Staircases

My last post about bookcases got me thinking about other features that i feel are important in a house. The most obvious one that sprung to mind was staircases. I find them a nice place to sit (much to the inconvenience of my family) and either think or read. I find the staircase in my house a place where i can really relax and let my mind go relatively blank for once. I feel as if it's something about being between upstairs and downstairs of a place. It's like i'm in limbo. Upstairs, i have things to do; often tidying my bedroom, and downstairs i've got piles of work to do or someone that'll pounce on me with chores if they notice that i'm not doing anything. On the stairs i can just pretend that neither of these places are there. I can just exist. I think that staircases also hold some intrigue for me as they're always leading to somewhere - you've never reached your destination when your on the stairs. It's the mystery of what you might find up there that's exciting. I've also noticed, when on my staircase at home, that being able to see both upstairs and downstairs at the same time makes me feel more in control and thus more relaxed. I'm guessing that not many people feel so many things about staircases but i just thought i'd share my feelings and i genuinly find it quite an interesting topic. I see it as escapism, and i think it's interesting to stop and take a look at your life to decipher what it is that you're escaping from, if not to change it then just to acknowledge it and gain a greater understanding of both your life and yourself.

When i went to Prague last year with my mum and sister for a couple of days, though i very much appreciated the beautiful buildings and hustle and bustle of the city, it was when we went across the river and entered into a more subdued part of town that i found my favourite spot in the entire city (or atleast what i saw of it). It was some stairs leading up to Prague Castle. A great view of Prague could be seen from the top and the setting sun cast a fiery orange glow over the rooftops of the city and the grey, brooding rain clouds above us. The rain managed to hold off whilst we sat in an alcove (?) of the wall listening to the music of a guitar-playing busker. I could have stayed there for hours, such was the sense of the relaxation that it gave me and the beauty of the surroundings. Alas, we did eventually have to make our way back over Charles Bridge and find a restaurant where we could get some tea (just incase that's a term only used in Northern England - i wouldn't know - i mean dinner). I have no idea what this place is called but i've somehow managed to find a couple of photos of it on google to show you what i'm talking about:

We sat in the nearest alcove on the left. You can get a sense of the view from this photo but if you looked more to the right you'd get the full one.

 

 

 I recently caught a bit of a programme about the history of the living room, going from medieval times to the present day. It feature Hardwick Hall, a 16th century country house situated in Derbyshire, England. I find the staircase in this house so amazing i couldn't help but pop it in this post:

Apologies for the poor quality of this one...

Besides the stairs, the house itself looks really beautiful. I'd really love to visit it someday. Just look at this photo of the great chamber, i recommend clicking on it see it a little larger. The detail on the wall is stunning.

Lots of love

Lucy

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