Tea at Trianon: French Road Trip

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, April 29, 2018

French Road Trip

From Architectural Digest:

France offers myriad pleasures for travelers, and a road trip is the perfect way to see them. The country has a long history of helping travelers find the best places to eat and sleep, thanks in part to the Michelin Guide, started by the tire company as a way to encourage drivers to venture off the beaten path in search of excellent meals. Likewise, the Relais & Châteaux association was founded in 1954 to help travelers find independently run hotels that uphold a standard of excellence. It all started with just eight properties making up a “route du bonheur,” and though Relais & Châteaux now has more than 550 members around the world, you’ll still find the richest selection in France, where it all began. Here’s how to create your own route du bonheur, starting and ending in Paris and looping through three of France’s most picturesque wine regions. (Read more.)