The Garden Hall, it transpired, was so named because its long side walls were lined with lush, living plants. Elaborate raised planters of stone and wood were filled with rich earth where fruits and flowers grew, while the ceiling overhead alternated stone and glass in a checkered pattern, ensuring that the vegetation didn’t lack for light. A long wooden table dominated the centre of the room, while the rear wall housed another pair of double-doors, both of which were thrown open to reveal a semicircular stone balcony—we were on the third floor of the Aida, I belatedly recalled. The effect was
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