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Parc Monceau: An English Garden in Paris
Today is the day! The first day of the year where the sun’s strength has warmed enough to remove any residual chill in the air and to release a glorious, earthy scent from the garden. Spring has definitely arrived. And it’s the perfect day to take a stroll through a beautiful landscape. So I thought we would pay a visit to another of Paris’ stunning jardins. And you may be surprised to learn that this one, Parc Monceau, is an English garden. A Royal Commission I first approached Parc Monceau from one of the Art Nouveau metro entrances that I love so much. And from the moment I saw its…
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Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque: A Lavender Pilgrimage
My journey to Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque started several years ago and turned out to be a somewhat circuitous one. I first heard about this mecca of lavender through a bedtime story on the Calm app. And since then, I’ve often been lulled to sleep by the dulcet voice of Stephen Fry beguiling me with images of the lavender fields of Provence. Of all the delights mentioned in this story by Pheobe Smith, the charms of the Abbey captivated me most. And so, with COVID restrictions lifted this past summer, I made my way by plane, train and then automobile to les Monts de Vaucluse to finally experience the lavender…
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Pretty Travel Puzzles
Travel season is upon us once more. And I’m sure that we’re all hoping that the crises that are currently affecting our world settle and permit us to indulge in this luxury once again. I know I am. So much so that I’ve already begun planning a return trip to Europe this summer. One of the things I like to do on my journeys is to record the beautiful sites I visit through photography. And one of the things I like to do at home is piece together jigsaw puzzles. So, I’ve recently combined these two pleasures by creating a series of pretty travel puzzles from some of my favourite…
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Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles Hamlet
I recently watched Sophia Coppola’s stunning version of the life of Marie-Antoinette, France’s iconic but ill-fated queen. And while enjoying this contemporary trip into a lavish piece of French history, I had the opportunity to envisage how this Austrian-born queen may have spent her time in the garden that she had built as a personal oasis. Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles Hamlet afforded her a humble retreat from the opulence and grandeur of the Versailles Chateau. The Queen’s House I first visited le Hameau de la Reine in the spring of 2016 and I must admit, I was disappointed. For metal scaffolding covered the Queen’s House that I had been so looking forward…
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Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte: High Crimes & Misdemeanours – Part 2
The notorious history of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte continued to reveal itself as we roamed its historic halls. For in the basement, not only did we find the kitchens and servants’ dining room, we also came upon an unexpected character. The Man in the Iron Mask There before us, sitting in a small staircase, was a likeness of The Man in the Iron Mask. Our guide informed us that this iconic figure had two connections to Vaux-le-Vicomte. For he too had been confined at Pignerol prison at the same time as Nicolas Fouquet, the high flying creator of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. In fact, he served as Fouquet’s valet for a time.…
