Indholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2019 i Victoria

Along with mild temperatures and fragrant blossoms, this time of year also seems to bring wanderlust. Sunshine casts its radiant glow over the days of late spring and early summer, illuminating possibilities for travel, and I find myself dreaming of Paris. We invite you to join us as we explore the City of Light, strolling through magnificent gardens on page 73, tracing the footsteps of a legendary chef on page 57, and pausing at other romantic sites throughout the issue. The serenity I seek often can only be found in a moment’s repose. Reflecting on our new Victoria Classics Book Club selection, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, I recognize the value of solitude. “There is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious,” she writes. “Life…

So small and silent, created 350 years ago and now in the Louvre, Paris, The Lacemaker by Johannes Vermeer has much to tell us. Riveted the first time I saw her, I sensed that she had a secret to share. “Immersed in her world, I sensed her calm, private contentment and the exquisite beauty of this retreat in the home … .” You have probably noted, as I have, how some people just seem to know things you would want to know but somehow missed. For me, making my way through school, to work, family, and on, it was the world of the home arts that had escaped my understanding. I was vaguely aware of beautiful, graceful surroundings while racing around making my life: an Edenic flower garden, a laden…

Madeline Hunter is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best-selling author with more than six million copies of her books in print. She has thirty nationally acclaimed historical romances to her credit, including Never Deny a Duke, A Devil of a Duke, The Wicked Duke, and The Most Dangerous Duke in London. A member of RWA’s Honor Roll, she has won the RITA Award twice and has been a finalist seven times. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages. She has a PhD in art history, which she has taught at the university level. Website: madelinehunter.com | Facebook: MadelineHunter | Twitter: MadelineHunter…

Baise a cup to maternal affection by hosting an intimate Mother’s Day tea party beneath a canopy of blooms. Embroidered linens, beloved china, and lush nosegays set the scene for a charming repast. Above: Alongside a dollop of clotted cream, our freshly baked Gingered Scones find their perfect complement in a glistening spoonful of homemade preserves. A kiss of grated ginger renders a simple mixture of peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and salt truly unforgettable. Right: Refreshing and bright, Chilled Rhubarb and Strawberry Soup is sure to be a favorite. A splash of crème fraîche offers a velvety counterpoint to the ruby-hued pairing, while rosé adds depth of flavor. “NO LANGUAGE CAN EXPRESS THE POWER, AND BEAUTY, AND HEROISM, AND MAJESTY OF A MOTHER’S LOVE.”—Edwin Hubbell Chapin “A MOTHER’S HAPPINESS IS…

Surrounded by fields of lavender and sunflowers in the South of France, the entrancing city of Aix-en-Provence brims with authentic charm. A fragrant mélange of flowers cascades through the town squares; archaic fountains burble contentedly; and streets are lined with stately, centuries-old manors once inhabited by members of the patrician class. Among these landmarks sits the handsome Hôtel de Caumont, which now serves as Aix’s Centre d’Art. The ground floor displays period rooms from the late-eighteenth century, while other spaces host art exhibitions and cultural events. A quaint café, offering a delightful array of pastries among its menu items, overlooks classic French gardens. In the early eighteenth century, François Rolland de Réauville, Marquis de Cabanes, chose Robert de Cotte to design this extraordinary hôtel particulier befitting the nobleman’s aristocratic stature.…

Take a closer look at some of our favorite May/June features: Footsteps of a Legend A trio of French recipes from the Victoria test kitchens pays tribute to the iconic Parisian restaurants that prompted the culinary career of esteemed chef Julia Child. Serene Destinations From Roman temples and calm waterways to art-inspiring views and tantalizing brocantes, the regions of southern France hold much allure. A Well-Watered Château On the grounds of a seventeenth-century castle, a silver stream courses through a shaded garden in a scene so idyllic, it evokes images of a fairy tale. Ode to Maternity Worthy of every celebratory note, the daughter’s first friend, greatest example, and dearest ally arrives with unmatched grace to our table beneath a canopy of blooms. Visit our website to read this issue’s…

Thought to have health benefits in medieval Europe, small cloth bags filled with dried blossoms, herbs, and seeds were once a favorite accessory of Queen Isabella of Spain. Today, sachets remain a natural and aromatic alternative to commercially scented products. Artist-in-Residence Stephanie Monahan fashions these accents using a variety of techniques and materials. Folded into an envelope and fastened with a button, a cheery patterned paper delivers the calming character of lavender. Sealed with glue or stitched together, pockets cut from greeting cards showcase découpaged blooms and wisps of trim. Simple ribbon-tied fabric pouches shelter rosebuds perfumed with essential oils. Whether tucked into a linen closet or slipped over a doorknob, sachets add redolent charm wherever they are placed. And when the elements chosen to create these sweet-smelling tokens are…

The golden days when ladies dressed in their Sunday best and shielded their fair faces from the sun with frilly parasols might be just a memory, but the garden paths they strolled still thrive. Three such Parisian destinations bridge the past with the present for those with an abiding appreciation for timeless botanical splendor. When the Comte d’Artois of France acquired a plot of 59 acres in the Bois de Boulogne area of Paris in 1775, Queen Marie Antoinette made a friendly wager with her brother-in-law that he couldn’t develop the property in three months’ time. He accepted her challenge and managed to build both a neoclassical château and eye-catching gardens in just sixty-four days. Known as Parc de Bagatelle, the grounds evolved over time, as styles and owners changed,…

“THERE IS SO MUCH HOPE IN A LITTLE FLOWER AND SO MANY FLOWERS IN A LITTLE HOPE.”—Mehmet Murat Ildan…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: Carol Rizzoli, an essayist, memoirist, and journalist, is the author of several books. To sample more of Carol’s work, visit her website at carolrizzoli.org. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: To explore artisan Stephanie Monahan’s range of papers, craft supplies, and other wares, visit her website at monahanpapers.com. BEYOND THE HORIZON Page 17: Port 68: Summer Palace Basin, $322.50, Summer Palace Lamp 36"H, $562.50; 866-960-7930, port68.com. Pages 17–18: Royal Crown Derby: Blue Mikado Luncheon Plate, $35.99, Blue Mikado Rim Soup Bowl, $99.95, Blue Mikado Mini Creamer, $27.99, Blue Mikado Flat Cup & Saucer Set, $39.99, Blue Mikado Teapot & Lid, $449.95; from Replacements, Ltd., 800-737-5223, replacements.com. Royal Crown Derby: Grenville Dinner Plate, $114, Grenville Rim Soup Bowl, $120, Royal Crown Derby: Grenville Tea Cup, $75, Grenville Tea Saucer, $46; from…

As a child, I would always tiptoe down the stairs in the morning—greeted by the aroma of fresh coffee—to find my mother wrapped in one of her pink or floral robes. Before doing anything else, I would crawl onto her lap and rest my head on her chest. Planting a kiss on my forehead, she would ask me how I slept. She always smelled like peonies, and I think this was because she adored them. I believe that what you love, you in some way become. Today, newly married, I have a painting hanging in my house of a woman with auburn hair smelling roses. Her eyes are closed, and her head is lifted, as if she is inhaling the best perfume in the world. This portrait reminds me of…

If one looks at a listing of the peerage in the United Kingdom, this legal system of hereditary titles is divided into groups. The oldest comprise ranks of nobility designated before the union of England and Scotland in 1707. In those cases, the title holder is a peer of England or of Scotland. If the title was created after the union, the title holder is a peer of Great Britain. Once Northern Ireland was added to the empire in 1800, new titles belonged to the Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Due to the tradition of primogenitor, in England, the oldest son would inherit his father’s title. If the firstborn male was deceased, the inheritance went to the next oldest son, and so on. If no…

When most people think of Marie Antoinette, they picture her dressed in an ornate silk gown with her hair swept up in an elaborate, powdered coif—a royal who indulged in excess and had no real understanding of the everyday life of her subjects. But there was another side to this young queen, one that yearned for a simpler life away from the pomp and political turmoil of the times. The sovereign found respite in an outlying area of the Versailles domain known as the Trianon estate. Though it was a mere thirty-minute walk from the palace, its rural setting was worlds away in terms of appearance and ambiance. Her husband, King Louis XVI, gifted his bride with the Petit Trianon château, the smaller of two residences on this property. Enamored…

An alluring mélange of restaurants, bakeries, and specialty shops line Rue Cler in Paris’s renowned Rive Gauche district. Much of this market street retains its original cobblestones, as well as its perpetual charm. With the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and the Seine just short strolls away, it is easy to picture why Julia was so smitten with the area upon her arrival in the City of Light. Though her kitchen skills were quite limited before the move, a meal of sole meunière at France’s oldest restaurant, La Couronnne, changed the focus of her life. “The whole experience was an opening up of the soul and spirit for me,” Julia later remarked. She enrolled at Paris’s famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, and, thus, began her journey as chef, author,…

It is a long way from the shores of Venezuela to the bright lights of the Champs-Élysées, but for Adriana Anzola, it was a journey that redefined her life goals. Fifteen years ago, she left her South American homeland for London, armed with a degree in graphic design. After working there for three years, she came to Paris, where she earned a master’s degree in fashion marketing—and discovered the wonderful world of brocantes. For someone who had been drawn to the vintage chic look for as long as she could remember, the Parisian markets, with their never-ending cache of timeworn wares, were pure paradise. “I loved the way antiques and ‘chippy’ furniture were beautifully put together in a soft color palette with whites,” she says. “I fell in love with…

La Ville-Lumière is the crown of France, its shining gems of experience perfectly embodying romance—breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower, the inimitable aromas of local pâtisseries, the fiery amour budding in a thousand hearts across the skyline, and, at the center of the City of Light, the jewel that is a legend of more than 120 years, Ritz Paris. Seated on the Place Vendôme, the hotel provides even a monarch with all the comforts of home. Its interiors inspire greatness in its guests, raising spirits with lofty ceilings, grand staircases, and vibrantly colored tapestries and drapery. For those who desire to cultivate this elegance within their own dwelling spaces, Eternally Ritz by Laure Verchère is a reader’s equivalent to stepping through the doors of the Parisian landmark’s most luxurious suites…

During the summer of 1989, while staying in my rented cottage near the beach in Cape May, New Jersey, I decided to take a leisurely ride to Cape May Point to visit the lighthouse and to stop by one of my favorite places. “Perhaps this treasure had mystical powers to create a future, happy life for me, as well.” The General Store was a delightful throwback to gentler times: a vintage brick-red clapboard with white trim and sand-swept wooden floors where you could get a quart of milk, a piece of penny candy, a dip or two of ice cream on a sugar cone, and among other sundries, a bag of dried corn to feed the many ducks and swans who called nearby Lily Lake home. Schwinn and Huffy single-gear…