{simple pleasures} world of wonders: monde des merveilles

“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.”

— Robertson Davies

far from the simple geometry of downtown chicago's highrises wearing their mies van der rohe influence proudly like a royal cloak; and a mere two-hour train ride from the elegant cityscape offered up by haussmannian paris, lies the fine art nouveau architecture of victor horta + henry van de velde and the grandiose castles of yore in belgium. architecture from all genres, both secular + religous, is indeed just as enchanting by day as by night, at dawn or at dusk.