<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>From there, after six days and seven nights, you arrive at Zobeide, the white city, well exposed to the moon, with streets wound about themselves as in a skein.
They tell this tale of its foundation: men of various nations had an identical dream.
They saw a woman running at night through an unknown city; she was seen from behind, with long hair, and she was naked.
They dreamed of pursuing her. As they twisted and turned, each of them lost her.
After the dream, they set out in search of that city; they never found it, but they found one another; they decided to build a city like the one in the dream.
In laying out the streets, each followed the course of his pursuit; at the spot where they had lost the fugitive's trail, they arranged spaces and walls differently from the dream, so she would be unable to escape again.
This was the city of Zobeide, where they settled, waiting for that scene to be repeated one night. None of them, asleep or awake, ever saw the woman again.
The city's streets were streets where they went to work every day, with no link any more to the dreamed chase. Which, for that matter, had long been forgotten.
New men arrived from other lands, having had a dream like theirs, and in the city of Zobeide, they recognized something from the streets of the dream, and they changed the positions of arcades and stairways to resemble more closely the path of the pursued woman and so, at the spot where she had vanished, there would remain no avenue of escape.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Cities and desire
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Cities and desire
He searched on…his dream driving him with exuberant force.
Suddenly __ <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> he seemed to have caught sight of a woman's dress in the distance, which in the shade looked a purple black. He took off his hat, placed his hand upon his heart, and hurried towards her .
He touched a flower with the tip of his walking-stick . After looking at it for a moment in some confusion the man bent his ear to it and seemed to answer a voice speaking from it, for he began talking about the forests of Uruguay which he had visited hundreds of years ago in company with the most beautiful young woman in Europe.
He could be heard murmuring about forests of Uruguay blanketed with the wax petals of tropical roses, nightingales, sea beaches, mermaids, and women drowned at sea.
Enchanted she paused
"Come along, Trissie; it's time we had our tea."
"Wherever does one have one's tea?" she asked with the oddest thrill of excitement in her voice, looking vaguely round and letting herself be drawn on down the grass path, trailing her parasol, turning her head this way and that way, forgetting her tea, wishing to go down there and then down there, remembering orchids and cranes among wild flowers, a Chinese pagoda and a crimson crested bird; but he bore her on.
Thus one couple after another with much the same irregular and aimless movement passed the flower-bed and were enveloped in layer after layer of green blue vapour, in which at first their bodies had substance and a dash of colour, but later both substance and colour dissolved in the green-blue atmosphere.
How hot it was! So hot that even the thrush chose to hop, like a mechanical bird, in the shadow of the flowers, with long pauses between one movement and the next; instead of rambling vaguely the white butterflies danced one above another, making with their white shifting flakes the outline of a shattered marble column above the tallest flowers; the glass roofs of the palm house shone as if a whole market full of shiny green umbrellas had opened in the sun; and in the drone of the aeroplane the voice of the summer sky murmured its fierce soul.
Yellow and black, pink and snow white, shapes of all these colours, men, women, and children were spotted for a second upon the horizon, and then, seeing the breadth of yellow that lay upon the grass, they wavered and sought shade beneath the trees, dissolving like drops of water in the yellow and green atmosphere, staining it faintly with red and blue.
It seemed as if all gross and heavy bodies had sunk down in the heat motionless and lay huddled upon the ground, but their voices went wavering from them as if they were flames lolling from the thick waxen bodies of candles.
Voices. Yes, voices. Wordless voices, breaking the silence suddenly with such depth of contentment, such passion of desire, or, in the voices of children, such freshness of surprise; breaking the silence?
But there was no silence; all the time the motor omnibuses were turning their wheels and changing their gear; like a vast nest of Chinese boxes all of wrought steel turning ceaselessly one within another the city murmured; on the top of which the voices cried aloud and the petals of myriads of flowers flashed their colours into the air. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
------------------
Van Canna
[This message has been edited by Van Canna (edited September 01, 2001).]
Suddenly __ <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> he seemed to have caught sight of a woman's dress in the distance, which in the shade looked a purple black. He took off his hat, placed his hand upon his heart, and hurried towards her .
He touched a flower with the tip of his walking-stick . After looking at it for a moment in some confusion the man bent his ear to it and seemed to answer a voice speaking from it, for he began talking about the forests of Uruguay which he had visited hundreds of years ago in company with the most beautiful young woman in Europe.
He could be heard murmuring about forests of Uruguay blanketed with the wax petals of tropical roses, nightingales, sea beaches, mermaids, and women drowned at sea.
Enchanted she paused
"Come along, Trissie; it's time we had our tea."
"Wherever does one have one's tea?" she asked with the oddest thrill of excitement in her voice, looking vaguely round and letting herself be drawn on down the grass path, trailing her parasol, turning her head this way and that way, forgetting her tea, wishing to go down there and then down there, remembering orchids and cranes among wild flowers, a Chinese pagoda and a crimson crested bird; but he bore her on.
Thus one couple after another with much the same irregular and aimless movement passed the flower-bed and were enveloped in layer after layer of green blue vapour, in which at first their bodies had substance and a dash of colour, but later both substance and colour dissolved in the green-blue atmosphere.
How hot it was! So hot that even the thrush chose to hop, like a mechanical bird, in the shadow of the flowers, with long pauses between one movement and the next; instead of rambling vaguely the white butterflies danced one above another, making with their white shifting flakes the outline of a shattered marble column above the tallest flowers; the glass roofs of the palm house shone as if a whole market full of shiny green umbrellas had opened in the sun; and in the drone of the aeroplane the voice of the summer sky murmured its fierce soul.
Yellow and black, pink and snow white, shapes of all these colours, men, women, and children were spotted for a second upon the horizon, and then, seeing the breadth of yellow that lay upon the grass, they wavered and sought shade beneath the trees, dissolving like drops of water in the yellow and green atmosphere, staining it faintly with red and blue.
It seemed as if all gross and heavy bodies had sunk down in the heat motionless and lay huddled upon the ground, but their voices went wavering from them as if they were flames lolling from the thick waxen bodies of candles.
Voices. Yes, voices. Wordless voices, breaking the silence suddenly with such depth of contentment, such passion of desire, or, in the voices of children, such freshness of surprise; breaking the silence?
But there was no silence; all the time the motor omnibuses were turning their wheels and changing their gear; like a vast nest of Chinese boxes all of wrought steel turning ceaselessly one within another the city murmured; on the top of which the voices cried aloud and the petals of myriads of flowers flashed their colours into the air. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
------------------
Van Canna
[This message has been edited by Van Canna (edited September 01, 2001).]
Cities and desire
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I have come to this explanation: the streams of water channeled in the pipes of the city have remained in the possession of nymphs and naiads.
Accustomed to traveling along underground veins, they found it easy to enter the new aquatic realm, to burst from multiple fountains, to find new mirrors, new games, and new ways of enjoying the water.
Their invasion may have driven out the human beings, or the city may have been built by humans as a votive offering to win the favor of the nymphs, offended at the misuse of the waters.
In any case, now they seem content, these maidens: in the morning you hear them singing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Accustomed to traveling along underground veins, they found it easy to enter the new aquatic realm, to burst from multiple fountains, to find new mirrors, new games, and new ways of enjoying the water.
Their invasion may have driven out the human beings, or the city may have been built by humans as a votive offering to win the favor of the nymphs, offended at the misuse of the waters.
In any case, now they seem content, these maidens: in the morning you hear them singing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Cities and desire
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>When you have forded the river, when you have crossed the mountain pass, you suddently find before you the city of Moriana, its alabaster gates transparent in the sunlight, its coral columns supporting pediments encrusted with serpentine, its villas all of glass like aquariums where the shadows of dancing girls with silvery scales swim beneath the medusa-shaped chandeliers.
I have come to this explanation: the streams of water channeled in the pipes of the city have remained in the possession of nymphs and naiads.
Accustomed to traveling along underground veins, they found it easy to enter the new aquatic realm, to burst from multiple fountains, to find new mirrors, new games, and new ways of enjoying the water.
Their invasion may have driven out the human beings, or the city may have been built by humans as a votive offering to win the favor of the nymphs, offended at the misuse of the waters. In any case, now they seem content, these maidens: in the morning you hear them singing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have come to this explanation: the streams of water channeled in the pipes of the city have remained in the possession of nymphs and naiads.
Accustomed to traveling along underground veins, they found it easy to enter the new aquatic realm, to burst from multiple fountains, to find new mirrors, new games, and new ways of enjoying the water.
Their invasion may have driven out the human beings, or the city may have been built by humans as a votive offering to win the favor of the nymphs, offended at the misuse of the waters. In any case, now they seem content, these maidens: in the morning you hear them singing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Cities and desire
Allow yourself to feel for the moment...right here, right now. You are breathing in clean, pure, fresh air. Your lungs are releasing any pollution within your body.
You gladly release anything that disagrees with you. Only what is best for your body and soul remain with you at this time.
Visualize the ocean. Hear the waves crashing against the rocks. Feel the grains of wet sand against your bare feet as you step towards the waves. Feel the sun's warm rays on your face.
You squint into the distance. You see a fin flick into the water. A mermaid appears. She positions herself on the distant rocks and begins to run her fingers through her long flowing hair.
She sits quietly, taking in the sun, the gentle breeze, and the immensity of the ocean. Allow yourself to just let go.
You gladly release anything that disagrees with you. Only what is best for your body and soul remain with you at this time.
Visualize the ocean. Hear the waves crashing against the rocks. Feel the grains of wet sand against your bare feet as you step towards the waves. Feel the sun's warm rays on your face.
You squint into the distance. You see a fin flick into the water. A mermaid appears. She positions herself on the distant rocks and begins to run her fingers through her long flowing hair.
She sits quietly, taking in the sun, the gentle breeze, and the immensity of the ocean. Allow yourself to just let go.
Cities and desire
Lanly
The capital city of the Dryad, and one of the most beautiful places in the Westland, Lanly is a small city by comparison to the other races capitals, but perfect sized for the small Dryad's which inhabit it.
Built in a portion of the forest featuring some of the largest and most ancient trees, Lanly is actually a hanging city for the most part, found high above the ground, laced between the trees with exceptionally advanced woven architecture.
Houses, stores, buildings, and more can be found dangling from exceptionally well crafted vine and flora used to entwine and hold up the structures and walkways which link the structures together.
Due to the fact that the Dryads have outposts mounted all around their city, high up in the trees, they can detect almost any intruder almost immediately.
The only race which is allowed in the Dryad cities at this time are the Elves, and even then they cannot go high into the trees since their weight will break the walkways.
However, some of the important services of the city are found at ground level, carved out of the gigantic trees, or built as small huts.
The Dryad city has almost no crime, and even then when something does happen it's usually due to a misunderstanding, and nothing more.
Lanly is also home of a beautifully crafted temple for their god Rasha, carved in the trunk of the largest tree in the forest - an incredible site for those who are lucky enough to see it.
------------------
Van Canna
The capital city of the Dryad, and one of the most beautiful places in the Westland, Lanly is a small city by comparison to the other races capitals, but perfect sized for the small Dryad's which inhabit it.
Built in a portion of the forest featuring some of the largest and most ancient trees, Lanly is actually a hanging city for the most part, found high above the ground, laced between the trees with exceptionally advanced woven architecture.
Houses, stores, buildings, and more can be found dangling from exceptionally well crafted vine and flora used to entwine and hold up the structures and walkways which link the structures together.
Due to the fact that the Dryads have outposts mounted all around their city, high up in the trees, they can detect almost any intruder almost immediately.
The only race which is allowed in the Dryad cities at this time are the Elves, and even then they cannot go high into the trees since their weight will break the walkways.
However, some of the important services of the city are found at ground level, carved out of the gigantic trees, or built as small huts.
The Dryad city has almost no crime, and even then when something does happen it's usually due to a misunderstanding, and nothing more.
Lanly is also home of a beautifully crafted temple for their god Rasha, carved in the trunk of the largest tree in the forest - an incredible site for those who are lucky enough to see it.
------------------
Van Canna
Cities and desire
And suddenly we find ourselves awakening in the beautiful cities of Turin and Milan of refined Italy.
**
Turin is a very fine city. In the matter of roominess it transcends
anything that was ever dreamed of before, I fancy.
It sits in the midst
of a vast dead-level, and one is obliged to imagine that land may be had
for the asking, and no taxes to pay, so lavishly do they use it.
The
streets are extravagantly wide, the paved squares are prodigious, the
houses are huge and handsome, and compacted into uniform blocks that
stretch away as straight as an arrow, into the distance.
The sidewalks
are about as wide as ordinary European STREETS, and are covered over with
a double arcade supported on great stone piers or columns.
One walks from
one end to the other of these spacious streets, under shelter all the
time, and all [t]his course is lined with the prettiest of shops and the
most inviting dining-houses.
There is a wide and lengthy court, glittering with the most wickedly
enticing shops, which is roofed with glass, high aloft overhead, and
paved with soft-toned marbles laid in graceful figures; and at night when
the place is brilliant with gas and populous with a sauntering and
chatting and laughing multitude of pleasure-seekers, it is a spectacle
worth seeing.
Turin must surely read a good deal, for it has more book-stores to the
square rod than any other town I know of.
And it has its own share of
military folk. The Italian officers' uniforms are very much the most
beautiful I have ever seen; and, as a general thing, the men in them were
as handsome as the clothes.
They were not large men, but they had fine
forms, fine features, rich olive complexions.
**
In Milan we spent most of our time in the vast and beautiful Arcade or
Gallery, or whatever it is called.
Blocks of tall new buildings of the
most sumptuous sort, rich with decoration and graced with statues, the
streets between these blocks roofed over with glass at a great height,
the pavements all of smooth and variegated marble, arranged in tasteful
patterns- little tables all over these marble streets, people sitting at
them, eating, drinking, or smoking- crowds of other people strolling by-
such is the Arcade.
I should like to live in it all the time.
The windows
of the sumptuous restaurants stand open, and one breakfasts there and
enjoys the passing show.
------------------
Van Canna
**
Turin is a very fine city. In the matter of roominess it transcends
anything that was ever dreamed of before, I fancy.
It sits in the midst
of a vast dead-level, and one is obliged to imagine that land may be had
for the asking, and no taxes to pay, so lavishly do they use it.
The
streets are extravagantly wide, the paved squares are prodigious, the
houses are huge and handsome, and compacted into uniform blocks that
stretch away as straight as an arrow, into the distance.
The sidewalks
are about as wide as ordinary European STREETS, and are covered over with
a double arcade supported on great stone piers or columns.
One walks from
one end to the other of these spacious streets, under shelter all the
time, and all [t]his course is lined with the prettiest of shops and the
most inviting dining-houses.
There is a wide and lengthy court, glittering with the most wickedly
enticing shops, which is roofed with glass, high aloft overhead, and
paved with soft-toned marbles laid in graceful figures; and at night when
the place is brilliant with gas and populous with a sauntering and
chatting and laughing multitude of pleasure-seekers, it is a spectacle
worth seeing.
Turin must surely read a good deal, for it has more book-stores to the
square rod than any other town I know of.
And it has its own share of
military folk. The Italian officers' uniforms are very much the most
beautiful I have ever seen; and, as a general thing, the men in them were
as handsome as the clothes.
They were not large men, but they had fine
forms, fine features, rich olive complexions.
**
In Milan we spent most of our time in the vast and beautiful Arcade or
Gallery, or whatever it is called.
Blocks of tall new buildings of the
most sumptuous sort, rich with decoration and graced with statues, the
streets between these blocks roofed over with glass at a great height,
the pavements all of smooth and variegated marble, arranged in tasteful
patterns- little tables all over these marble streets, people sitting at
them, eating, drinking, or smoking- crowds of other people strolling by-
such is the Arcade.
I should like to live in it all the time.
The windows
of the sumptuous restaurants stand open, and one breakfasts there and
enjoys the passing show.
------------------
Van Canna
