Category: Uncategorized

THE PASSING OF THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE

It was with great sadness that Victoria and I learned the news of the passing of Deborah Mitford, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire on September 24th. She was such an icon and was so instrumental in the survival of one of our favourite stately homes, Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.

Here we’ve rounded up some of the recent stories that have focused on the life, times, influence and charm of the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. We hope that by reading these articles you, too, will remember her fondly or, should you be unfamiliar with her story, that you will learn more about the Duchess of Devonshire.

Vanity Fair remembers the Duchess of Devonshire

Vogue Magazine on the passing of the last Mitford sister

BBC News looks back on the Duchess’s influence on the success of Chatsworth House

Royal tribute for the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire

A post on the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire written by Victoria that appeared on this blog in September of 2012 can be found here. 

Funeral details announced – public are welcome

RELIVING THE DREAM: TRAVELS WITH VICTORIA

Place de la République, Paris
 
My travels this summer were indeed the dream of a lifetime, over a month spent in France and England.  And with two of my favorite people in the world, France with my husband Ed — and England with blog partner Kristine. No one could ask for more, unless that both of them were along for the whole time.
 
As I write this, I am still rather jet-lagged, days and nights mixed up. Kristine reports she had a relapse of her cold and is bed-bound for a while.  Of course, one might never mention the condition of our feet — or leg muscles, backs, and overflowing brains, so I won’t.
 
 
Courtyard of Crown Plaza République
 
So while I try to re-enter the real world after this fabulous interlude of travel (sore feet notwithstanding), I will share a few pictures and thoughts from France.  Kristine and I intend to do quite a few posts on our Duke of Wellington Tour and our many other adventures in England, but for the moment, please join me near Paris.
 
Malmaison
 
Ed and I had several visits in mind to some of the lesser known museums and sites.  Paris in August is full of visitors, so we wanted to see what we could find just off the beaten track.  One of my personal goals was to visit the home of Josephine, who married then divorced Napoleon so that he could wed a younger woman and sire an heir.  Malmaison was her escape form the rigors of the Court, where she could relax and fill her garden with the roses for which she is so famous.
 
Malmaison
 
The house is lovely, and truly worth a visit.  The gardens overflow with flowers, though I suspect Josephine would have kept them a bit better.  It is said that after her death, and just before he was sent away to St. Helena in 1815, Napoleon returned to Malmaison to mourn his lost love, not to mention his empire.
 
La Defénse
 

On the way back from suburban Malmaison, we stopped to take a look at La Defénse, la Grand Arche, which is the western-most point of the axis of the Champs Élysées through the Arc de Triomphe.  Guidebooks report that the Arche is so large that the entire Notre Dame Cathedral could fit inside it.  It is certainly impressive, set in an esplanade among a huge number of sleek modern hi-rise buildings, but to me, it doesn’t say anything except concrete.  It has none of the beauty of the rest of Paris.

Église du Dôme, Hôtel des Invalides
 
On our stroll to the Musée Rodin, we passed nearby Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.  We decided to let him rest in peace, rather than whisper to his tomb about the victory of the Duke of Wellington almost 200 years ago at Waterloo.
 
The Thinker, Musée Rodin
 
The Musée Rodin in the Hôtel Biron is lovely, and as the weather cooperated, we spend a great deal of time in the beautiful garden where a convenient café beckoned.
 
the Garden from above
 
 

As you can see, we had sunny weather with clouds from time to time, warm temperatures — and so it was to be for our entire stay in France as well as almost to the first day of autumn in England.

I will continue meandering through Paris and Normandy intermixed with our posts on England, so stay tuned for more.  Adieu.

LONDON – A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

As a city, London survives in the 21st century by taking advantage of it’s three rivers – the River Thames, the river of ground traffic and the constant flow of traffic in the skies. This video (46 mins) takes you behind the scenes of modern day London to see how it’s all kept ticking over.

How does Heathrow airport manage half a million flights a year – using only two runways? Heathrow’s split second landing and take off precision is explained in this video.

Traffic on London’s streets is controlled by CCTV, the eye in the sky. Main arteries and ring roads all pour into what remain essentially 18th and 19th century roads. How is it all managed and how is congestion averted? Tolls, sensors and other cutting edge technology help to keep London traffic jam free. Oh, and should you be thinking of pulling off any crimes using London streets, think again, mate.

On the River Thames, navigation is only one aspect of keeping traffic moving – life saving, obstacle removal and port control and surveillance all combine to form a river system that would make the East India Company proud.

THE WELLINGTON CONNECTION: FLYING HORSES

Letter from the Duke of Wellington to Lady Salisbury –

Walmer, September 18, 1850

     . . . . . Thank you for your letter of the 17th . .  . Gale’s case is a terrible one! Carrying a horse in a balloon is the most senseless of acts! A wooden horse of the same weight, or the same weight of common ballast, would answer in every real purpose of experiment!

From The Times, September 16, 1850: Lieutenant Gale went up from Vincennes on May 11, carrying a horse in his balloon. He reached earth safely, and released the poor beast, who, though benumbed, was not injured and after a while cropped the grass. Unluckily, Gale could not speak French, and was reduced to signs to make the peasants, who crowded around, understand that they must hold the tethering ropes. His gesticulations merely alarmed them, and when, after opening the valves, he drew a big knife to cut the cords, they let go, and the balloon, with Gale clinging to the ropes, soared up anew. His body, half-eaten by dogs, was finally discovered in a field and he was buried at Bordeaux.