Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Visit to Herrenchiemsee
Episode Date: September 25, 2024Narrator: Thomas Jones 🇬🇧 Writer: Jo Steer ✍️ Sound design: mountain forest ambience ⛰️ Includes mentions of: Food, Mirrors, Autumn, Fire, Enclosed Spaces, Walking, History, Religious Tr...aditions, Art History, Architecture, Horses, Travel. Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, Anke will make her last stop on a tour of Bavaria, at Herrenchiemsee Castle. It’s King Ludwig II's personal version of the Palace of Versailles, on its very own island in Lake Chiemsee. 😴 Watch, listen and comment on this episode on the Get Sleepy YouTube channel. And hit subscribe while you're there! Enjoy various playlists of our stories and meditations on our Slumber Studios Spotify profile. Support our Sponsors Check out the great products and deals from Get Sleepy sponsors: getsleepy.com/sponsors/ Support Us Get Sleepy’s Premium Feed: getsleepy.com/support/ Get Sleepy Merchandise: getsleepy.com/store Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-sleepy/id1487513861 Connect Stay up to date on all our news and even vote on upcoming episodes! Website: getsleepy.com/ Facebook: facebook.com/getsleepypod/ Instagram: instagram.com/getsleepypod/ Twitter: twitter.com/getsleepypod Our Apps Redeem exclusive unlimited access to Premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Get Sleepy and Slumber Studios team: Deep Sleep Sounds: deepsleepsounds.com/getsleepy/ Slumber: slumber.fm/getsleepy/ FAQs Have a query for us or need help with something? You might find your answer here:Get Sleepy FAQs About Get Sleepy Get Sleepy is the #1 story-telling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditations with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep. Get Sleepy Premium Get instant access to ad-free episodes and Thursday night bonus episodes by subscribing to our premium feed. It's easy! Sign up in two taps! Get Sleepy Premium feed includes: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads). An exclusive Thursday night bonus episode. Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free). Extra-long episodes. Exclusive sleep meditation episodes. Discounts on merchandise. We’ll love you forever. Get your 7-day free trial: getsleepy.com/support. Thank you so much for listening! Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! getsleepy.com/contact-us/. Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. Check out our podcasts, apps, and more at slumberstudios.com. That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Good evening, and welcome get sleepy. My name is Tom and
it's my honor to be your host.
Tonight we'll travel to Bavaria in Germany for the fourth and final time in this short series. There, we'll rejoin Anka
who's celebrating her 61st birthday. She's been touring the castles of King
Ludwig II, Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and most recently, Lindahoff. Today, Unka will make her last stop at Helen Kiemzee Castle.
It's Ludwig's own version of the Palace of Versailles on its very own island in Lake Kiemzee.
If you'd like to hear all four of our stories from this series stitched together into an extra long episode,
well over four hours long in fact, then now is a great time to give Get Sleepy Premium a try.
We'll be releasing the series Stitch this coming Friday exclusively to our Premium supporters,
exclusively to our premium supporters.
With almost 800 full length stories and meditations to choose from,
including lots of long length episodes,
our supporters get the very best listening experience on Get Sleepy Premium.
There are no ads whatsoever,
so your rest will be understirbed no matter how many episodes you want to listen to.
Plus every Thursday night we release a brand new bonus episode just for our premium supporters.
Tomorrow we'll take a glimpse into the mind of an avid writer and where she draws her inspiration
as Chloe reads a soothing tale called A Writer's Daydream. And of course, don't forget the extra premium episode on Friday, Unkka's tour of all four castles
from this series. Give Get Sleepy Premium a try with a seven-day free trial to
begin. Visit GetSleepy.com slash support or follow the link in the show notes
to learn more. Thanks so much my friends.
Now, we'll join Unkar in just a few minutes as she makes her way across the waters of Lake Kiemzee. But first, let's devote a little time to relaxation.
Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes when you're ready. Let's begin by observing our thoughts, bringing an attitude of curiosity and non-judgment.
Notice where the mind is busy and where it is still, the way that you might watch the weather from a window.
Now shift your awareness to the body, scanning up and down, keeping that same curiosity. Simply investigate how the body is feeling.
Notice where sensations are and what they feel like.
Lastly, I invite you to direct your attention to the breath. Observe the inhale and exhale as they naturally occur.
Notice where you feel the breath.
Watch it rise and fall deep in your belly.
The breath can be soothing to the mind and body. The cooling inhale brings calm and relaxation.
There's a sense of release that comes with the exhale.
We can surrender any thoughts and just let go.
Give yourself permission to let go of today.
There's nowhere to be now, nothing to do.
You're free to relax and follow my voice as we travel to Bavaria and the last of Ludwig's
castles. This is where our story begins. Anka has travelled from her home inaria, a region further south famed for
its natural beauty.
Bavaria is known for its rich culture and long-held traditions. Towns and villages display half-timbered buildings
and Rortyne shop signs swaying in the breeze.
Storybook towns are made only more charming being set against a backdrop of picturesque views. It's a place of
rolling hills and lush green farmland. There are lakes, rivers, forests, and The snow-capped tips of the Bavarian Alps have dominated the skyline throughout Unca's
vacation, as have the leaves on trees across woodlands bearing the yellow and red hues of autumn amongst the greens.
Unkar planned the trip to celebrate her birthday. She turned 61 just a few weeks
ago. She's been touring the castles of Ludwig II, a king who left a legacy of magnificent
architecture.
She traveled to the region of Hohenschwangau, known in English as the High District of the
Swan.
This area was once frequented by medieval Swan Knights,
of whom Ludwig believed himself to be a direct descendant.
Uncker took a tour of Schloss Neuschwanstein, the fairy-tale castle built by Ludwig.
Its ivory towers at the foot of the mountains would become the inspiration for Walt Disney's
famous castle logo. Its neighbor, Schloss Hohenschwangau, had yellow walls instead,
but it was no less charming, overlooking Lake Alpsy. It was home to Ludwig
through much of his childhood and was said to have inspired his love of romance and legends.
Lastly, Uncker traveled to the Palace of Linderhof, near the village of Attar.
near the village of Attal. It was inspired by the famous Palace of Versailles in Paris, France.
The same is true of Schloss Helinchimsee, the last royal palace the tanker will visit. It was intended by King Ludwig to be a hall of fame, a shrine
to the Sun King, France's Louis XIV, rather than a home to actually be lived in.
What sets it apart from Linderhof and the others is that the castle is on an island
in the middle of a lake.
Building began in 1878 on Helen Insel, the largest island on Lake Keemsee.
Unka set off from Etal this morning and drove towards the region of Keemsee.
It took a couple of hours and was wonderfully relaxing. She had the windows ajar for the whole journey. When Unkar arrived, she checked
in at a hotel, unpacking in a room with a view of the lakeside. She enjoyed a cup of coffee and a delicious sweet pastry.
Then she made her way out in time for the ferry.
She spent the past hour on the boat's top deck, seated comfortably in the warm sunshine.
The boat has been painted a deep shade of yellow. To unker, it's the color of a sandcastle
on the beach. It takes an hour and 15 minutes to reach the island as the boat
picks up passengers from stops around the lakeside. Lake Keemsee is the largest in the region. It's referred to by locals as the Bavarian Sea.
Unka can see why as she voyages across the lake. Indeed, it appears as vast as a sea.
appears as vast as a sea. Blue-green water is luminous in the sunlight.
Ripples shine white as if they're scattered with diamonds.
With the outline of the mountains visible in the distance, it's certainly been a scenic journey.
For part of the island from
the 12th century.
This was built on the site of an older monastery dating back to the 7th century or perhaps
even earlier.
The Augustine monastery was updated and extended, becoming a baroque cathedral in the 1600s.
These buildings would remain beautifully intact even once the land was secularized and sold. When Ludwig bought the island in 1873, he had the cathedral repurposed into his private living quarters. This would be known as the Old Palace while
work on the New Palace began five years later.
Peren Chiemsee was the last and largest of Ludwig's projects. It was his very own Versailles in the heart of Bavaria.
For Unka, it's the final piece of the puzzle, on a trip when she's learned so much about the king.
about the King. She can only imagine how grand it might be as she approaches the island and feels the boat slowing down. Currently, the fortress is hidden within the woodland, nestled amongst the mighty trees.
From afar, Heroninzel displays a range of green tones, from olive to pistachio, and
chartreuse to shamrock. The colors of autumn stand out amongst them, where leaves are colored red, orange, and yellow.
On dry land, the view is just as lovely.
Unka sees this for herself once she's disembarked the ferry.
She walks beneath an archway that reads, Vilgamen, welcome.
It's raised above a walkway flanked by manicured lawns. The stone path beneath it sparkles in the sunlight.
It's cut into a pattern of interlocking diamonds. In the middle of the path, there's a small ticket booth
where Unka stops briefly to purchase her admission.
A friendly man gives her a leaflet with her ticket and writes down the time
that she's to arrive for her tour. Now, Unka had planned to walk to Herinkimzi. It's just a 20-minute walk
from what she's read. But she changes her mind just past the ticket booth,
where a horse and carriage are waiting on the walkway.
Both of the horses are chestnut in color, though their manes and tails are a shade of dark chocolate.
They're attached to a carriage of light varnished pine.
A middle-aged woman sits facing the horses, driving the carriage.
Passengers can sit facing the opposite way behind her on long cushioned benches.
Uncker hands over her money to the driver and steps up to board the carriage.
She takes a seat at the end of the bench where she can look out at the views behind her.
She notes that the seats are blue in color.
The roof of the carriage is checkered in blue and white like the flag of Bavaria.
Unca's body molds into the cushion as she waits for other tourists to board alongside
her.
Just a few minutes later, she feels the carriage wheels turn, pulled behind the horses that clip-clop in front.
Uncker is struck by the freshness of the air and the scents of the countryside. She smells freshly cut grass and fragrant pine trees, mixed with a bouquet of floral,
earthy scents.
Close to the docks, the lawns are moan and immaculate. They grow wilder and more beautiful further from the shoreline.
The clopping of hooves brings a thought to Unca's mind of King Ludwig II on his way to Helenkeemsee. He too would have travelled by horse and carriage when he visited
the palace over a century ago. Unka reasons that her experience now isn't so dissimilar to the fairy tale Kings. Like her, he might have relished the
fresh country air and enjoyed the birdsong heard all around the island. Like Anka, he would have seen the fields bathed in sunlight on his way past the cathedral
where his living quarters were. far with bright white walls and orange slate rooftops.
In some parts, the scenery is flat and open, and the lake is visible, lapping around the island.
the island. Elsewhere, the path winds upwards like a ribbon, and the water is hidden behind a wall of dense woodland.
Uncker likes these parts most of all. They're places where the island is blissfully peaceful. Sounds of
the outside world are hushed by the tree line, and the sound of the carriage seems
to gently echo off the tree trunks.
off the tree trunks. Unka falls into a state of reverie, only stirring once the palace is in view.
At the back end of the carriage, she's alerted to its presence by the gasps and whispers of fellow passengers.
Henin-Kiemzee truly is a magnificent building, a stunning backdrop to the sprawling royal
gardens.
The resemblance to Versailles is immediately obvious.
The main façade looks a perfect copy.
The stone walls of the three-storey palace glow gold and radiant. Balconies and rows of arched windows line its front.
Atop the balconies, on the uppermost floor, there are white marble figures clad in togas.
clad in togas. They're what one might see on an ancient Greek temple, at the left, right, and center of the building. Statues on the roof are distinctly Roman. They are uniformed generals, ten altogether,
and they look like guards keeping watch over the fortress.
Unka takes in the palace and gardens from her comfy seat at the back of the carriage.
She hears the sound of gravelinkiemsee are as magnificent
as the palace and bring out the colors of the natural landscape.
Well-capped lawns appear vivid in the daylight. Greens look even greener beside white gravel walkways.
The symmetry of the landscape is very pleasing to the eye, which must have been the architect's intention. Pools and fountains seem to mirror one another precisely
in front of the palace on the left and right.
Equally matching are the elegant gardens,
which Unker views now at the bottom of the estate.
The horses take a path that forms a rectangle around the grounds, the section thereon being
parallel with the palace.
Lawns on each side are identical in every way,
as are the fountains positioned at their center.
Thin gravel trails surround the fountain,
merging with others that make patterns on the lawn. Flower beds within hedges create borders around the grass.
They are neat and precise. From above, they look to Unka like picture frames,
though far more colorful with their red and pink petals.
Beyond the gardens, there's a central fountain resembling the tears of a massive wedding
cake.
Unka sees the figure of a beautiful woman bordered by a series of watery arches. She gazes from afar at this elegant fountain until she feels the carriage change direction.
The horses continue on towards the front of Heronkiemzie at the edge of the far left garden.
at the edge of the far left garden. Unker sits back and enjoys the view of the fountain.
The basin of water is framed by white marble in a shape very similar to the
flowers around the gardens.
At the center of the fountain is an ancient goddess raised on a stage high above the water.
Below her are the statues of cherubs riding dolphins, pointing jets of water towards its center.
The water makes a lovely sound as it sprays against the sides of the fountain's basin, as does the gravel beneath the wheels of the carriage as it turns one last time
towards the entrance disembark. She thanks the driver for a
smooth and pleasant ride. Then she turns and examines the building. From close up, it's even larger than she'd thought. She can see new
details that she'd missed from the carriage, like the stone faces gracing
the doorways. A row of green plants has been placed on the terrace, laid out symmetrically on the left
and right.
Long green leaves spill out of their containers, giving them the appearance of the crowns of palm trees.
Two other plants flank the central entrance.
To Unka, they look like miniature trees.
A small group has gathered beside one. It's Unka's tour group ready to begin.
She joins the tourists and greets her guide. Stefan is a man in his early 50s.
is a man in his early 50s. He's one of just 30 people who live on the island
and has worked as a tour guide for the past three decades.
He tells the group that it will be his pleasure to guide them through King Ludwig's very own Versailles.
They can begin right away by following him inside, where he'll lead them to the stairway
at the south of the mansion.
Uncker walks at the back of the group, through the glass doorway and into the foyer. The room is peppered with sleek white columns.
The ceiling is coffered with square-shaped indentations. Uncker notes the floor beneath her where red and blue
lines run across the marble. The red is burgundy, like the base of a statue, from statue from which a brightly coloured peacock climbs atop a vase.
She glances at the statue on her way through the entrance, noting that its feathers are
like a cloak of gold.
Moments later, the bird is forgotten. She's awestruck at the sight of the grand state
staircase. Unka has never seen such an opulent stairway, nor one as colorful or perfectly lit.
The walls are a blend of sky blue and orange, with a mix of white marble and gold decoration. The figures of Greek gods are dotted around the walls.
Many look out from their own white alcoves.
Hand-painted murals are showcased between them, framed at both sides by orange and gold columns.
Most striking of all is the massive glass ceiling, which rises to points like a
slate-gabled roof. It covers the entirety of the hall below and fills the room with dazzling white light.
Stefan explains that King Ludwig's engineers constructed the roof out of glass and iron.
constructed the roof out of glass and iron. In total, it covers 350 square meters
and spans the length of the 23-meter stairway.
When the ceiling was built in the 18th century, it was considered the height of pioneering technology.
The same is true of the central heating that Ludwig had installed throughout the castle. Unka takes in this magical room as she follows the group up the steps
at its center. They turn right, passing a fountain in an alcove, before heading up steps at the far right of the room.
She glances over the gilded green banister towards the floor at the foot of the stairs.
It's the blue and white check of the Bavarian flag.
The group pause on the landing at the top, where Unker examines a crystal chandelier.
It's remarkable in part for its number of gemstones, but also because it's suspended from the glass ceiling.
Stefan points out that the room was created by architects, painters, and expert craftsmen.
and expert craftsmen. They worked alongside those employed in the theatre,
stage painters, set designers, electricians, and technicians.
This explains why the room is so theatrical. It might easily form a backdrop to Wagner and was designed like the
stage of his romantic medieval operas. Helen Kiemse, though just as theatrical, is a tribute to King Louis XIV and 17th century
France.
King Louis was the embodiment of an absolutist monarch, whereby the sovereign of a state
has limitless power. Perhaps it's this that made
him a role model to Ludwig, who as King of Bavaria was more figurehead than ruler.
Ludwig was eighteen when he came to power. He was shy, inexperienced, and ill-suited to the role. Matters of state held little interest for him, and he delegated most things to his royal advisors.
It's possible that what he envied about Louis was the Sun King's seemingly limitless budget.
Louis had a flair for decadence and splendor on show in great buildings like the Palace of Versailles.
Stefan points out a painting of that building a little further like the facade of Herenkeemsee. Only King Louis's
palace had wings at each side. In some ways, it's like gazing at a plan of Herenkeemsee.
like gazing at a plan of Helen Kiemzee. This is what Ludwig envisioned it would look like.
Sadly, building stopped in 1885. After seven years of construction, the project ran out of money.
Unker thinks it's easy to see why. It's clear that King Ludwig had expensive tastes.
Walls and doors display rococo decor with gilded stucco molding on a bright white background. Mirrors and paintings are positioned around the walls in gorgeous frames of decorative gold. Crystal chandeliers hang down from the ceiling, where a mural
depicts a scene of gods and angels.
Stefan points out that the ceilings are best observed from the doorways at the end of each room.
They've been arranged in the direction from which Ludwig would have seen them
as he walked towards his private rooms.
The rooms are imitations of those at Versailles,
The rooms are imitations of those at Versailles, but arranged around the palace in the opposite direction. Unlike Louis, the Sun King, Ludwig was a night owl.
Rooms were created to be their best in candlelight.
Rooms were created to be their best in candlelight.
Before they move on, Stefan pauses and directs the group towards an opulent cabinet.
It's the most expensive piece of furniture in the whole palace, so fabulous in fact that it would never be used. It was made using the boulette technique, a method of sculpting that originated in France. What looks like dark wood is actually tortoise shell
inlaid across its surface with gilt bronze figures. Yellow gold panels are set at its center, meant to display artwork that never came to be.
To Unka, the cabinet is a symbol of Herenkeemsee.
It doesn't seem to matter that it remains unfinished. Somehow, in fact, it only adds to its attraction.
From here, the group move into a second antechamber, the oeud de berth or oxeye room. The name is taken from a wide oval window, much like its counterpart
at the palace of Versailles.
Unca casts her eyes around the room, absorbing each detail with awe and wonder. She scans the scene on the painted ceiling,
where gods and heroes float amongst the clouds. The oval window sits just beneath it, at the center of a frieze that runs above the doorways.
Figures that one might see on an ancient temple are crowded across it in the shiniest gold. Their colors are reflected on the mahogany floor, forming patterns of yellow
on the rich, dark wood. They remind her of the colors of a forest in autumn and the glow of sunlight on tree trunks.
Stefan explains that mirrors and lighting have been carefully positioned to create optical
illusions. Mirrors have been placed opposite other mirrors and windows to alter and enhance what one sees
in the reflection. An example of this is visible above the fireplace, where a grand mirror reflects the room around it.
Three chandeliers appear more like 300 thanks to a mirror placed opposite this one.
It makes the room seem as if it's tripled in size or as if some secret passageway has been opened by magic.
Unker sees a row of never-ending chandeliers
where crystals sparkle for miles in the distance.
sparkle for miles in the distance.
No doubt the illusion was even greater at night when King Ludwig was most likely to see it.
By then, the servants would have lowered the chandeliers
and lit the candles that encircled each frame.
Ludwig, says Stefan, used a great many candles,
forty thousand in fact during a 10-day visit. The candles lit the palace, adding warmth and comfort.
They amplified the effect of the castle's central heating.
Such things at the time were cutting-edge technology and practically unheard of in
buildings such as this. The heating was powered by 14 large ovens burning wood and coal from the castle basement. Warm air was channeled from these ovens to specific
rooms through pipes into the room.
Unkar isn't sure if it's just her imagination, but to her, the palace feels wonderfully cozy.
wonderfully cozy. It's a rare experience in such grand lofty rooms where ceilings are maybe 10 or 12 feet high. Stefan points out a statue of King Louis. He's immortalized in bronze, riding proudly on a horse.
Next on the tour is Ludwig II's state bedchamber. This is a room that positively sparkles with gold.
It's the most opulent room in the entire palace.
According to Stefan, it was the first one completed, a room planned by Ludwig long before
any others.
It's as lavish a room as Unka has ever seen, even after visiting King Ludwig's other grand castles.
She gazes up at the mythological figures painted on the ceiling against the sky of azure blue. Below the ceiling is a large gold frieze.
It's been designed to look like a dazzling gold balcony.
The painting reappears within window-like archways, as if the ceiling
were a sky that was visible through the frieze.
A crystal chandelier displays perhaps 300 candles above a glossy wooden floor etched with patterns.
The light is reflected in an ornate mirror stood atop the mantle of a white and gold fireplace.
The bed itself has its own section. It's separated by a guardrail that reaches Sunker's knees.
It's framed by curtains, a shade of olive and gold.
They are a perfect match with the linens on the mattress.
At three meters tall and two and a half meters wide, few beds are as large or spacious.
The headboard and bed frame remind Unka of a throne.
The fabric looks plush and incredibly inviting.
around the bed there are decorative wall panels. The patterns upon them look as if they are moving. In fact, they've been designed to create such an illusion using a specialist technique known as needle painting.
Stefan explains that it's an intricate art form, sometimes with dozens or even more than
a hundred stitches per centimeter of fabric. It took seven years to complete these textile walls, even with
a workforce of 30 people. The bedchamber at Versailles was one of the most important rooms. It was the setting for King Louis's first
and last daily audience. The room at Helenkeemsee was a homage to King Louis
and was never intended for use as a bedroom.
for use as a bedroom. King Ludwig, therefore, never slept in this bed. He slept in his quarters within the old palace. His room there was smaller than this one, though the bed and its surroundings were still fit for a king.
Perhaps he might have eventually switched bedrooms had he been at Terenkeemse for any length of time.
But he spent a total of just 10 days on the island, visiting in the autumn of 1885.
The following year, the crown was bankrupt and Ludwig was declared unfit to rule. He would pass away at the age of 40 only a few days
after being deposed as king.
Elenkeemsee would be opened just a few weeks later, becoming one of Bavaria's main tourist attractions.
So, although Ludwig didn't get to spend much time here himself,
his creation would be explored and appreciated by millions.
by millions. After that, the group fall into silence and continue to admire the room around them until they are led into the council chamber where a throne-like
chair sits behind a table.
The eye is drawn towards a huge portrait, a life-size King Louis behind the table.
It's a copy of one made in 1701. The Sun King is pictured in his blue and gold coronation gown, displaying the Bourbon
Lily, his family's coat of arms. The image is also visible on the rug beneath the table and on blue curtains that dress the windows.
Whilst a painting on the ceiling shows the gods of Olympus alongside a herd of majestic wild horses.
majestic wild horses. At either side of the painting, there are gold candelabras.
At the top of stands, maybe eight feet tall. They are layered in a way that forms the shape of a circle, each looking to hold at least 30 candles. Unkar imagines King Ludwig II gazing up at the portrait, lit gold by the flames.
The lighting can only have enhanced his appreciation for the grand-looking monarch he so greatly
admired.
Stefan invites the group to look at the painting and pay particular attention to King Louis's
eyes. The artist designed them in such a way that
they follow the observer wherever they are. Anka gazes up at the Sun King. Indeed, he does seem to return her regard. His eyes stay with her until she exits
the room, finishing her tour in the great hall of mirrors. It's what you might expect from a room with such a title and so large that it covers an
entire side of the castle.
According to Steffan, it's 100 meters long with 17 large mirrors opposite the same number of windows.
The room is a copy of one at Versailles. Ludwig's painters actually travelled to Paris and took countless photographs of the original. They used these
photographs to recreate the ceilings, though slight alterations had to be made,
being that the hall at Helenquimse is both wider and longer. The ceiling is vaulted and curved in an arch. Paintings
of King Louis are displayed amongst many others. Artwork is separated by decorative gilding, forming frames of different shapes right across the ceiling.
Uncker can't count the number of chandeliers. They hang down in rows on the left and right.
in rows on the left and right. Others are positioned at to illuminate the hall.
Lighting them was a task that required a team of forty people.
Ludwig asked that it be lit when he would see it, between four and seven in the evening,
and one and three in the early morning.
In the early evening, the king could visit the room and enjoy the views of Henenkeems' vast grounds.
He didn't even have to look through the windows because the gardens
were visible in the hall's many mirrors.
When he visited the hall in the hours after midnight, he was more likely enraptured by the room's lighting alone.
Two thousand candles reflecting in the darkness on windows, mirrors, and glossy, patterned floorboards. It's the style that Anka has come to expect from a fanciful romantic with a limitless
imagination.
While the hall is a monument to Louis XIV, it's as much a shrine to its Bavarian creator.
Few can boast such an enchanting legacy. It's a whole other world brought down to earth.
To a man who would be known as the Fairy Tale King, this hall must have felt like pure magic. At least, that's how it feels to Unka now, as she casts her eyes around it. She can see it in her mind in the early morning hours,
with a flickering flame on every single candle.
She can feel the cozy air of the castle's central heating escaping through vents right across the hall,
and the warmth of candles above and below wrapping around her like a blanket of gold.
Unka can picture how the ceiling might look when viewed in candlelight.
She can imagine the flames on those huge candelabras dancing in the reflections of the room's vast
mirrors. This will be the image that stays with Unka when later she wanders
about the gardens. She'll think of it still on the ferry across Lake Keemsee Lake Kiemzee, and as she sips warm cocoa before retiring to her room.
She'll think of her in Kiemzee later at night as she climbs below an eiderdown as green
as a forest. The fabric is two-tone with a sheen of gold, similar to the bedspread
in Ludwig's state bedchamber. Uncker will recall that grand and cozy bedroom alongside other sights seen throughout the day
until her thoughts slow down and feelings take over
and she's ready to surrender, to rest and relaxation.
Then, she'll snuggle down beneath the fabric, her body molding into the mattress.
The covers will rise and fall with the motion of her breathing like the ebb and flow of the gentlest sea.
One final thought will come to Unca's mind, that she is immensely grateful for all she's seen and felt. comfort, dozing off into a deep and peaceful slumber, and getting lost in dreams of the
palaces of the fairy tale king. The You You You The You You You The You You You. you