Voyage
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Napoleon at Malmaison: Heart of an Emperor
Continuing my tour of this beautiful French château, let’s step out of the domain of Empress Josephine and take a look into that of Napoleon at Malmaison. For it is a peak into the heart of Josephine’s second husband, the first emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte I. As I mentioned in Josephine at Malmaison: Retreat of an Empress, the Josephine spent a fortune on the house. Expecting Bonaparte to return with riches from the Egyptian campaign, which he was fighting at the time, she spared no expense. Unfortunately, he did not return victorious and so was not happy with her extravagance. A Militaristic Fashion Despite this, he came to find…
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Josephine at Malmaison: An Imperial Wardrobe
I continued my stroll in Josephine’s footsteps at Château de Malmaison with a visit to her garderobe – wardrobe. Here I discovered that the elegant sophistication of her decor, which I shared with you in my post Josephine at Malmaison: Retreat of an Empress, was also mirrored in her personal attire. This exhibit of her clothing was a wonderful example of the French Empire mode of fashion. A style that just so happened to be named after her the reign of her second husband, Napoleon I. French Empire This style was a drastic departure from the stiffly corseted and elaborately adorned fashions of the pre-revolutionary period. Women of means now…
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Josephine at Malmaison: Retreat of an Empress
The Christmas season is over now. However, memories of my Parisian Christmas visit still linger. We are currently being blessed with a mild streak of weather and it has transported me back to a similar pleasant, sunny afternoon I spent exploring the retreat of Empress Josephine at Malmaison that Boxing Day. In the Footsteps of Royalty I had made my way from the heart of Paris to its western edge and the suburb of Rueil-Malmaison by Metro and bus. I then strolled along le Chemin Joséphine et Napoléon Bonaparte. Round brass markings bearing the bee emblem of the Emperor guided my way to the regal Château de Malmaison. Cone-shaped topiaries,…
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Sant Pau: The Other Modernista Wonder of Barcelona – Part 3
As I continued my exploration of the incredible Modernista complex of Barcelona’s Hospital Sant Pau, the Operations House was the next gorgeous building to catch my eye. Set amongst the fantastic patient pavilions and fragrant lavender gardens, it floated in the Spanish sky like a heavenly mirage when glimpsed from within the incredible Administration Pavilion.Upon closer look, I saw that the cerulean blue of that beautiful sky was reflected in the colour of the mosaics printed on its façade. And the names spelled out in these tiled artworks were those of distinguished doctors. Like the pavilions surrounding it, the Operations House is covered in a variety of symbolic stone carvings.…
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Sant Pau: The Other Modernista Wonder of Barcelona – Part 2
When I first caught a glimpse of the Modernista wonder, Sant Pau, from atop my ‘hop-on-hop-off’ bus tour of Barcelona, I was so taken with its beauty that I immediately hopped off to take a closer look. As I peaked over the wall at the colourfully tiled roofs of the turrets and domes of the red brick pavilions, I made a mental note to come back the following day when I would have time to roam the grounds of this truly unique site. And I’m so glad I did. For the glorious view of its sun-washed pavilions from inside the Administration building alone was worth the price of admission.And once…
