In late 1852, Emperor Napoleon III invited around one hundred guests to stay at the Château de Compiègne. Amongst the guests were the Spanish Countess of Teba and her daughter, Eugénie de Montijo. Louis-Napoleon and Eugénie had met several years before, when he had not yet staged the coup that made him Emperor of the […]
Empress Eugénie and the “Series” at the Château de Compiègne Continue reading
There are some French castles which breathe history, the past seeps into their weathered stones and whispers to you of wars and triumphs. Their high, centuries old towers stand tall, the walls keep constant watch and the green grass underfoot has never forgotten the spilled blood from invasions and treachery. But a castle fortress, a
Château de Clisson Continue reading
Before the eighteenth century in France, there was little notion of privacy. Kings and queens got out of bed and dressed in front of a crowd of nobles, wealthy women held literary salons literally in their bedrooms, and the commoners lived with as many people as they could in small, dark rooms. But everyone needs
The exquisite 18th century bedroom of Madame Thierry Continue reading
When Louis XV appointed Madeleine Françoise Basseporte the resident botanical artist at his Jardin du Roi, he was making history. No women before, or even since, had been the designated dessinateur au roi. But this was the era of the Enlightenment, where new ideas were flourishing and scientific methods were overcoming tradition. For over 50
Flower power: the botanical art of Madeleine Françoise Basseporte Continue reading
I adore roses. My favourite time of the year is early June, when the delicious honey scent of hundreds of climbing yellow roses infuses every room of my old stone house. On another side, the gnarled trunks of an ancient rose tree rest against the cobbled wall, giving life to slowly unfurling pale pink roses with their heavenly scent. Are you a rose lover as well? If so, here are 5 places in Paris where you can go to see, admire (and smell) the roses.
5 places to smell the roses in Paris Continue reading