My childhood friend Laura McKechnie says she wants a viking funeral in a swan boat and I wish I had thought of that. Would our families oblige, I wonder? This whimsy from Tim Walker in Casa Vogue reminded me of our elegiac fantasy.
Meanwhile here are some more of the beauties, some more serene and some you might feel a bit of a tit in but who doesn't love them?
Boston's majestic fleet here
Ueno Park, Hanami, Japan here
Plaza Swanboat, Disneyworld here
Nestlenook Estate New Hampshire here
Kawaguchiko Japan here
at the wonderfully old-fashioned Camden Amusement Park, West Virginia here
just checking.. Stefan of Architect Design said he couldn't leave a comment. Please email me if you can't (and can be bothered!)
ReplyDeleteNow, who knew I needed a swan boat exactly like the one at the top?
ReplyDeleteI've always loved that underneath swans' rhapsodic elegance lies an innate bitchiness. How boring if they were perfectly behaved? I suppose it's a case of Scarlett over Melanie. EEE
ReplyDeleteDear Rose, beautiful pictures. The Actor has always said he'd like a viking funeral too xx
ReplyDeleteHOBAC, oh jolly good! Glad to have struck a chord.
ReplyDeleteEEE - you hit the nail on the head. And I failed to mention that, when we go boating on the river, I find real swans utterly menacing and unnerving.
ReplyDeleteChristina - we'll have to start the Swan Viking Funeral Society, no?
ReplyDeleteAnd P.S. Meg from PIGTOWN DESIGN emailed this 'i tried to tell you that "i am not bovvered" and to leave a comment, but can't.'
This is annoying about the comment refusal.
I think we have similar swan bateaux (a ridiculously grand name I've given them), in the lakes at Lumpinee Park near us in Bangkok. I haven't been in one, I hasten to add.
ReplyDeleteFor a dreadful moment when I read your headline I feared you were departing the blogoshphere, but I'm glad to see that is not the case!
Columnist, I have been behaving as if I'm semi-retired at least. Time to do better, do more!
ReplyDeleteRose, you are the Queen of Whimsey in this overly serious world. Thank you for the fun of seeing all these bateaux. I vote for the prettiest of them, not the cartoonish looking ones. If I go out on a swan boat, at least it should be a gorgeous elegant one.
ReplyDeleteLynne
Thank you Lynne. I rather favour a swan on the Hanoi lake with the person of my choice!
ReplyDeleteOh, how delightful! One of childhood's pleasures were the swan boats in Boston's Public Garden..
ReplyDeleteAnd so very relieved that 'Swan Song' did not mean you'd had it with blogging.
Well that certainly would be a swansong to remember...
ReplyDeleteBeing born south of the Mason-Dixon and held hostage, perhaps never to return, I have requested to be cremated and my ashes thrown from Dixie cups into my garden. My dream kitchen used to feature a 6-burner Viking, then a Wolf. Now as I really plan the remodel, I am going induction. After not cooking with gas for over 25 years, I decided now is not the time to go Whoosh! with a forgotten cuff of my bathrobe near the flame. It would be, however, the quickest home-cooked Viking funeral! Hope little Lucky is well and content.
ReplyDeleteDED - Ah, you have experienced the Boston swanboats! I wish I had. And no, I'm not swanning off just now but only because I like the comments.
ReplyDeleteVagabond Carnival, welcome.
Home, I've had near self-immolation moments myself. My best one is to find flames licking up my newspaper as I wait for the kettle to boil. Just a short step.. perhaps..
Dear Rosie, yes to the viking funeral society but only if we can use swans like these xx
ReplyDeleteI want to ride the swan. Looks super fun.
ReplyDelete