ravenclaw AU after:

the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud (less overtly queer works-wise and a lot is meant to be as shockingly disturbing as possible but he did very much run away with Verlaine lol)

the works of Thomas Mann in general - Death in Venice is considered a classic (though I'd look up content warnings if you're sensitive to certain things), but I quoted Tonio Kröger which is a short story

Maurice by E.M. Forster

(Philippe Besson is a contemporary writer, but I'd recommend his works regardless)

Walt Whitman has a few poems on the subject of male beauty etc. that are flowery enough to be quoted outside

Ronald M. Schernikau!!! He died in the 90s at a young age, but regardless, I would consider him of a previous generation of queer literature - born in East Germany, emigrated to the West with his family, moved back to East Germany of his own free will (and studied in Leipzig like truly). I quoted kleinstadtnovelle, but die tage in l. is also highly recommended - though with the caveat that idk if his work has ever been translated and it's not stylistically an easy read for non-native speakers

(Aciman is also a contemporary writer, but again: highly recommended)

Klaus Mann! Yes, related to Thomas Mann (he's his son). I haven't actually read Mephisto though I've owned it for like a decade lol

the poetry of Wilfred Owen

Works / authors that I haven't referenced but would also recommend:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

Gertrude Stein's works

the poetry of Allen Ginsberg. was the dude shit? yes. but his poetry is amazing.

Gore Vidal!

Larry Kramer!!!

Tony Kushner!

Patricia Highsmith

Edmund White's A Boy's Own Story (and subsequent books) is like... extremely fucked and very much a product of its time, but I think it's very good

and you didn't ask but contemporary works i'd recommend include:

literally anything Cat Sebastian has ever written, especially if you like Ravenclaw AU, because she specializes in coziness (my favorites are Two Rogues Make A Right and Peter Cabot Gets Lost)

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Olivia Waite's works are very good as well - she specializes in F/F romance

KJ Charles if you like plottier romance (but they are romance)

Again reiterating: André Aciman and Philippe Besson!

I have not read Sarah Waters but people who I trust highly recommend her works.

But if you're looking for books that have similar vibes to Ravenclaw AU, definitely look at Cat Sebastian, even though she's a contemporary writer; most of the older works I've listed are not as, um, cozy.

[unjouruntableau]

Albert André, La brasserie Georges à Lyon, 1917.

Ouvert en 1836, par Georges Hoffherr, brasseur Alsacien, le restaurant BRASSERIE GEORGES 1836 est un défi architectural : les 600 m2 de plafond sont soutenus uniquement par quatre poutres en sapin, longues de 25 mètres, amenées de Chartreuse et du Vercors par chariots à bœufs. Mais le vrai défi n’est-ce pas d’avoir su traverser les décennies en fidélisant la clientèle de génération en génération ? Que d’histoires qui commencent avec une mousse et des moments partagés autour d’une assiette généreuse, comme le laisse suggérer le tableau d’Albert André (1869-1954).

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Friday, 18th August

Welcome, Bienvenida, أهلا وسهلا, Velkommen 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 18th August through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

18th August 2020 🗓️ : Death - Ben Cross Ben Cross, English stage and film actor (b. 1947) "Harry Bernard Cross (16 December 1947 – 18 August 2020) was an English stage and film actor. He was best known for playing Billy Flynn in the original West End production of the musical Chicago, and his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. ..."

18th August 2018 🗓️ : Death - Denis Edozie Denis Edozie, Nigerian Supreme Court judge (b. 1935) "Dennis Edozie (10 November 1935 - 18 August 2018) was a Nigerian jurist who was Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from 2003 until his retirement in 2005...."

18th August 2013 🗓️ : Death - Josephine D'Angelo Josephine D'Angelo, American baseball player (b. 1924) "Josephine "Jo Jo" D'Angelo (November 23, 1924 – August 18, 2013) was an American baseball left fielder who played from 1943 through 1944 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 0 in (152 cm), 135 lb, she batted and threw right-handed.She was one of the sixty original..."

18th August 1973 🗓️ : Event - Aeroflot Flight A-13 Aeroflot Flight A-13 crashes after takeoff from Baku-Bina International Airport in Azerbaijan, killing 56 people and injuring eight. "Aeroflot Flight A-13 (Russian: Рейс A-13 Аэрофлота Reys A-13 Aeroflota) was a scheduled Soviet domestic passenger flight from Baku, Azerbaijan to Fort-Shevchenko in Kazakhstan that crashed on 18 August 1973 shortly after takeoff killing 56 of the 64 passengers and crew aboard. The Antonov An-24 had..."

Image licensed under GFDL 1.2? by Felix Goetting

18th August 1923 🗓️ : Event - 1923 WAAA Championships The first British Track and Field championships for women are held in London, Great Britain. "The 1923 WAAA Championships were the first national track and field championships for women in the UK. The tournament was held on 18 August 1923 at the Oxo Sport Grounds in London, United Kingdom...."

18th August 1823 🗓️ : Death - André-Jacques Garnerin André-Jacques Garnerin, French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute (b. 1769) "André-Jacques Garnerin (31 January 1769 – 18 August 1823) was a French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute. He was appointed Official Aeronaut of France. ..."

Image by Edward Hawke Locker

18th August 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Agapitus of Palestrina "Agapitus (Italian: Agapito) is venerated as a martyr saint, who died on August 18, perhaps in 274, a date that the latest editions of the Roman Martyrology say is uncertain.According to his legend, 16-year-old Agapitus, who may have been a member of the noble Anicia family of Palestrina, was..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia

[comparativetarot]

The Chariot. Art by André Sanchez.

[storieditarocchi]

4 Surrealist Tarot cards by Roberto Echaurren Matta and André Breton, for the book Arcane 17.

[ellovett]

hello .｡✧

i'm KC. they/them. I make ocs for fandoms I really get into 🌌

here's my carrd

this blog consists of the obvious oc content, textposts I wrote out of impulse, and rbs from other oc creators !

main fandoms: sandman, gwendoline christie

tags to filter:

kc talks abt discourse - i talk abt mostly fandom discourse here

OC Masterlist With Links under the cut !

Count: [ 47 ]

If theres no link yet I'll it later or better yet just search them in my profile !

Twisted Wonderland: Night Raven College

Staff ocs

Kazimierz Czerno-Noctis - Chernabog

Cyric Kronos - Tick tock croc

Akna Yglesias - Yzma

Krahn Quiroz - Kronk

Godfrey Alfhelm - Mother Gothel

4th years

Jacque - The jester card [Heartslabyul]

Heaven Olimbos - Mount Olympus [Ignihyde]

Alois Huaranga - Yzma's lab [Plumatrix @/soapallo]

Desiree Phinehas - Deuce Gorgon [Fangulous @/rookvonhunt]

Taika Elwood - Tigger [Savanaclaw]

3rd years

Bedelia Lily Bligh - Billy Butcherson [Hexeons @/the27th]

Keaton Artemas - Two-fingers [Sombraj @/permanentlyexhaustedowl]

Katja Geiselman - Karl Heisenberg [Villamania @/rookvonhunt]

Bault D. Czeslaw - Balthazar [Diasomnia]

Horus Vulcan - Heath Burns [Fangulous @/rookvonhunt]

1st years

Bida Hipon - MC/shrimpy [Ramshackle]

Holton Artemas - Darnell [Sombraj @/permanentlyexhaustedowl]

Pascal Coello - The Easter Ripper [Terrovania @/terrovaniadorm]

Elnathan - Baby monster [Villamania @/rookvonhunt]

Corvus - Twstsona

Others

Linnea Alfhelm - Cassandra/The Healing Flower

Fandorm: Konghuang, founded on the ambitions and imperviousness of the Peacock Prince.

4th years

Guanting Heng - Lord Shen

Yahzu Shi - Soothsayer

Twisted Wonderland: Royal Sword Academy

Staff

D'Angelis Castrense - Disney Castle

Anakin Alaire[Mastiff] - Anita

Rudolph Mastiff - Roger

Fayette Marraine Dieu - The Fairy Godmother

André-Marie Bonhomme - Madame Bonfamille

4th years

Ingelise Quinn Ulvestad - Queen Ingrith

WIP OCS -

Fulgence Rousseau - Lumiere [Staff]

Twisted Wonderland: Noble Bell College

4th years

Solange Éponine Leblanc - Snowball

1st years

Leverett - Lexington

Twisted Wonderland: Death's Academy of Combat [Fanschool by @/rookvonhunt]

Staff ocs

Professor Hearse - Undertaker from Black Butler

Nuan - Lau from Black Butler

3rd years

Chiiro Kuragari - Chariot from Black Rock Shooter [Starnovelle @/fumikomiyasaki]

OTHER FANDOMS

The Sandman [2022]:

Seraphiel

Encanto:

Yesenia Mosquez, the town's local librarian.

The Arcana:

Magdalene, the Composer

Criminal Case:

Phineas Roborovsky

Zuraina Bhalla

Dion Galanos

Maz, the Janitor

Hassan Dagher

Dante De Valois

Matthias Hain

Gravity Falls:

Bierce Corduroy

Wednesday (2022):

Kane Caralipio

Deirdre O'Sullivan

[dxppercxdxver]

normally i’m fairly staunchly against the trope of “everyone on a protagonist team romantically pairs off at the end of a series” but when your pairings are a crown prince and a foul-mouthed satyr, a cursed necromancer and a cowgirl, a cottagecore lass and a mad scientist ornithologist (queerplatonic), and a lady knight and a reformed traitor,,,,,, it’s Worth It

[voicesagainstliars]

WHO YOU CAN ASK TO RAISE THEIR VOICE:

WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERS!

THIS WILL BE UPDATED!

THIS FIC OPERATES UNDER THE VANILLA TIMELINE WITH TINY ASPECTS OF PERSONA 5 ROYAL, NOT THE ROYAL TIMELINE!

PLZ DO NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS TO THE AUTHORS OR ANY CHARACTERS NOT STATED BELOW UNLESS IT’S IMPORTANT (TYPOS, ERRORS, ETC.)! FOR THAT STUFF, MESSAGE US!

ALSO, PLEASE DON’T ASK QUESTIONS THAT MAY CONSTITUTE AS SPOILERS!

FURTHERMORE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO NOT ANSWER A QUESTION!

Akira Kurusu/Kujaku/Joker - The Fool Arcana

Birthday: June 8th.

Morgana/???/Mona - The Magician Arcana

Birthday: April 11th.

Ryuji Sakamoto/Saruchame/Skull - The Chariot Arcana

Birthday: July 3rd.

Ann Takamaki/Bombshell/Panther - The Lovers Arcana

Birthday: November 12th.

Yusuke Kitagawa/Kijutsu-shi/Fox - The Emperor Arcana

Birthday: January 28th.

Makoto Niijima/Mitsubachi/Queen - The Priestess Arcana

Birthday: April 23rd.

Futaba Sakura/???/Oracle - The Hermit Arcana

Birthday: February 19th.

Haru Okumura/Madame Nezumi/Noire - The Empress Arcana

Birthday: December 5th.

Shiho Suzui/Hou-ou/Rise - The Thunderbolt Arcana

Birthday: March 4th.

Yuuki Mishima/Great Dane/Ace - The Moon Arcana

Birthday: September 3rd.

Goro Akechi/?/? - The Justice Arcana

Birthday: June 2nd.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug/Chance - The Luck Arcana

Luka Couffaine/Kobra/Viper - The Adam Arcana

Nino Lahiffe/Shadow Barb/Beat - The Artisan Arcana

Alix Kubdel/Bunnix/Jack - The Archangel Arcana

Kagami Tsurugi/Dragonica/Ryūko - The Eve Arcana

Lê Chiến Kim/Yanbian/King - The Captain Arcana

Nathaniel Kurtzberg/Ibex/Red - The Cobbler Arcana

Juleka Couffaine/La Prédatrice/Gem - The Sorcerer Arcana

Marc Anciel/Phacochère/Smith - The Alchemist Arcana

Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir/Rogue - The Chagrins Arcana

Lionel Garçon - The Creation Arcana (Judgement)

Xaver “Xavier-Yves” Roth - The Lightning Arcana (Tower)

Jagged & Penny Stone-Rolling - The Mountebank Arcana (Magician)

Alya Césaire - The New Vision Arcana (Hanged Man)

Tom Dupain & Sabine Cheng - The Folly Arcana (Fool)

André Bourgeois - The Speaker Arcana (Hierophant)

Other Social Links (DO NOT SEND QUESTIONS FOR THEM):

Igor - The Fool Arcana

Takuto Maruki - The Councillor Arcana

Duusu - The Existence Arcana (Magician)

Yukiko Amagi-Satonaka - The Popess Arcana (Priestess)

Sojiro Sakura - The Hierophant Arcana

Chie Amagi-Satonaka - The Dissension Arcana (Chariot)

Chihaya Mifune - The Fortune Arcana

Caroline & Justine - The Strength Arcana

Munehisa Iwai - The Hanged Man Arcana

Tae Takemi - The Death Arcana

Sadayo Kawakami - The Temperance Arcana

Ichiko Ohya - The Devil Arcana

Shinya Oda - The Tower Arcana

Hifumi Togo - The Star Arcana

Toranosuke Yoshida - The Sun Arcana

Sumire Yoshizawa - The Faith Arcana

[arsenicetvieillesenseignes]

Dans mon périmètre : Le gué de Saint-André. Les gués sont nombreux sur le Suran. Les historiens locaux situent leurs constructions au moyen-âge, mais à l’époque Celte on aménageait déjà des gués pour faciliter les déplacements. Dans la mythologie celtique, ils avaient une grande importance comme lieu de passage ou de limite. Les gués situés à rives basses, ont été abandonnés, et les points de communications ont été déplacés vers les ponts (rives hautes). Composés de grosses pierres posées en travers de la rivière, ils permettent aux piétons de traverser. A l’époque, les chariots passaient à côté. La réfection du gué de St André, en touchant à des éléments archéologiques, aurait dû déclencher quelque chose de la part des instances officielles, mais non. Bon, ça va, il n'y a pas eu saccage (enfin je suppose, j'ai perdu mes photos d'avant la réfection). Le passage à gué de Saint-André est le plus important de la vallée du Suran, et il faut jouer les équilibristes sur les pierres posées en travers de la rivière. Le gué est inaccessible lors des crues importantes. Il ne faut bien sûr pas s'y aventurer si les pierres sont mouillées, ou sous l'eau, car il y a risque de glissade, et le courant est important.

Saint-André, hameau de Neuville-sur-Ain.

[1five1two]

'Don Quixote and the Chariot of Death'. André Masson. 1935.

[crimsonblackrose]

Because Big Bus didn’t open until 9:30am but most museums opened at 9am I decided rather than start my trip off at the Louvre like I had planned I would go to the Palace of Versailles. (This was also done because you can’t just go to the Louvre, you have to make an online reservation, even if you have a Museum Pass.)

Generally from downtown Paris to The Palace of Versailles it would take 1 hour and 2 minutes on the RER C line. However due to the strike this option was not available. So I took a bus to Gare Montparnasse and booked a ticket to Viroflay, only to realize at my transfer in Viroflay that my map had picked the wrong Versailles, at which point I took the bus. It probably took me over 2 hours just to get there. Due to the strikes and the rotation of which lines were running and which weren’t I highly suggest double checking everything on Citymapper. Again I hope everything is resolved by the time this post goes up, but just in case Citymapper gave me multiple routes while Google maps gave me one that I couldn’t use. Oh also, the Paris Pass public transit card didn’t go to Versailles. The Palace of Versailles is in zone 4. Which meant I had to keep buying public transit passes and wasting money when I got lost.

The first thing I did at the Palace was go through security and open my bag and show them what was in it before following people up to the gates and taking pictures. Beyond this was check-in where I scanned and started the 48 hour clock on my museum pass and was told that the palace of Versailles has a free audio guide. I highly suggest getting it if you’re not on a tour. Usually when I’m somewhere I don’t bother with audio guides but if you’ve got the time the audio guide is not only free but informative. And since I was by myself it was really nice to be able to pop into a room, look around while listening and duck to the next room, bypassing large tour groups. I’m sure the tour groups were getting a lot of unique information and any questions they had answered but I was able to get a tour and take pictures and take on the palace of Versailles at my own pace.

The palace was huge. And I was running on a pain aux chocolat, noisette, and a partially crushed croissant I’d bought at a bakery I got in Viroflay to make sure I had enough change for the bus. I stopped for a snack at the Versaille Angelina around 2pm. They had two options a side for snacks and a side for meals. Because I wanted to keep moving I decided to go down the snack route. I got a baguette sandwich and Angelina’s famous chocolat chaud. (A super thick hot chocolate). I will do an individual post on the chain Angelina’s later.

Note that there is not a lot of seating available in the snack section of the Versailles Angelina. If you are a large group and don’t see any available I suggest maybe looking at the menu again and trying the restaurant. When I arrived I was able to grab a seat by myself but in the interval it took me to start my sandwich the place filled up including all the available spaces at my own table.

There were two parts to Versailles that I managed to visit. Pre-Angelina I explored the palace itself. Post-Angelina I explored the gardens.  It took most of the day. If I had gotten their earlier, maybe not, it is possible to make Versailles a half day trip, but to give yourself time and to not stress yourself out because of how immense the grounds and everything is I highly suggest giving yourself a full day. That way if you end early then hooray you have surprise time to do something else. And if you don’t, then you prepared yourself for that.

The Palace of Versailles was home to the French monarchy for about 107 years. It lasted from Louis XIII to the French Revolution. Before, the area of Versailles, was a favored hunting ground of the previous kings, until once upon a time one decided to buy land in the area and build a small lodge. Later, after a barely avoided coup, a king decided to make it into a château. After awhile as kings came and passed Louis the XIV expanded it and hired André Le Nôtre to create the immense gardens.

The palace is symmetrical with one wing belong to the king and the other to the queen. The king’s area, much to my surprise was decked out with Roman gods. I had forgotten that Apollo was one of the few gods to not get a name change when adopted by the Romans and kept getting thrown when the audio guide would jump from saying “this room is designed with paintings of Apollo, while the next room had paintings of Mars” (Greek: Ares).

Louis XIV viewed Apollo as his own personal symbol, believing himself to be similar in many ways to the sun god. Each room was intensely decorated. Even if a lot of the actual decor from the time didn’t survive due to various wars and the revolution. The stunning art that remains though, the intricate sculptures and paintings that line every available part of the ceilings and most of the walls is due to Petite Academie, a collection of artists that the royal painter, Charles Le Brun was in charge of. The sculptures in the gardens and on the fountains are also due to him, which means I have him to thank for laughing for a good ten minutes outside one fountain in the garden.

In 1682 it became the kings primary residence and much later after some various changes and wars in 1783 it became the site of the Paris peace treaties where the U.K. signed that it recognized the United States independence. After the French Revolution and the fall of the monarchy, everything within the palace was either sent to the Louvre or sold at auction. All symbols of the monarchy (the fleur de lis) was removed (i.e. chiseled off the walls) and in 1793 it was opened for tours, while other rooms were used as a small art museum, storage and an art school.

Several French leaders thought about living in Versailles but the cost to repair the palace was generally too great to actually accomplish the goal. The 1830 French Revolution brought about a different idea. Louis-Philippe began in 1833 to change Versailles into a French Museum. He created the Galerie des Batailles (Hall of Battles) which is an immense hallway my audio guide called the Hall of Princess. Each side of the wall is filled with enormous paintings showcasing the important battles of France. It’s like a walk through history occasionally peppered with busts and statues of important people. Since then various governments have used it as a base and the current French government meets there for special occasions. It’s seen lots of treaties signed, from the aforementioned one that granted the United States independence to the treaty of Versailles which ended World War I. Many of these are signed in the stunning hall of mirrors.

The hall of mirrors is filled with beautiful chandeliers with one wall of mirrors that reflect the light and show the gardens in their beautiful glory. But also, if you go, a thing I learned early on in France, is to always look up. The ceilings are absolutely intricate and stunning with paintings and sculptures on every available inch. I have never had such a strong desire to just lay on the floor for awhile. But I figured people would look at me weird or security would yell at me so I didn’t.

After wandering the immense palace I headed out to the garden. The gardens are immense. I went with a goal to make it down to the Apollo fountain and back, which seemed like an easy goal but the large groves of trees which had a spooky air to them in winter was very alluring.

The garden is open earlier than the palace, opening at 8am, so one could technically visit the garden first then go back to the palace which is probably a very smart idea. The first thing you run into when you enter the garden is Parterre d’Eau which are two reflective pools surrounded by little maze like grasses with various statues. Down a set of stairs was my favorite fountain.

It’s called the Latona Fountain. There is no audio guide for the gardens which means you don’t get any of the history or stories for what all of the main sights are. Actually make sure you drop off the audio guide before you leave the buildings because they set off an alarm if you leave the building with it.

I found the Latona Fountain funny because from my angle I could see a bunch of regular looking people with their arms outreached above them and then one super buff frog man also reaching above him. Since I didn’t know any history. I just couldn’t stop laughing at the one buff frog man in a relatively normal fountain. But it turns out it’s based off a story, the Metamorphosis of Ovid. (Not to be confused with Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis) Apparently in this story the peasants of Lycia insulted Latona (Leto) and it angered Jupiter (Zeus) and so he turned them all into frogs. It seems it really depends on the angle in which you look at it. All six humanoid figures are suppose to be mid transformation into frogs. Just the one I saw was much more frog-like then the others and I found it delightful and confusing.

About halfway through the gardens is the Grand Canal. I didn’t make it that far, utterly exhausted by the point I made it to the Chariot of Apollo which is a large fountain right before the Grand Canal.

Among the tree groves there are various other fountains and spots to visit. However due to winter a lot of them were covered and locked up. Which was a pain since they were such a hike from one another.

I really think during other seasons the gardens must be absolutely stunning. But wear proper shoes and prepare for a lot of walking.

By the time I left the gardens I was in need of another break. Within the gardens themselves there are various places to take a break as well as places to buy a snack but I wanted, at that point, to be out of the gardens and on my way out. So I stopped only because it was on the way out, at Ore, which was having tea time.

Originally I thought stopping for high tea sounded wonderful. Though really all I wanted was water. I’d finished off my water bottle early on in the palace and hadn’t found anywhere to refill it or buy a new one.

The high tea being offered was called La Reine Marie’s Tea Time €35. It seemed like it included too much. And I wasn’t really willing to spend €35. I wanted something smaller and found Marie-Antoinette’s delight with a section called Versailles. I assumed, incorrectly that everything under the header for Versailles was a tea set. It was not. Each item below that header was €10. What I should’ve got was a sorbet or ice cream which was €7. But instead I decided to just pick something random and went with the Versailles delight and a green mint tea.

The Versailles delight was flaky with a thick sweet filling that had a slight nutty taste. I would’ve expected it to be mind blowing seeing as I had gotten flaky pastries about 30 minutes away for about €1.50.  But I also was still within the grounds of Versailles which allows people to hike up the prices, and it was a seemingly high class restaurant. (or do all restaurants in France feel high class????)

The pastry really was good. I just am super glad it fell apart so easily and that I was cutting myself small bite size pieces because there was what seemed like a fancy pastry weight in it. Also shortly after digging the pastry weight out and triple checking it wasn’t some fancy prize that I could eat without breaking my teeth I found a hair. Kinda ruined the lavish vibe the restaurant was giving off. That coupled with having to ask multiple times for water, the whole reason I went in in the first place.

There is a lot to Versailles, and I know I didn’t see all of it. I don’t think I even scratched half of the grounds. It’s busiest from April 1st through October 31st. During which time the palace itself is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 9am until 6:30pm and is closed on Mondays. During the off season from November 1st through March 31st the palace is open from 9am to 5:30pm.

The gardens are open every day from 8am to 8:30pm (busy season) and 8am until 6pm (slow/off season). The park, which I don’t think I saw opens at 7am during busy season and also closes at 8:30pm. During slow/off season the park has the same hours as the garden.

Another area I didn’t get to see was the Marie Antoinette Estate and  Palace of Trianon. These, unlike the gardens, but like the main building are closed on Mondays. They also don’t open until much later at noon for both busy and slow times of year. During the busy time they close at 6:30pm. During the slow time of year they close at 5:30pm.

Other things to note is that there is a high chance that they’ll stop letting you in up to an hour before they close so make sure you are there early. It’s so big that I would try to make sure I got there at least several hours before closing.

There are also various fountain shows and performances, depending on the time of year. None were happening though while I visited.

The Palace of Versailles/ Château de Versailles Because Big Bus didn't open until 9:30am but most museums opened at 9am I decided rather than start my trip off at the Louvre like I had planned I would go to the Palace of Versailles.

[barbariansatthegates]

The bucket and wheels of a Celtic processional chariot, 8th c BCE; found in La Côte-Saint-André, France; currently in the Gallo-Roman museum of Lyon.

This chariot was not used for combat, but instead for ritual purposes, probably worship of a solar cult.

[itzleon345]

Our Little Witches but Genderbend!!!

Lotte: Luis

Sucy: Sérgio

Amanda: Andrés

Hannah: James

Bárbara: Victor

Constanze: Constantine

Jasminka: George

Chariot: Charlie

Diana: Dian

Akko: I don't have a name foto him

Use they without fear, only give me some credit