My Private Shangri-La #12




Ever feel the desire to steal away to a library with a good book? If the answer is yes, join the club, or rather, join me in a retreat to a library of lofty and spacious proportions.




Some of you may have gathered that I have been writing from Hong Kong these past few days. When Mr. H and I travel to Hong Kong, we stay at the Island Shangri-La..for lots of reasons but mostly because we enjoy it.

The Shangri-La hotel was inspired by the legendary land featured in James Hilton's 1933 novel, Lost Horizon

If you have stayed in one of the many Shangri-La hotels around the world you will know that they strive to embody the earthly paradise featured in Hilton's novel.

This trip, I was thrilled to find the book on my bedside table. It is small enough that I can take it with me wherever I go.




 I read it 
during my morning coffee...





and I read it 
during afternoon tea,


sinfully.



I read it 
in the hotel library..




where I also spent time writing 


While I was there, 
I took a few photos and set them to words.




Because some things, 
are worth remembering in a special way.

Whilst shopping at Pacific Place















Speaking of heaven (above), I mentioned in a previous post, spotting a beautiful Red-veined Abutilon, nearly in full bloom, at the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens earlier in the week. 

A wonderful reader and poet, Edgar from @simpleimages2, just forwarded the images below to me. He spotted the same Abutilon in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada last summer, in full bloom. Absolute Abutilon Delight! Thank you Edgar! 


Photo by Edgar Calvelo

Photo by Edgar Calvelo

With the exception of Edgars beautiful Abutilon photos above,
all other photos taken by me with words
from Lost Horizon by James Hilton.


Signing off…with post #12
of the 28 Day Writing Challenge
From Shangri-La
Hong Kong time


Comments

  1. A WONDERFUL SPOT to sit and write...................YOUR DOING WELL NO?Are you pleased with YOURSELF?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful indeed. I love your postings so very very much.
    Love Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  3. Todavía estoy confeccionando mi lista de objetivos para 2015, el plazo terminará con este mes de Febrero. Hoy incluyo la lectura de Lost Horizon de James Hilton.
    Gran idea la de tu reto de un post cada día de este mes, es de lo más interesante.
    Gracias Jeanne.
    Saludos!!
    Esther-D. Abad

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous. Sounds like a place to feed your being. My daughter and I stayed at the Shangri-La, in the Shard, in London. Totally not classic London antiques, completely fantasy paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  5. we have the shangri la hotel here in SM CA + going there today. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. A lovely, lovely post. Thank you for words and photos. It is a pleasure to go along with you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I loved so many of the elegant hotel lobbies in Hong Kong for slipping away. We lived there ovr 20 years ago; an amazing city! Thanks for sharing about the Shangri La. Linda

    ReplyDelete
  8. A fascinating story of a hidden magical place . I read Lost Horizon many years ago. I was in HongKong many years ago also, 11 years ago.

    It’s interesting to read a book with a connection with a place where you are even if for just in name.

    I’m reading a book at the present time, The Heart of the World, A Journey to Tibet’s Lost Paradise
    by Ian Baker. The story seems similar toLost Horizon.

    I like your photos. Thank you for adding the photos of the Abutilon in your essay.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful post
    You make reading feel glamorous
    The Abutilon I think is of the flower painting for the blog, "Drawings From Nature" on Blogspot.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Have been reading for years from my quiet little corner of the world. "You are the Cream in my Coffee." You calm, inspire and delight me. Thank you, thank you. Pleez keep writing . . .

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Can I just say....that I so enjoy what YOU have to say. If you would like to write to me directly, I would love to hear from you... jeannecollageoflife@gmail.com

Popular Posts