Is that so?
It's a saying when you want to emphasize that someone lives well, is happy, and has everything.
They say he lives like a king! Or like a queen, because the queen is supposed to live as well as the king, if not better.
Of course, this saying comes from distant times, from the Middle Ages, when the difference between the way ordinary people lived and nobles and kings lived was infinitely great!
Time has passed, and times have changed, but this expression is still used today.
I wonder now. Do the people, the normal people of today's world realize that the standard of living and living conditions are now much better than they were for the most powerful kings of the past?
If people thought about this more often, I think they would be more satisfied with their lives and their chance to live now.
All these thoughts and questions came upon me as I was looking at some older photos from those many trips I took to Bulgaria, to Balchik, my favorite summer vacation spot by the sea. The Black Sea!
In this place, by the sea, there is a very special place. A large garden in which there is a castle and several villas. It is the summer residence of Queen Mary of Romania.
We visited this castle and gardens every year. Sometimes I was more attracted to the castle, other times I was more attracted to the gardens, depending on the condition.
The castle is called a castle because of its architecture and who lived there. The building is modest in size and is today outdone by many holiday homes...
Built of stone and with an architecture that uses elements of Bulgarian houses and even a minaret, made out of respect for the Muslim religion of most of the inhabitants of Balchik, at least I think it keeps the interior cool on hot summer days.
A small lobby at the entrance.
I forgot to mention that the castle is now a museum. A museum very visited by tourists. In this hall, we found several plates with the history of the building and the royal house.
The rooms are small, like an ordinary house. This first room on the ground floor seems to be a room where the meal was served.
Upstairs, the living room and... the bedroom. In the same room.
The bedroom was just a niche with a sofa. What could be simpler?
Queen Mary of Romania
In the short time that Romania was a monarchy (less than a hundred years), there were three queens. Queen Mary was the most important, the most intelligent, the most modern, the most beautiful, the most famous in the world and the most beautiful!
Maria of Romania (b. 29 October 1875, Eastwell Park, Ashford, Kent, England - d. 18 July 1938, Pelisor Castle, Sinaia, Kingdom of Romania) was a Crown Princess and the second Queen of Romania, as the wife of the Prince who later became King Ferdinand I of Romania. She was the mother of King Charles II. Maria, born Marie Alexandra Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was a Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
His parents were Alfred Ernest Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh, and his mother, Maria Alexandrovna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia, the only daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Source
From this short biography it can be understood that he grew up in large monarchical houses, with kinship with the most powerful monarchies in Europe, and yet...
From the niche where the bed where she slept leads to the bathroom!
The royal bathroom which also had central heating...
I think you'll agree with me that it's a modest bathroom. I don't think anyone seeing these pictures without explanation would guess that this was the bathroom of a queen. Even if only in a summer residence.
Even the queen's armchair seems less comfortable than what we have at home...
And now I go back to what I said at the beginning. To that belief that kings led the best lives possible. Of course, in their time they probably enjoyed the maximum comfort and care possible.
But if we were to compare it to our lives now. The average standard of living. It can easily be seen that we have an easier life, full of facilities that were lacking in the past.
Everyone can think about what they have access to now and the kings of the past did not.
If we think about how we can easily get rid of a virus or germ with just a pill or a vaccine (haha... even if some don't believe that now), a king of old could easily die of trivial causes today.
My conclusion is that we are now living in a very good time and we should enjoy what life offers us. I see a lot of people unhappy, but not unhappy with their lives. They have a lot of dissatisfaction, unfortunately, a lot of it is induced by influencers and other interested people. A major change in society is wanted.
The world wants to turn its back on the lifestyle we currently have...
I fear that this change will lead to the loss of many of the facilities and advantages of the life we have now.
I hope we live (and we'll see)!
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Very lovely trip. Although this is called a castle it would seem mansion would be a more fitting name for such space.
Exactly, that would be the best name. Thank you!
A lovely 'castle'. Thanks for the history and the tour!
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Now we are availing every kind of science and technology. There are so many facilities in this time. Kings and queens were living the lavish lifestyle in their times.
Well, this Castle is really beautiful. This white colour is giving classic vibes of old times.
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Of course, every age should be better than the previous one, but I think the Middle Ages were inferior to antiquity, I mean the Greek and Roman. According to this model, even what will be in the future may be less good than we have now.
Indeed, we live in a good time in terms of technology and facilities, but I can say that this might affect our social relationships.
I don't know.
Thank you!
Magnificent reflections... very good, I agree with many of them, unfortunately many people are dissatisfied with themselves and that makes them lead an unfulfilled life. Beautiful pictures, I love them!✨
I'm glad you agree with some of my opinions, of course you can't agree with all of them. Everyone has their way of understanding life and everyone has their desires.
I'm glad every time you say you like my photos. I rely on them more than words.
We have to be happy with what we have and always improve, life today is much better than before and many do not see it.
Places like castles, palaces, antiques, I love them!
Happy day brother!, how good it is to read you here. I have loved every sentence you write here because you are absolutely right, today we live like kings and many people do not understand it. I know there are many reasons for sadness in the world, but the conditions in which we live should not be one of them, at least in people who have a home, I have always thought that we have to find a way to be happy with what we have while we get what we want, whatever the goal is, we have to be happy on the way, as we will probably spend our lives walking that road.
Regarding the central theme of your post, I did not know more details about Queen Maria of Romania, only what you describe here, her intelligence, beauty and fame, but I never thought to see details like her small castle for vacations, and although my house is really more luxurious, it is noted that her position as queen allowed her to have more than one place to live, as you say, they lived much better than most even though it was in more uncomfortable times. Glad to see these places being maintained in museum form, plus it looks great. Thanks for sharing your memories of this very important place for you in the community... I send you a sincere hug!.
Thank you!
I'm glad you agree with my opinion. Quite a few are not, they do not see, because of their problems, they do not see the whole which is superior to the other past stages of mankind.
Although more and more people are getting tired of the good and are attracted by past times and ideologies, I hope that the evolution of mankind is for the better.
Whenever one has to visit such an ancient place, one's knowledge increases a lot there.