Stairway to Heaven

A magnificent former Imperial city at the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains… What a better destination to celebrate an unforgettable honeymoon? Under the bright sunlight, surrounded by the exciting murmur and the animation of its lively inhabitants, we follow a multitude of tortuous, fascinating and mysterious streets that take us straight into the heart of the “Red City”. And then, all of a sudden, all becomes silent… A silence from another world, announcing the arrival on a sacred land, away from all the agitation and animation we’ve known so far. Right in front of us, a magnificent door opens up: splendid, impressing, imposing, but yet so inviting… We step inside this temple of beauty to discover a splendid “Ryhad” and its enchanting interior garden, hidden and protected by the majestic red walls of the ancient Medina. Is this real? Could this be heaven? Mesmerized, fascinated, we walk into the heart of this veritable sanctuary, captivating and entrancing us with its hypnotizing orange blossom scent embalming the air and the spirit… There is no escape… we are now the prisoners of this majestic oasis, captive of its enchanting atmosphere and soon to become our very secret source of serenity and happiness. Discovered years back, our “red paradise” has kept intact its magical, never failing to amaze and to fascinate year after year…

Bearing the name of the Sumerian Goddess of Gardens or Goddess of Plants, Nin-Shar is inspired by Babylon and its magnificent Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Constructed by Nebuchadnezzar II, the ruler who gave Babylon its period of greatest fame, the famous gardens were conceived for his beautiful wife, Amytis, to remind her of the green hills and valleys of her homeland, she deeply missed.

Although one of the greatest civilizations achieving an unparalleled level of culture and knowledge for the period, Babylon kept a very “severe” trait, almost barbaric, its powerful society being built on conquests, expansions, tears and blood and ruled by great warriors.

“Lord of Birds” known for accompanying Vishnu and Krishna in their fight against the evil, GARUDA is a very important figure frequently represented in the Hindu and Buddhist religions.
The gigantic Angkor temple site is today as “petrified” in the jungle that invaded the smallest stone and brick. The impressive ruins by their size, the profusion of vast temples and the richness that characterize them, are “living” witnesses of the strength and power of Khmer civilization.
An impressive number of Garuda sculptures ornate the temples of Angkor, the most remarkable representation being found in a gallery of Angkor Watt, its bas-reliefs being decorated with dozens of them. At the sundown, the gallery is bathing in the sunlight, all the statues appearing as covered in gold…

The model of the painting is covered in mystery. The portrait is possibly depicting Beatrice d’Este, wife of Ludovico Sforza; although, most critics and specialists agree that the beautiful woman posing is no other than Lucrezia Crivelli, the mistress of Ludovico.
The absolute femininity is reflected in this seductive composition – and all the different emotions evoked by it: the attraction, the fantasy, the charm, the desire, the tension, the concern, the thrill, the warmth, the grace, the seduction, the passion, the forbidden, the fear, the unattainable, the exaltation… A representation of the contrast between her apparent rigid attitude, almost cold, severe and the passion, the fervor, the warmth, the extreme tenderness hidden behind her look charged with contained emotions…

Fugit Amor is, without question, one of Rodin’s most beautiful compositions: the two straining bodies are combined in one perfect flowing movement. This two-figure group, which appeared twice on The Gates of Hell, was inspired by Dante’s second circle of Hell, where he describes the eternal wandering of couples bound by their sin of forbidden love – and to which, Rodin brilliantly added a Baudelarian theme.
The fragrance FUGIT AMOR is a stunning representation of the contrast between the rough, thick, powerful aspect of a marble block and the transparency, its fragile, delicate aspect, as well as the extreme finesse revealed once the brut material carved. The explosive start with a crystalline facet, cold, almost frozen, evokes the transparency and the finesse of the marble. The heart, gradually warming up, recalls the emotions that burst and nourish the flame of a forbidden love.

« La Dame à la Licorne » (The Lady and the Unicorn) is the modern title given to a series of six anonymous tapestries woven in Flanders from wool and silk, from designs (“cartoons”) drawn in Paris around 1500 The set, on display in Musée de Cluny in Paris, is often considered one of the greatest works of art of the Middle Ages in Europe.

Five of the tapestries are commonly interpreted as depicting the five senses – taste, hearing, sight, smell, and touch. The sixth displays the words”(À) Mon Seul Désir“. The tapestry’s meaning is obscure, but has been interpreted as representing love or understanding.

The fragrance MON SEUL DÉSIR is the interpretation of this magical tale, depicting the desire as the sixth sense. The elegance is pushed to the extreme in this composition, to expose a fatal attractiveness and absolute fascination…; a concert of enveloping accords vibrate with unmatched sensations, awakening an unknown, indescribable feeling, burning with desire…

Aqua Sextius, as in Sextius, the Roman Consul of the “Provincia”, who founded our dear Aix-en-Provence. The city of 100 fountains, home of our origins, where the time flows in the rhythm of its oh, so famous, thermal sources… How can one not bow at the beauty of this city revealed by a splendid evening: this ideal temperature after a hot summer day, this small “place” enclosed by superb facades in typical ochre stone and caressed by the sun, as to sublimate the almost surreal green magnificent fountain that thrones in its center… Surrounded by our dear friends gathered to celebrate our love and our union, we enjoy at its fullest this moment of tranquility, of generosity and of absolute well-being. Only the crisp sound of ice cubes in the glasses and the burst of joyous laughter mark the soft melody of the running water that slowly fills the sculpted basin, coupled with the murmuring of the centenary platens leaves all around us, as they are guarding our happiness… The soft breeze brings upon us the inimitable Mediterranean fragrances of the surrounding pine forests, or maybe are they brought straight from the heights of the beautiful Sainte-Victoire, aerial stony pyramid, so close as well…

Pokhara, Nepal, base camp at the foot of the majestic Himalaya… Preparing for one of the most beautiful circuits in the world, passing through magical places before engaging in an ascension towards the august Annapurna… More than a simple voyage, a veritable inner quest, in search of the mysteries of life, of serenity, of absolute happiness on the Summits of Gods… Hiking for days through sceneries unique in the world, living unforgettable moments, crossings mythical passes at dazing altitudes, experiencing an ever stronger desire to physically and mentally surpass ourselves, all, in the final goal of bowing before the beauty and the sumptuousness of this veritable sanctuary… After one last challenging hike on endless stone steps and under a dense and cold rain, nothing better than an evening charged in emotion and extraordinary encounters, in an ambiance straight out from Twin Peaks… An unforgettable moment, incomparable, forever immortalized in our minds and in time… It is still dark outside, but the dawn has reserved for us a wonderful surprise, unveiling the miracle that took place overnight: everything has been painted in immaculate white, the spectacle is surreal! And, suddenly, as by magic, the mountaintops light up one after another all around us… Being there, in the middle of the immense Himalayan chain, at several days of walk, far from the eternal agitation of our everyday life, is an extraordinary moment… We advance in this pure white paradise, warmed up by the sun that shines with all its force now, transforming everything in a shining diamonds sea, all our senses saturated of so much beauty… We rest a long time in this peaceful and magical sanctuary, in this paradise traversing the centuries, offering its calm and beauty to so many humans and cultures that climbed this “Stairway to Heaven” before us and to those that will follow… It’s a sublime moment, feeling so close to the sky and simply realizing that everything is possible now, that there isn’t any limit that cannot be surpassed.

“Nea” is the name of a splendid edifice near the Imperial palace, “Nea Iglesia”, built by Basil I, as the tangible symbol of this era of renewal, of “renaissance”, during the Golden Age of the Byzantine Empire. Byzantium, at this period, is at the apogee of its grandeur, a veritable economic, cultural and religious center, impressing the rest of the world by its reaches, its arts and by the quality of life, veritable « douceur de vivre ».

Pokhara, Népal, camp de base au pied des majestueux Himalaya…
Se préparer pour un de plus beaux parcours au monde, traversant des endroits magiques pour entamer une ascension vers les augustes Annapurna…

Plus qu’un simple voyage, une véritable quête de soi, à la recherche des mystères de la vie, de la sérénité, du bonheur absolu aux Sommets des Dieux…
Des journées de marche dans des paysages uniques au monde, des moments inoubliables, des traversées de passes mythiques à des altitudes qui font tourner la tête, une envie de plus en plus forte de puiser dans des ressources insoupçonnées tout en se dépassant soi-même, le tout dans le but ultime de s’incliner devant la beauté et la grandeur de ce véritable sanctuaire…

Après une dernière ascension éprouvante, surtout sous une pluie très dense et froide, rien de mieux qu’une soirée chargée en émotions et en rencontres extraordinaires dans un cadre digne de Twin Peaks… Un moment inoubliable, inégalable, figée à toujours dans nos mémoires et dans le temps…
Il fait encore nuit, mais le petit matin nous réserve une magnifique surprise, dévoilant le miracle produit dans la nuit… Tout a été repeint en blanc immaculé, le paysage est irréel !
Et soudain, comme par magie, les sommets s’illuminent un à un autour de nous…
Etre là, au milieu de ces montagnes immenses, à plusieurs jours de marche, loin et à l’abri de l’agitation éternelle de notre vie quotidienne, c’est un moment extraordinaire…
Nous nous avançons dans cet écrin de blanc pur, réchauffés par le soleil qui brille maintenant de toute sa force, transformant le tout dans une mer de diamants qui scintillent, tous nos sens saturés de tant de beauté…

Nous restons longtemps dans ce havre de paix et de magie, ce paradis qui traverse les siècles, offrant son calme et sa beauté à tant d’hommes et de cultures qui ont emprunté ce « Stairway to Heaven » avant nous et qui suivront… C’est un moment sublime, se sentir aussi proches des cieux et réaliser simplement que tout est possible, qu’aucune limite ne peut être franchie…