Chateaux & Castles - Spring 2019 - V1I3

TULIP GARDENS IN BLOOM

chateaux &castles q

u

a

r

EXPLORE the

t

e

r

l

SPRING 2019

y

volume 1 • issue 3

UK

Keukenhof TULIP FARM Celebrating

70

Years

ASHFORD CASTLE, IRELAND WELFORD-ON-AVON, ENGLAND BEYNAC-ET-CAZENAC, FRANCE LES JARDINS DE MARQUEYSSAC

cp

COLETTE PUBLICATIONS

SUBSCRIBE AT CHATEAUXMAG.COM

CHATEAUX & CASTLES QUARTERLY

SPRING 2019 Volume 1 • Issue 3 editorial Editor & Publisher Nicolette Johnston

ADVERTISING Please contact us at: ads@colettepublications.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe visit our website at www.colettepublications.com To update your address please email: subscriptions@colettepublications.com EDITORIAL To submit a letter to the editor, or a query letter please email: editorial@colettepublications.com

COLETTE PUBLICATIONS produces quarterly: CHATEAUX & CASTLES QUARTERLY and

Bed & Breakfast MAGAZINE

This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Colette Publications as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

Printed in Canada.

© COLETTE PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 2775 Minden, NV 89423 www.colettepublications.com

contents

features

Bath, England 10 Storybook Village Welford-on-Avon 16 Lanhydrock Castle Cornwall, England 20 Ashford Castle Mayo, Ireland 22 Beynac Village & Castle - Dordogne, France 30 The Netherlands 36 - A Colorful Morning 42 - Keukenhof Castle 49 - Teylingen Castle 52

in every issue

Art History 6 Royal Reign 30 Exquisite Gardens - Keukenhof Gardens 38 - Les Jardins de Marqueyssac 54 A Finer Taste - Mr. Fogg's House of Botanicals 64 Where Am I? 66

4

Chateaux & Castles

CHATEAUX & CASTLES QUARTERLY is published quarterly by Colette Publications, P.O. Box 2775, Minden, NV 89423. (ISSN 2639-4154 print and ISSN 2639-4170 digital.)

The cover and contents of CHATEAUX & CASTLES QUARTERLY are fully protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission. All rights reserved in all countries. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: For the United States, $29.99 per year, 4 issues; add $10 for postage in Canada; add $20 elsewhere. Single issues $9.99, available at select newsstands and bookstores. Periodicals postage paid at Carson City, Nevada and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Colette Publications, P.O. Box 2775, Minden, NV 89423. NOTE: CHATEAUX & CASTLES QUARTERLY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts; submissions cannot be returned without a self-addressed stamped envelope.

LETTER from

Volume 1 • Issue 3

THE

Editor

SPRING FEVER

T

hough I'm a lover of all four seasons, I think most of us can unanimously agree how spring can make us feel renewed. As the first buds develop on delicate branches, the birds begin chirping a rhythmatic tune, and those first blossoms of spring finally emerge, a current zips through my soul and I get a burning desire in my heart to travel the moment the sun starts to grace us with longer and warmer days. It leaves some of us wanting to explore lands (new or old), to learn history, visit museums, taste regional foods, and roam miles of beautiful landscapes whether by automobile, boat or plane. The warmer days ignite a passion to discover new things while restoring my spirit after a long winter, all the while providing clarity for the months ahead. Do you ever feel the same?

With this issue we are making our debut into the United Kingdom! We are excited for this opportunity to join our friends across the pond and humbly hope it is well received. We are also excited to announce that our digital edition will be available very soon! This includes all back issues. We will still offer our print edition, since we are old souls at heart and believe in a tangible glossy magazine. But we are excited to expand our reach with a wider readership, to give inquiring minds a glimpse of historical and charming travel and to preserve the knowledge of our past with a greater population.

In this issue, we focus on the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France. After having been to all three places a few times in the spring, I simply had to show a little more of a personal side in this issue: a trip to the Keukenhof Gardens, the charming medieval village of Beynac-et-Cazenac, the luxurious Ashford Castle in Ireland, and more of beautiful England.

If you are enjoying the first year of our magazine thus far, write to us, let us know what you enjoy or what you would like to see more of. Thank you for embarking on this adventure with us! You may notice we have omitted the subscription cards in this issue. For faster subscription service, please subscribe online, or return the subscription slip on page 28. As an independent niche publisher who has thrown caution to the wind and taken the leap to produce a print magazine in these times, we genuinely appreciate all of our readers and supporters!

Sincerely,

Nicolette Johnston Instagram: @colettepublications

@chateauxcastlesquarterly @bedandbreakfastmagazine

Chateaux & Castles

5

William Holman Hunt

E

nglish painter, William Holman Hunt, one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was born in Cheapside, London, England in 1827. He lived until 1910, where he died at age 83 in Kensington, London, England. He was known for his vivid use of colors, attention to detail, and elaborate symbolism.

Top Left: Self-portrait of william holman hunt. top right: Portrait of his first wife, fanny holman hunt (1866-67). Bottom: "The Birthday" - portrait of his second wife, edith holman hunt (1868).

His self-portrait above was painted in 1867. It is displayed at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy.

One of Hunt's most notable paintings is Our English Coast (Strayed Sheep), painted in 1852. The oil-on-canvas painting depicts a flock of sheep on the cliffs of Fairlight Glen, beside Covehurst Bay and near Hastings, on the coast of Sussex. It is on display at the Tate Gallery, where it has been since 1946. It was first named Our English Coasts, but the frame read, The Lost Sheep at the Royal Academy summer exhibition in 1853. It was then renamed Strayed Sheep when it was on exhibit at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855.

His other suggestive works draw viewers in to wonder about their underlying story. Many depicted flirtacious behavior, although he also painted a variety of religious paintings.

The Scapegoat (1854-1856) is a scene portrayed from the Book of Leviticus, where on the day of atonement, a goat's horns would be wrapped in a red cloth, representing the sins of the community being driven off. He began painting it on the shore of the Dead Sea and finished it in his studio in London. There are two versions of the 6

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

art history

Top left: The Awakening conscience (1853). Top right: Our English Coast (stray sheep), 1852. bottom left: Isabella and the pot of basil. bottom right: the hireling shepherd (1851).

painting, a smaller and brighter version with a dark-haired goat and a rainbow, in the Manchester Art Gallery. The second is larger with more muted tones with a lighter-haired goat in the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight in England. The smaller version is said to be preliminary to the second lighter-haired version.

The Awakening Conscience (1853) is a young woman rising out of the lap of a man with her gaze fixed out of the window. At first glance, it appears to be a brief disagreement between husband and wife, but the symbols within the painting depict it is of a man and his mistress. Little clues are the absence of a wedding ring, a hat and glove thrown on the table in a hurry, unscuffed carpet and all new pristinely polished furniture (as a room recently furnished for a mistress would be), and further symbols of her "kept" status. For example, the cat under the table has caught a bird such as the man has caught the woman. The clock is concealed under the glass like a trapped beautiful possession, and Edward Lear's musical arrangement of Tennyson's poem "Tears, Idles Tears" lies discarded on the floor. The room Chateaux & Castles

7

is considered to be too cluttered to be that of a Victorian home for a family. The sheet of music on top of the piano is Thomas Moore's, "Oft in the Stilly Night", which contain verses of missed opportunities and sad memories of a happier past. Scripted on the frame is the quote, "As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, so is he that singeth songs to an (sic) heavy heart." The song is said to awaken her moral conscious, and represent how God can come to us at unexpected moments.

Hunt plays one figure against the other. The woman's moral conscious awakens and she tries to stand up against the man who is her source of corruption and moral fall.

As he reclines, she tries to free herself from his hold. Hunt demonstrates that the very person who is source of one's sinfulness can also be the same person who provides the inspiration for self-redemption.

The Hireling Shepherd (1851) is a beautifully detailed painting of a shepherd neglecting his flock to flirt with an attractive country girl by draping his arm around her shoulder to show her a death's-head hawkmoth (a large moth found primarily in Europe or Asia which has human skull-shaped pattern of markings on its thorax).

Isabella and the Pot of Basil (1868) depicts a scene from John Keat's poem 'Isabella, or the Pot of Basil' (1818) where Isabella caresses a basil pot in which she buried the severed head of her murdered lover Lorenzo. The painting portrays Isabella unable to sleep, rising out of bed in her semi-sheer nightgown and draping herself over the alter she created for Lorenzo.

Hunt originally drew up a different picture of Lorenzo as a clerk at work while Isabella's brothers where surrounding him studying their accounts and ordering around their employees. However, Hunt had been traveling around Italy with his pregnant wife, Fanny, who died shortly after giving birth from a fever in December 1866. He then used Fanny's facial features for Isabella. He completed the painting in 1868 after returning to England and working on it steadily for many months.

8

Chateaux & Castles

Top: The Scapegoat (1854-1856) preliminary version. Bottom: The Scapegoat (1854-1856) secondary version.

The paintings in this feature are courtesy of Wikipedia Commons for the public domain and education in its country of origin, and other countries, and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70-100 years.

Next issue we're going to Chateau Country in Loire Valley, France.

Subscribe today so you don't miss an issue!

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

presenting...

Bed & Breakfast M ag a z i n E

A magazine dedicated to Bed & Breakfasts and Inns... for those who enjoy charming travel with a personal touch.

We feature beautiful inns, recipes, gardens, tea time, wine, and more.

SUBSCRIBE AT

www.bedbreakfastmagazine.com

Exploring

Bath, England

Photography: nicolette johnston & VisitBritian/ Stephen Spraggon/ Joanna Henderson

History & Culture

Volume 1 • Issue 3

A

side from touring the Roman Baths, the town of Bath in southwest England offers much to do, whether you enjoy history, museums, fashion, shopping, relaxing at spas, or trying regional food.

The Victorian Art Gallery offers collections of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts for aficionados. The Fashion Museum in Bath features 160 figures dressed in historical Georgian gowns to cutting-edge modern fashion from top designers. The Jane Austen Center features exhibits and costumed characters, which tell a tale of Austen's time while she lived in Bath from 1801-1806 and the impact it had on her work.

Don't forget to climb the 212 steps up the Bath Abbey Tower to view the city and the surrounding countryside from behind the clock face. After a long day, visitors can enjoy a dip in a natural hot spring at Thermae Bath Spa.

ŠVisitBritian/ Stephen Spraggon

Chateaux & Castles

11

Eating a bun at Sally Lunn's is a must-do. Not only is Sally Lunn's located in the oldest house in Bath, which dates back to 1492, but it was also home to Solange Luyon. The French baker who is said to have escaped persecution in France and moved to Bath in 1680, where she got a job in a bakery. She changed her name to the easier pronunciation of Sally Lunn, and shared her skill of baking a rich, large bun similar to brioche, which she presumably learned from French festivals before running away from France. Her bun at the bakery in Bath grew rapidly popular with customers, which has since been enjoyed with sweet and savory condiments.

above: Bath Abbey door. sophie Ryder's hare sculptures were previously displayed in bath, england. Š nicolette johnston

12

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Photo Above & opposite page ŠVisitBritian/ Joanna Henderson

Quantock Hills, England

a range of hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, have areas of varied wildlife habitat and landscape. the Quantock Hills were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The hilltops contain gorse and heather, while the western side of the Quantocks are steep slopes of pasture, woods and parkland. There are extensive oak woods with bogs filled with small flowers. The areas with limited drainage are covered with heather, purple moor grass, bilberry and wavy hair grass.

14

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

©VisitBritian/ Stephen Spraggon

Chateaux & Castles

15

STORYBOOK VILLAGE Welford-on-Avon, England WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY: NICOLETTE JOHNSTON

L

ocated just six kilometers from the notoriously known town of Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakepeare's wife Anne Hathaway's cottage is visited by thousands of tourists each year, is the quaint village of Welford-on-Avon. With around 1,800 inhabitants, situated in the county of Warwickshire, England; Welford sits within a bend on the Avon on the south bank of the river.

16

The village maypole is one of the tallest in England at 65 feet. It used to be wooden but was replaced by an aluminium pole after a lightning strike. The red Victorian wall box is a historical treasure. There are three pubs and many Tudor Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

half-timbered and thatched cottages, mostly close to the village church, which is in the oldest part of Welford. The church stands on the north side of a road, running west from the north end of the village street, which ends at the river by the mill.

At the south entrance to the churchyard is a rectangular lich-gate of skeleton framework on low stone walls. It has two bays and oak posts with foiled braces below the tie-beams and eaves-plates of the gabled roof, which is tiled.

Historians believe it is from the 15th-century.

At the northern edge of the parish where the Binton Bridges carry the road across the Avon is an island which is referred to early in the 13th-century as lying between the mill of Binton and the mill of Welford. In 1291, there were two mills which were attached to a nearby manor in 1609.

Bluebells in England are a treasure to find between mid-april to late may on the woodland floor just before the leaves of the trees fill in the woodland canopy covering the ground with shade. millions of bulbs can grow closely together to create their iconic display of periwinkle-colored fields.

Wall boxes are a type of post box or letter box found in many countries in the United Kingdom, France, the Commonwealth of Nations, Crown dependencies and Ireland.

The wall boxes in the UK were usually made with the initials of the reigning monarch at the time the box was made. The first UK boxes were installed in 1857. The Eagle Range & Foundry boxes of the mid-1880s were made with smooth recessed collection plates with a small VR ciphor and crown in honor of Queen Victoria (shown above and on previous page).

The contract later passed to W.T. Allen in 1886. There were about 70 created with an odd shape of 13 inches wide and 10 inches deep, when it should have been 10 inches wide and 13 inches deep, before the corrections were quickly made.

18

Chateaux & Castles www.chateauxmag.com

"Hidden deep in a valley, along the banks of the river Aveyron, Belcastel is a breathtakingly beautiful village. It’s not until your final approach, descending through the dense surrounding forests, that its full glory comes into sight."

"Welford sits within a bend on the Avon on the south bank of the river.."

Until 1931, Welford-on-Avon was in Gloucestershire (as part of the Rural District of Marston Sicca), when it was transferred to Stratford-on-Avon Rural District. Since 1974, it has been part of the District of Stratford-on-Avon.

Chateaux & Castles

19

LANHYDROCK CASTLE

20

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

CORNWALL, ENGLAND

T

he Lanhydrock Castle first belonged to the Augustinian priory of St. Petroc at Bodmin, which was at one time one of the wealthiest Cornish foundations. But after the Dissolution of Monasteries in the 1530s, it passed to private hands. In 1620, Sir Richard Robartes acquired the estate and began to build Lanhydrock House. Though he died four years later, his son John Robartes continue with the build. Embattled walls were built from large granite blocks.

In 1881, a fire destroyed the south wing and caused extensive damage to the central section, leaving the house in the U-shape as it still is today. The fire started in the kitchen and heavy winds fanned the flames along the south wing. Thomas James Agar-Robartes and his wife Juliana made the mansion more of a welcoming home, but the fire destroyed their efforts. Juliana was rescued from an upstairs room, but died a week later at the age of 69, more than likely from smoke inhalation and shock.

Her husband never fully recovered from her death and his health rapidly declined as well. He too died within a year.

Their son, Thomas Charles, and his wife Mary restored the property and redecorated the Jacobean building with a Victorian fashion. The house boasted with rich colors and fabrics, and stateof-the-art kitchen appliances for the era. With fire prevention as a top priority, the walls were reconstructed in thick concrete, with fire houses positioned all around the house. They raised their nine children in Lanhydrock.

Today, visitors can see the 'glorious plasterwork, World War I artifacts, the servants' quarters, extensive kitchen area, the display of the Lanhydrock Atlas in the museum, and the library which features a book that once belonged to Henry VIII, in which he used to research how to annual a marriage.

Lanhydrock Castle has been owned and managed by the National Trust since 1953.

© Wikipedia KHD86

© Wikipedia / Olaf Tausch

Chateaux & Castles

21

Ashford Castle

Written by: fred w. wright jr. & Nicolette Johnston photography: courtesy of Ashford Castle

D

riving up to Ashford Castle, whether for the first time or the 50th, is like entering a child’s fairy tale. The massive stone structure sits where it has been since the 13th-century, like an oasis in the midst of Ireland’s verdant west coast countryside.

It's no wonder so many Westerners come here to play golf or just to be pampered with top-ranking, five-star amenities and staff.

Ashford Castle was built in 1228 as a monastery by the de Burgo family. In 1855, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness (of the Guinness brewing dynasty) bought the estate as a country home. It was converted into a hotel in 1939. It sits on 350 acres of County Mayo, on the shores of Lough (Lake) Corrib and River Cong.

With a lush landscape and 800-year-old stone, Ashford Castle offers 21st-century touches for its guests to enjoy, thanks to a two-year and $75-million renovation by current owners, Red Carnation Hotels, all done with reverence to the castle’s legacy.

New amenities include a 32-seat cinema, billiard room, cigar terrace, luxury lakeside Hideaway Cottage, children’s game room and boutique wine cellar for private dining.

Each of the castle’s 82 guest rooms, suites and public areas have been decorated or redesigned with antiques, original artworks, fabrics and bespoke carpets, all complemented with modern technology.

Ashford Castle offers four dining rooms with choices ranging from fine dining in the grandeur of

22

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

mayo, ireland

the George V Dining Room to a requisite Afternoon Tea in the elegant Connaught Room. After all, this is a land of traditions.

In addition to traditional country sports such as hunting, fishing or horseback riding, visitors are lured by the castle’s 9-hole, 35 par golf course and easy access to nearly a half-dozen other courses nearby.

And if you are looking for something to do between rounds of golf, here’s a popular suggestion: go fly a bird!

Falconry – the art of hunting with birds of prey – is a major sport taught here. A three-day package is available for guests who want to learn about the Harris’ hawks that are native to this part of Ireland.The hawks soar up hundreds of feet, circle, then dive to a gloved hand holding a nibble of meat.

The Falconry Experience, produced by the School of Falconry, the first established in Ireland, includes a photo of guest-withhawk and an afternoon massage at the castle’s spa to unwind after a heavy day of hawk-flying.

Chateaux & Castles

23

Missing the family pets back home? Guests can join staff to walk the Ashford Castle’s two resident Irish Wolfhounds (the tallest breed of dog in the world) on early morning "walkies" around the estate.

Later, the wolfhounds come into the castle for an hour in the morning where guests can meet them, pet them and pose for photographs with a wolfhound.

Ashford Castle isn’t geared just to activity-seeking adults. There are a number of original amenities designed to please any kid, from homebaked cookies with the child’s name on it to personalized bedtime story books where the children discover that they are the main characters in the plot.

If you're looking to really spoil your children, ask for the LEGO butler service--LEGOs delivered to your room on a silver tray.

Volume 1 • Issue 3

Ashford Midleton Whiskey In early 2018, Ashford Castle, Midleton Rare Whiskey, and Waterford Crystal all three partnered up to launch a bespoke cask specifically for Ashford Castle to create the perfect blend, along with crystal whiskey tumblers and a carafe with the Ashford logo.

Midleton Distillery has the largest inventory of maturing Irish whisky in the world. Brian Nation, the master distiller, hand selects the finest whiskeys for the Midleton Very Rare collection. Cask #70345 is an American virgin oak barrel filled with a medium style pot still. The barrel has never held bourbon, thus making the oak richer and more profound. With a classic spicy character to the style of pot still distillate, the rich oak element offers a good balance.

Waterford Crystal was first established in 1783 in the heart of the Irish harbor town of Waterford. With the ups and downs of the economy and other world events, it has thus not only survived but proved to produce some of the world's finest crystal.

Dine, Unwind, &

Be Treated Like Royalty

www.ashfordcastle.com

Chateaux & Castles

27

Double YOUR SAVINGS! Order online for quickest service at www.colettepublications.com

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

TO SAVE ON THE NEWSSTAND PRICE! 1 YEAR

$29.99

Get BOTH magazines for

$44.95

Please fill out the form below and mail to : Colette Publications, P.O. Box 2775, Minden, NV 89423

YES Please subscribe me!

1 Year Chateaux & Castles Quarterly $29.99 (4 issues)

2 Years Chateaux & Castles Quarterly $44.95 (8 issues)

OR

Please sign me up for a 1 year subscription to: Chateaux & Castles and Bed & Breakfast for $44.95!

(That’s 8 issues for a $34.97 savings off the cover price!)

Payment Method __Check enclosed __Credit Card __Money Order Payment by Credit Card __Visa __MC __AMEX __Discover Name on Credit Card _____________________________________________________________________________________ Credit Card Number _____________________________________ Expiration Date _______________ Security Code ______ Subscriber Name _________________________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone_______________________________________ Email ____________________________________________________ Signature__________________________________________________________________ Date _______________________

Please make checks payable to: COLETTE PUBLICATIONS Or log on to www.colettepublications.com/store and use promo code BBMCCQ4495 to get both magazines at the discounted rate.

Allow 3-6 weeks for delivery of first issue. Please add $3 shipping in the U.S. (per year), $10 for Canada (per year), all other countries add $20 (per year).

don’t miss our next issue - June 2019 subscribe today!

subscribe at

www.chateauxmag.com

The Medieval Village & Castle of

L

isted as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France, Beynac-et-Cazenac is a town tourists are drawn to because of its charm. I undoubtedly was the same. In the early months of 2011, I blogged about a vacation rental on Vacation Rentals by Owner in this charming town a few months before I ever knew I would be there to visit.

A few weeks later I was contacted by HomeAway Vacation Rentals to apply for the Blog Away Contest to be in London during the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I won the contest and shared my experience on my personal blog, Simply Colette, and later in my first novel, Running Away to Europe.

After I won the contest, I extended my stay in Europe, with a month long in France. It was only fitting that I 30

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Beynac, France

Written & photographed by: nicolette johnston

Volume 1 • Issue 3

royal reign

Chateaux & Castles

31

Chateau de Beynac

visit the very romantic village that I showcased on my blog months prior.

On a beautiful warm sunny day in May, I was in awe to be visiting the medieval village of Beynac-et-Cazenac, eating lunch at La Tavern des Remparts, and touring a castle that was centuries older than the country I came from.

My appreciation for history deepened to a whole other level that day. To stand on top of the fortress gazing upon the Dordogne Valley below and think of what life would have been like back in the 12th-century when the chateau was originally built. Â Beynac is first mentioned historically in 1115. Although the castle has never been completely taken over, it was temporarily occupied by Richard "the Lion Heart" in the 12th-century. It was recovered back by the Beynac family in 1215, where it remained property of the lords of Beynac until 1962. However, in 1761, Marie-Claude the last heiress of the lords and barons of Beynac married marquis Christophe de Beaumont, and when she died in 1811 the eight years of direct Beynac lineage died as well. The family de Beaumont du Repaire added "Beynac" to its name thereby taking the title, marquis de Beaumont-Beynac as a courtesy. In 1961, it was sold by a descendent. Since then, it has been undergoing a 100-year long renovation under direction of the new owners.

The communes of Beynac and Cazenac merged under the current name, Beynac-et-Cazenac in 1827. It is located ten minutes from Sarlat. The castle is open every day of the year to visitors.

32

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

www.chateau-beynac.com

34

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Chateaux & Castles

35

Going DUTCH

In our last issue you guessed...

Going Dutch 36

Chateaux & Castles

Volume 1 • Issue 3

10

things to do around amsterdam

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Visit the Heineken Brewery Visit the Anne Frank Museum Tour the Van Gogh Museum Walk through the Diamond Museum Eat pancakes Take a canal cruise Grab a sweet Stroopwafel Visit a traditional cheese farm and clog workshop 9. Tour nearby windmills 10. Go to Keukenhof Gardens & Castle

If you guessed Amsterdam in the previous issue of "Where am I?" -- you were correct!

Photo above: Holland Media Bank. All Other Photos: Nicolette Johnston

Chateaux & Castles

37

royal reign

Keukenhof

T

Lisse - Holland

Gardens

his spring, Keukenhof in Lisse, Holland will be celebrating its 70th year. Over seven million bulbs will span across 32 hectares and include 800 varieties of bulbs. The theme this year is Flower Power, to celebrate ‘the strength of flowers’.

Since the first year Keukenhof opened in 1949, it has welcomed over 200,000 visitors each spring, including members of Dutch and English royalty. Keukenhof continues to welcome primarily international visitors.

Even in its first year, 70% of visitors were from abroad. It was first financed by the mayor of Lisse at the time, W.H.J.M. Lambooy. A group of prominent bulb cultivators and exporters arranged an open-air exhibition to display the beauty of the Dutch spring flowers.

Each year, the gardens are reorganized and replanted by nearly 100 royal suppliers who bring their very best bulbs to exhibit at the park. Horticulturists work at Keukenhof planting bulbs in areas reserved by exhibitors.

At the end of the season, they dig up the bulbs and the cycle of planting, flowering, and digging up begins all over again.

Keukenhof resides on what was once a stretch of unspoiled nature owned by Jacoba van Beiern in the 15thcentury. Aside from the nearby hunting grounds, the area was also used to gather fruits, vegetables and herbs; written which is where the name Keukenhof derived from,& as it translates to ‘kitchen garden’. photographed by:

Nicolette Johnston Countess Jacoba van Beieren (Jacqueline of Bavaria) gathered her food for the keukenduin 'kitchen dunes' of Teylingen Castle (on page 52). She lived from 1401-1436. In her short life, she married four times and spent numerous years in prison. She waged a war for a great part of her life, and even fought against one of her former husbands. In 1433, she had to renounce all her counties. She retired and died of tuberculosis in Castle Teylingen, not far from Keukenhof. Today, guests at Keukenhof are still greeted by a dressed up ‘Jacoba van Beieren’ during opening times.

In the 17th century, the wealthy spent large sums of money on tulip bulbs, and the middle class saw the opportunity to profit. Many people sold their businesses or family jewels to sell tulip bulbs. Traders could earn up to 25-30 thousand euros a month selling bulbs. But in 1637, the market collapsed leaving thousands of people ruined in a very short time frame.

Keukenhof Castle was built in 1641, and the surrounding area grew to encompass 200 hectares. In 1857, landscape architect Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher, redesigned the castle gardens. With an original English style landscape, those gardens now make up the basis of Keukenhof.

The Historical Garden is notably the warmest spot on the property where various historical spring bulbs and tuberous plants are displayed, including old tulip varieties from the Hortus Bulborum and 17th-century daffodils (species that were cultivated for hundred of years and are now nearly impossible to buy).

The mill at Keukenhof was built in 1892 in the province of Groningen. In 1957, it was bought by “Holland American Line” and gifted to Keukenhof.

Visitors can enjoy a leisurely ride on a Whisper Boat Ride, an electrically-propelled boat that floats through the vibrant Dutch tulip field in virtual silence. Bicycles are also available so visitors may take a ride through the surrounding areas. The farm is family friendly and children can have fun in a maze, playing on a playground, frollicking in an animal paddock, and going on a treasure hunt.

Each year, the Flower Parade covers a span of 40 kilometers from Noordwijk to Haarlem and passes by Keukenhof. It is notably one of the largest flower parades in the world.

The indoor exhibits are also not to be missed. There are over 20 flower shows held indoors during the course of the eight weeks that Keukenhof is open each spring. Flower shows include: orchids, lilies, chrysanthemums and much more. Hundreds of exhibitors bring their finest bulbs each year to be judged and to take their shot at winning the prestigious Keukenhof Award.

Celebrating

70

Years of Beautiful Blooms

This year the Keukenhof Gardens are open from March 21 – May 19, 2019.

Chateaux & Castles

39

40

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Photos this page and opposite page: Š Holland Media Bank.

Chateaux & Castles

41

A Colorful Morning Written & Photographed by: Nicolette Johnston

T

he year was 2009, and I was yearning for travel just a few years out of college before settling down. It was a true bucket list item and the reason I choose to travel to Europe in spring, to live to see the beautiful tulips in bloom at Keukenhof Gardens just outside of Amsterdam.

That one beautiful dewy spring morning was all it took for a passion of floral photography to bloom. Of course, our tour group arrived bright and early at the gardens, and as we filed out of our tour bus that morning I was glad we did because the photos that developed from that day became my personal trademark.

As any photographer can appreciate, it was about capturing the perfect lighting for that perfect photo. But now a decade later, looking back the appreciation for these flawless blooms runs much deeper.

A few years ago, our family purchased an acre in Nevada, and with gumption and ambition, we ordered 350 bulbs to test how tulips would do in our climate, in hopes that maybe we could have a mini tulip farm. While we live in a valley, we are not far from Lake Tahoe and although the cold winters ultimately help the tulips bloom, the snow or frost may show up again as late as the beginning of June, or the ground will freeze and can ruin our chances of enjoying our garden at its fullest potential.

42

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

"No matter how cold the winter, that bud is ready to make its come back in spring and show us that life goes on."

Although, tulips originated in Turkey, they were imported into Holland in the late 16th century. The French word 'tulipe' derived from the Turkish word for 'turban', referring to the shape of the flower.

One thing we have going for us in Nevada, is our topography and climate can resemble Turkey with the fertile valleys and rugged mountains. However, year after year, varying weather and other environmental issues pose problems for growing successfully consistently in our locale. We considered applying for a grant from the Department of Agriculture to study how tulips would do in Nevada, and I began a journal to track what we did in the fall, when we planted, what the weather was like, what kind of winter we had, what day the shoots came up, how many days until they bloomed, how long the stem was, what the temperature was, and watched as they lost their vibrant color (sometimes the next day if it dropped too low). The first spring we had an entire section that never bloomed. I couldn't quite figure out what happened.

The following year, we discovered rabbits love bulbs more than the carrot garden in the next bed over. We went from 350 bulbs to zero, but at least the rabbits were happy.

Chateaux & Castles

43

However it may be, travel has been a major influencer in my life, and that very day in Keukenhof has led to many fruitful experiences as a result. Without knowing it at the time, it charted the course setting up many things for my future, even though unaware that morning I hopped off the tour bus.

The same day I took those photos in 2009, a single woman in my tour group who was a few years older than myself said something that shook me to my core. "It seems like you travel when things are going wrong, not when things are going right," she said. This stranger saw right through me, and in that moment, I felt like she knew me way better than my partner at the time. She was right.

Though I may have used travel as a way of escape, it has also been a way to push myself through challenges to overcome and strive for growth. We all take vacations for different reasons, whether it be a simple getaway, a family vacation, or a long-awaited anniversary trip we've been planning for decades. Whatever the reason may be, it leaves an impression on our hearts. It educates us on our beautiful world around us. May it grant you the ability to rebloom in a revitalized fashion. Because no matter how cold the winter, that bud is ready to make its come back in spring and show us that life goes on. There is always the chance to start over again.

After many years of attempting a garden, I question whether my thumb resembles anything but the color green, or if the environment is simply working against me. But I have come to appreciate what it takes to create a flawless bloom.

It is an art to begin with planting a stumpy bulb in autumn, then to have faith and throw it in the ground before the cold winters. Pray the critters don't eat them, and then witness a vibrant green shoot erect out of the damp earth in the early days of spring when there is still a chill in the air. But when those vibrant turban-shaped flowers bloom before us, a fleeting gift of beauty promises warmer weather and brighter days are just on the horizon.

44 Chateaux & Castles www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

exquisite gardens

Chateaux & Castles

45

Volume 1 • Issue 3

"The French word 'tulipe' derived from the Turkish word for 'turban', referring to the shape of the flower."

Lulabelle

Gifts & Gallery GIFTS FROM THE GALLERY

Photo Pillow 14x14 $54.00 18x18 $66.00

Tote Bags $28.00

Framed Prints Starting at $60

Canvas Wrap, Acrylic Print, Metal Prints & Art Posters

www.lulabellegift.com

Keukenhof

Volume 1 • Issue 3

lisse, holland

castle

Keukenhof Castle was built in 1641 by Adriaen Maertensz Block, an administrator for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The beautiful estate is also home to the world-reknowned Keukenhof Gardens. Although, the estate was built in the 17th-century, it was remodeled in 1860 by Elie Saraber, where it then gained its Neo-Gothic appearance.

Prominent collections of art and furniture are home to the castle, including paintings by 17th-century painter Nicolaes Maea, a pupil of Rembrandt, as well as a collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.

Photos courtesy of: holland Media Bank

The interior of the castle is beautifully preserved. Furniture from different style periods are showcased throughout the various salons. It has been kept up fashionably since the late 1800s, where it has since stayed in the family through the female line.

Chateaux & Castles

49

Teylingen CASTLE

T

eylingen Castle was originally inhabited by the lords of Teylingen in 1143. Their duty was to serve to protect the Rijndijk and the road to Haarlem. In 1282, the male lineage died and thus the castle began to decay.

It later functioned as a hunting lodge and forestry of Dutch graves.

A lone man was given the title of forester with the responsibility for management. The most famous forester thereafter was Jacoba van Beieren in 1433. Though coming from the highest noble circles, she lost her deity with an unwelcome marriage to one of her four husbands, Frank van Borsele.

The castle fell prey to the Spainards in 1572, during the siege of Haarlem and Leiden. In 1888, the neglected castle transferred to the empire, and the management for the monument was aimed at preservation; but only since 1933 have steps been taken to prevent further decay by constructive measures. Since June 2013, the ruins have been managed by Stichting Beheer Kasteel Teylingen.

The ruin of Teylingen Castle is a round water castle, which only had an original ring wall. A 'donjon' (the inner tower) was later added in the 13th-century. Apart from the present castle, there was an expansive front castle, which was surrounded by a moat at the time. Today, the existing castle is still on an island surrounded by a canal.

52

Chateaux & Castles

Volume 1 • Issue 3

lisse, holland

© iStock Photo: Hedepo

Chateaux & Castles

53

PerfectlyManicured

Les Jardins de Marqueyssac in VĂŠzac, France Written & Photography by: Nicolette Johnston

A

s the most visited garden (jardin) in the Perigord region, and one of the most beautiful and romantic gardens in all of France, Marqueyssac contains 54 acres in its park and offers six kilometers (3.72 miles) of shaded paths to stroll through. Visitors can enjoy a maze of 150,000 hand-pruned boxwoods, as well as the resident peacocks roaming about this national historical monument.

Sitting high upon the hilltop 130 hectares above the Dordogne river, is a belvedere which provides panoramic views of the valley below and the surrounding villages of Domme, Castelnaud, Beynac, Fayrac, La-Roque-Gagaec as well as neighboring castles. (For more information and to view our photographic spreads of Castlenaud and La-Roque-Gageac, check out our previous issue of Chateaux & Castles Quarterly, available at www.chateauxmag.com.)

Visitors should allow at least an hour and a half to wander the peaceful and beautiful nature walk, although a guided tour will give visitors an in-depth background on the property’s history, the varying sequences of the architectural settings, and the opportunity to learn about the upkeep of the boxwoods and restoration process which began in 1996.

54

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Chateaux & Castles

55

The gardens are open every day of the year, but vary depending on the season. This year in 2019, the restaurant and tea room are open from April 1 to November 11. Visitors can pack a picnic lunch and eat outside in designated areas. Dogs may accompany their owners on the paths, with a leash. Candlelit nights in the garden can be enjoyed every Thursday evening from 7:00pm until midnight during the summer.

There are over 150,000 handpruned boxwoods at Les Jardins des Marqueyssac.

The 17th-century chateau located at Vizac was built by Bertrand Vernet de Marqueyssac, Counselor to Louis XIV. Between 1830 and 1840, a chapel and grand alley measuring one hundred meters long for horseback rides was erected by Julien Bessieres.

Julien de Cervel, the new owner, began to plant thousands of boxwood trees in the 1860s. Linden, cypress, and stone pine trees from Italy were added to the gardens. Cervel also introduced cyclamen from Naples. He contributed rustic structures, redesigned the parterres, and intricately designed the miles of walking paths.

56

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Chateaux & Castles

57

Dordogne is a department in Southwestern France located in the NouvelleAquitaine region.

It is named after the Dordogne river which runs through it.

Perfectly manicured paths high above offer panaromic views of the Dordogne Valley below...

60

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Volume 1 • Issue 3

Chateaux & Castles

61

Stroll through the gardens and enjoy sweeping views of surrounding farms and castles... www.marqueyssac.com

a finer taste

mr. fogg's

House of Botanicals

In London there is a special place not to be missed... whether it's a cocktail, brunch, Sunday roast, high tea or lite meal you seek, there is a true art form in every presentation that is distinctive and romantically beautiful with old world charm, class and a slight touch of quirk at any of Mr. Fogg's locations in London. However, the House of Botanicals is filled with flora and fauna from around the world. As a cocktail bar for the eclectic, they serve unique cocktails and small bites inspired by exotic botanicals and plant life. Masterclasses are also available on their calendar for the curious minded.

64

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

Photography Courtesy of: visit Britain/ Johnny Stephens & Mr. Fogg's House of Botanicals.

Experience a botanical-inspired Tipsy Blooming Tea, offered on Saturday afternoons.

Chateaux & Castles

65

Volume 1 • Issue 3

Where am I?

Built in 1908, this has 39 rooms...

Victorian Castle,

Built for an entrepreneur in the industrial age, this castle belonged to a man of Scottish descent who made his fortune from coal. This Victorian was later used as a military hospital and music conservatory. It was recently closed for a week in February for a film production.

Submit your guess to editorial@colettepublications.com or enter on our social media pages. Correct answers will be submitted in a drawing to win a free one-year subscription! We will share the answer in our next issue.

The answer to last issue's "Where am I?" is: Amsterdam! See our feature beginning on page 36.

66

Chateaux & Castles

www.chateauxmag.com

coming this summer...

Loire Valley

SUBSCRIBE TO BOTH MAGAZINES! For the fastest way to subscribe visit

www.colettepublications.com

CHATEAUX & CASTLES Quarterly

SUBSCRIBE AT

WWW.CHATEAUXMAG.COM