Category Archives: Architecture

Architecture, Croatia, Sightseeing, Slovenia

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 7: Ljubljana in Slovenia

January 24, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

In part 6 of my Croatian itinerary, published way back in June last year, I recounted out stay in the Istria Peninsula. The next day we left Croatia for Slovenia. We stopped at the little mediaeval town of Vodnjan (Dignano) with its somewhat dilapidated Venitian Gothic Renaissance buildings to write our last postcards.

We then worked our way up the coast, skirting round Trieste where we had intended to have lunch, but the traffic was so bad that we headed for Slovenia instead.

Inside the Proteus Restaurant in Postojnska

Our first stop was the town of Postojnska where we had a very cheap three-course meal for ten euro at the Proteus. Inside the restaurant, the people were sitting around tables surrounded by strip curtains. They obviously like their privacy! After Istria, everything seemed very neat and clean.

Our arrival at Ljubljana at 5 pm was a little traumatic even though the town seemed very pretty. There was nowhere to park near our hotel so we lugged our bags in the rain to Hotel Emonce. It turned out I had made a mistake with the booking and they were not expecting us until the next week! Relationnel, who had been driving all day, was not impressed.

We went to the tourist office where they found us a much classier hotel called the Central Union which was offering a cheap mid-week rate and had underground parking. We dropped our luggage and went in search of an apéritif. We sat down gratefully to a glass of lovely cold Slovenian wine at the Divine along the Ljubjanica River just near the Triple Bridge.

I immediately took to Ljubljana, the only large city in Slovenia with a population of about 270,000 people. I found it clean and friendly. I liked the people, the architecture and the atmosphere. There are five different sorts of recycling bins that are emptied into the ground below, electric cars, city cycles and lots of bike paths.

It was a little difficult to choose somewhere to eat, but I always find that’s the way when you go to a new country. It takes a while to know how everything works. We settled for al fresco eating at the Abecedarium where we had lamb cutlets and veal medallions with dumplings. Nothing special but pleasant. Afterwards we wandered round the city a bit before walking back to the hotel.

Next morning after a good sleep despite the sheet system (the same size as the bed!) and an excellent breakfst we visited the market which was rather sparse and went back to the cathedral with its lovely frescoes outside and beautiful baroque interior.

We visited the famous dragon bridge, which has given the city its emblem. We then hiked up to the castle on the hill overlooking the city and got there just as the rain started pelting down. The mediaeval castle is nothing special but the panoramic view from the top is stunning. You can take the funicular if you don’t feel up to walking.

We then went past the strange façade of the university and into the Krizanke Summer Theatre, once the monastery of the Holy Cross and wandered about Congress Square before buying bureks (a filo pastry sknack wiht a savoury filling) at Dvor and having coffee at Solist.

Krizanke Theatre which houses the Summer Festival

After a little nap, we decided to risk the possibilty of rain and go cycling. You can read all about our adventure in another post. It took a somewhat surprising turn!

We didn’t get back to the hotel until 9 pm, but after a quick shower, found a restaurant in Juricidece Trg. called the Okrepceurlnioa where we felt we really deserved our tagliata and Slovenian wine ! The next day, we were off on the next leg of our journey – Innsbruck.

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 1: Paris to Milan (via Annecy)

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 2: Milan

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 3: Ancona

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 4: Split, Mostar & Dubrovnik

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 5: Sibenik, Zadar & Plitvice

My Croatian Itinerary – Part 6: Porec and Pula in Istria

Architecture, Paris

Powerwalking down to Concorde in the snow!

January 21, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

On Friday, Relationnel and I went to the sales to replace some of the clothing that disappeared with our missing suitcase. We left our sports shoes until last and I was a bit reluctant to make the effort. Fortunately, Relationnel overcame my reticence and we went to Au Vieux Campeur. This time, I was eventually helped by a young man who was keen to practise his English and talk about Australia. The shoes I bought are actually much better (and cheaper) than the last ones. Thanks to Aurelia (see comment), I managed to get a receipt for the ones in the suitcase.

So when I woke up on Saturday and saw that the snow was still on the ground, I was able to go power walking for the first time in months. At about 10.30, I headed for the Tuileries where I was certain I’d find a good depth of snow.

Next to the Night Revellers’ Kiosk on Place Colette, greatly improved in my opinion by its layer of snow, the waiter from Le Nemours was sweeping a path across the Place, doing what all retailers and caretakers should do: remove the snow from the pavement to avoid accidents, particularly when the temperature drops and it becomes icy.

Ducks on the first pond in the Tuileries

In the Tuileries, there were no sailing boats on the first pond – just the ducks swimming busily around the unfrozen section.

Neither was there anyone sitting on the green chairs facing the Louvre and piled high with snow.

I checked out the pond next to Café Diane, one of my five favourite lunch venues near the Louvre, but the tables were deserted there too.

In the distance, the Big Wheel was just a haze and the whole scene looked as though it were in black and white!

Closer up, I could see the seagulls on the pond near the Big Wheel with the Orangerie and Place de la Concorde in the distance.

There were still two people kissing further down, though, undeterred by the cold snow.

Thomas Moore's "Reclining Figure" — Henry Moore’s “Reclining Figure”

As I made my way back, Henry Moore’s Reclining figure seemed to be making the most of the snowfall.

Family having a snow fight in the Tuileries Gardens

Further on, a family was having a joyous snowfight, and aimed a snowball at me when they saw me taking photos. But I ducked just in time!

In front of the first pond in the Tuileries

When I reached the last pond, I asked a photographer with his tripod if he wouldn’t mind taking a photo of me with my iPhone. I figured he’d know how to take a good photo first off. And he did! I’m wearing my new headband which is the warmest thing I’ve had in a long time – much more comfortable than a woolly hat and wonderful protection for my ears, not to mention my rabbit-lined leather gloves. It was about 1°C after all.

Africans selling hats and gloves in the Tuileries Gardens

As I walked back to the Triumphal Arch, I saw that the itinerant sellers were spreading their wares – hats and gloves – to the relief of unprepared tourists.

By the time I got back to the Palais Royal, there were people galore!

Architecture, Loire Valley, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

House Hunters: Castle Chapter – The perfect gift for someone who is addicted to social media! – Paris Photo Giveaway

January 15, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

The three posts on my Wednesday’s blogger round-up today were all written by fellow bloggers whom I met up with in Paris this week. Searching for Home is a young blogger who presents some of my favourite châteaux in the Loire in an original and amusing way. Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris has encouraged me to revise my (over)use of the iPhone with comments from her children while offering the perfect gift for a smart phone user! Carina Okula, a most talented Australian photographer and blogger living in Paris is running a photo giveaway that you shouldn’t miss.

House Hunters: Castle Chapter

by Searching for “Home”, a half Swiss, half American citizen of Earth who shares the adventures and musings of an adult TCK* finding a place in the world.

“A man’s home is his castle and fortress, et domus sua cuique tutissimum refugium (and each man’s home is his safest refuge)”

– Sir Edward Coke

Come one, come all, Ladies, Gentlemen, step right up, step right up. Looking for a palace to live out that “happily ever after” fantasy? Look no further. We’ve got the castles you want at the prices you’ll most likely never afford. Read more

The perfect gift for someone who is addicted to social media!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

It’s not always easy being the mother of adult-aged children, especially when they start discussing my foibles like I’m not even in the same room as them. I mean seriously, don’t they know that my hearing is still intact?!

Sara (sighing): Mom keeps tweeting.
Philippe (in an exasperated voice): I already told her that she had to stop tweeting at the table a long time ago.
Sara: Well, she hasn’t tweeted at the table…yet…but she has been tweeting on the metro…and the bus. And she even tweeted in the D’Orsay Museum even though I told her not to.
Me: (attempting to get a word in edge-wise) I was checking me email not tweeting.
Philippe: (completely ignoring my explanation) She would have never let us tweet at the table when we were young. Read more

Paris Photo Giveaway

by Carina Okula, an Australian photographer and rhildren’s craft creator living near Paris. She also has a blog

I’ve decided to have a giveaway, only I’m going to vamp it up somewhat.

Whenever I’ve run a giveaway in the past, I wanted everyone to win but there was only ever one gift waiting to go out. It got me thinking about how I might be able to make it possible to do a giveaway on a larger scale, and then it came to me; I could give away images!

Instead of choosing one person to send a gift to, I’m going to give everyone – yes everyone – an image of Paris, and I’m super excited about it.

Rather than select one person to send a printed photo to, I’ll send everyone a high resolution image that you can use however you wish. You’ll be able to print it out and frame it, or, use it as a screen saver. I don’t even mind if you want to use it on your blog – I just ask that you credit and link back to me if it used online for non-commercial purposes. Read more

Architecture, France

Monday’s Travel Photos – “Wet” Champagne Half-Timbered Churches: interiors

January 13, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

Last week, I posted photos of the outside of eleven half-timbered churches in the area known as “Wet” Champagne. I thought you might like to see what they are like inside. Unfortunately, the last three churches were closed by the time we got there. The recurring feature of course is the timber frame, sometimes unfortunately covered up with a false ceiling. One of the sad things I find about churches in France is that the original decoration and period are rarely respected when additions are made such as altars and stations of the cross. It should be remembered that, for the most part, these are country churches.

Mathaux (taken from a photo outside the church)

Architecture, Loire Valley, Renovation

The Fireplace is Finished – well, almost

January 9, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

We are on our way back to Paris. It’s 10.30 pm and by one o’clock, we should be in bed. Not like last night when Relationnel hit the sack at 4.30 by which time I was asleep, woken from time to time with hammer blows. But today was our last today and it seem inconceivable to leave Closerie Falaiseau without finishing the fireplace.

In yesterday’s post, I was up to the first coat of limewash. When we got up next morning, we were surprised to discover that the pale ochre colour in the bucket had turned almost white on the fireplace. I applied a second coat and a certain amount of homogeneity appeared. It was quite amazing.

Bricks arranged like miniature Roman bath ruins

In the meantime, Relationnel began work on the hearth which – obviously – turned out to be much longer than expected. First, we were using refractory bricks of various shapes and sizes which Mr Previous Owner had recuperated from somewhere or other, thus saving us quite a bit of money. Second, there have to be little air tunnels in the hearth under the top layer of bricks. By the time he had laid it all out (upside down), it looked like miniature Roman bath ruins.

So while that was going on, I started the rendering on the walls. I must say I had been somewhat apprehensive. I’d looked for a video on You Tube on applying “removable” rendering with a roller and there weren’t any. I did watch one on applying ordinary paint with a roller and got a few tips though. First, we mixed in the colour (well, Relationnel did with his neat machine) hoping we wouldn’t need a second batch halfway though because it didn’t look very repeatable. Relationnel then demonstrated how to apply it and it didn’t look easy at all. The paint seemed to fall off the roller before it even got to the wall.

Now, how to get it onto the wall without it falling off first

He told me to begin in the middle of the right wall (which will be hidden behind a large bookcase) until I got the hang of it. One of the things I saw on the video was that you should do the edges with a paint brush first (after putting adhesive tape on the adjacent wall for protection). My efforts didn’t look too bad and the paint got better at staying on the roller once it was totally impregnated.

Fraussie learning the techniques of rendering

That bit was done standing up. Then I had to climb a ladder to do the top bit. I’m not that keen on being that high up and by then the paint-soaked roller was really heavy. Also, since my technique was better, the paint wasn’t as thick, making the join a little obvious. There was also the hard-to-get-at bit between the mantle and the oak beam that you more or less have to do blind.

The wall on the right of the fireplace after rendering

After the middle and top sections came the bottom bit which is hell on your back. While I was doing it, Relationnel appeared. “That’s dangerous, you know”. “Oh là là”, I thought, “What have I done now?” “Oh, why?”, I asked, hiding my apprehension. “Because now I’ll want you to help me all the time.” “Ha ha!” The whole wall only took a couple of hours and I was rather pleased with the result though a little uneven. I attacked the second wall with much greater aplomb and it looks most professional.

Meanwhile, Relationnel was still messing around with his bricks and finally came to the conclusion that some of them would need to be cut. Eventually, everything was ready and he started cementing them into the frame. After tea and Christmas cake on the worksite, I added another coat of limewash. The result was getting better all the time.

But the bricks were very tricky and when Relationnel went to bed at 4.30 am, he hadn’t finished. This morning, he finished them off while I put on another coat of limewash. After lunch, it was my turn to help again and I learnt yet another skill – putting refractory mortar (my old friend) between the joints. We finished off the job together and at 7 pm, the only thing left to be done was to add the ventilation grills but two of them require a special metal bracket but that will only need another hour or so next time to we go to Blois.

The fireplace as we were leaving Blois (with the coat of arms taped up for protection)

We’re not satisfied with the mantel which needs another coat of fine-sand rendering to get rid of all the bumps but we can live with it for the next two years. The next time we go to Closerie Falaiseau, we’ll go hunting for a sofa at the dépôt-vente, buy some firewood, find a way to get our 150 kilo fireback upstairs, lit the fire then crack open the champagne !

Architecture, Loire Valley, Renovation

The Fireplace is Still Not Finished

January 7, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

This is the post that was supposed to announce that the fireplace at Closerie Falaiseau is finished and that we have opened our vintage champagne and eaten our home-made foie gras to welcome in the New Year.

The state of the fireplace in the last post

Well, we’ve eaten some of the foie gras because of its relatively short lifespan. But you’ve guessed it – the fireplace is not finished despite the fact that we’re staying an extra day and that I have contributed far more than I initially thought I would. You may remember from my last post on the subject that I was going to put rendering on the wall on either side of the fireplace after priming it.

What it looked like behind the mantel before Relationnel covered it all with refractory mortar

Well, since the mortaring of the inside of the mantel proved far more time-consuming than Relationnel initially thought, I figured I should volunteer for something else more urgent. I was told that I could fill the joints between the lintel stones. Not with putty, of course, but with lime mixed with sand and water. We’re doing this the traditional way. The information came from Nicolas, the man in charge of renovating our balcony in Paris who is apparently a superduper expert when it comes to stone.

Damaged lintel before filling the joints and reconstructing the stone

My experience with mortaring the back of the fireplace came in good stead and I eventually got the knack of filling the joints. Then I filled the other cracks and holes. Relationnel said I was doing so well that I could reconstruct the missing bits of stone. Great! I was very skeptical at first but in end I managed to create something very reasonable. However, half the reconstruction fell out of one of the gaps I had filled, which was disappointing to say the least. So I didn’t even look at the biggest one.

Partial reconstruction on the largest gap

Next day, I surveyed my handiwork and declared that the sand was too coarse so Relationnel produced some ultra-fine sand. Now why didn’t he tell me about that the day before? It produced much better results and I was able to reconstruct the one that broke and, with infinite patience, complete the gap I hadn’t even attempted. I was getting the hang of it.

The lintel after doctoring with a multitude of different colours and textures

On Friday we needed more mortar so we both went to Brico Depot together. It was the first time in four days that Relationnel had set foot outside the yard. I’d been grocery shopping in the morning, so I was marginally luckier. We decided to go out for dinner on Saturday night to have a côte de bœuf at Au Coin du Table in lieu of champagne in front of an open fire and not talk about renovations or fireplaces. We almost succeeded.

On Sunday morning, I got a new job – putting a coat of light-coloured rendering on the mantel using a water-down version of the fine-sand and lime concoction applied with a spatula. That was a joke! The first batch was too thick but we eventually found a workable consistency and did it together, with me on either side and Relationnel at the front. When it dried, it looked very uneven and not much lighter than the first time, just not as rough. Hmm …

Mantle after second lot of rendering on the mantle

When Susan and Simon from Days on the Claise arrived for lunch, with half the meal to boot, we were definitely glad of the diversion. They also run a tour business called Loire Valley Time Travel, taking visitors to the châteaux in Celestine, a Citroën called a traction avant which started life in 1953. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t brilliant and we didn’t get to meet Celestine, though maybe we’d never have got back to our renovations if she we had!

After lunch, I volunteered to whitewash the fireplace. Well, I gathered that was what “fleur de chaux”, water and a savvy mixture of pigments corresponded to. I was a bit doubtful about its ability to cover up all my handiwork, not to mention someone else’s plasters and the remains of a colour job somewhere along the way, ranging from dark red to yellow and pink. So we got out the scales and made up our extremely liquid mixture.

Relationnel started panicking and said it wasn’t even worth trying but I was more philosophical. It looked a darned sight easier than anything else I’d done up until that stage. Why not give it a try? The result was not quite what we expected. I’ll tell you what we did about it in the next post!

Architecture, France, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – “Wet” Champagne – Half-Timbered Churches

January 6, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

Like most people, our only view of Champagne was Reims, Troyes, Epinay and vineyards but late one September, we were looking for somewhere to spend a long weekend and do some cycling before the cold weather set in. We found a gîte near Lac du Der and discovered, to our amazement, the existence of no fewer than eleven half-timber churches in the area, four of which we visited by bike and the rest by car. It was like a treasure hunt as we went from to the other and as you can see from the photos, it was an absolutely perfect day. Many of these churches used to exist in Normandy, but were bombed during the war. The ones in Champagne,mainly built in the 16th century, have been miraculously preserved.

Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement 1479, which was dismantled when Lac du Der was built and reassembled in a regional museum

For interior views, see Monday’s Travel Photos – “Wet” Champagne – Half-Timbered Churches – Interiors

This post is part of Lou Messugo’s All About France Link-Up #6. For other contributions, click here.

Architecture, Loire Valley, Restaurants, Sightseeing

A Visit to Chambord the Magnificent, including lunch

December 26, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 13 Comments

The day we went to Chambord, we really needed the break from our fireplace renovation. What I didn’t realise is that Chambord has over 300 fireplaces, a few of which look remarkably like ours.

We had decided to have lunch at the Saint Michel, just opposite the château and as we entered the restaurant, the waitress apologised for the smoke from the fireplace. Well, we know what the problem is, don’t we! Tightly closed windows and insufficient air intake. But it was pleasant to have a fire and our Australian friends appreciated the hunting decor and actually liked the smoke.

We all ordered the 22 euro “bistrot” menu as opposed to the 37 euro gourmet menu. I was amused to see that all the starters on the bistrot menu were Italian (smoked salmon and prawn cannelloni, prosciutto and mozarella bruschetta, beef carpaccio and mini red peppers stuffed with ricotta) while the main courses were traditional dishes (dear stew – no kidding – steamed haddock, three fishes stew and lamb knuckel-end & smashed carrots – also in the original.

Dessert was pear financier, French pain d’épices toast with salted-butter caramel ice-cream and crème brûlée with green lemon – they meant lime of course. The food was tasty and fresh, except for the French toast which had seen better days, and the service was friendly. I learnt afterwards that it’s also a very reasonably priced hotel. I don’t know what the rooms are like but having breakfast with that fabulous view of Chambord might be worth a bad bed!

The first thing we saw when we went into the château was the famous double-revolution staircase where two people can go up or down without ever meeting. Note the lack of people in the photo, perfectly possible in winter and totally unheard-of in summer. We were fascinated with the fireplaces and firebacks of course and loved the beautiful ceilings and other architectural details. One of the fireplaces is exactly the same shape as ours.

We headed for the roof (see my previous post on Chambord) while the light and weather were still good, which were were perfectly right to do because it started raining as we left.

Caisson ceiling with François Ier’s salamander and “F”

After our visit to the rooftops, I then discovered that there is a series of furnished rooms which I have never seen before. It seems that in the mid-nineteenth century, the Count of Chambord decided to open the château to the public and furnish some of the apartments with his own private collection, mainly consisting of royal portraits.

When it became State property in 1930, there were 440 pieces, but only seven pieces of furniture. Today, there are 4,500 objects, including tapestries from the 16th to 18th centuries, and a large collection of furniture, particularly four-poster beds and objets d’art.

I even saw a bust of Molière, which I found surprising, but Louis XIV was also the master of Chambord and came to stay a total of nine times (far more than François Ier!), inviting Molière’s theatre troupe for entertainment.

I felt as though I hardly touched on the wealth that Chambord has to offer, so next time we cycle there, I’ll make sure we visit as well. I may have to get a season ticket!

Le Saint Michel, Place Saint Louis – 41250 CHAMBORD, Tél. / Phone : +33 2 54 20 31 31 – Fax : +33 2 54 20 36 40, hotelsaintmichel@wanadoo.fr, www.saintmichel-chambord.com

Architecture, Loire Valley, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – the Roof Tops of Chambord

December 16, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 9 Comments

Fellow Australian Susan from Days in the Claise, who also lives in the Loire Valley, but in the southern part of Touraine, has done a series of posts on Chambord Castle recently. We cycled there several times this summer, you may remember, but didn’t visit the inside. I didn’t think there was much beside the famous double revolution staircase. Intrigued by Susan’s posts, however, I decided to visit as soon as possible. A visit from Australian friend Kathy Standford from Femmes Francophiles and her husband yesterday was the perfect excuse.

Château de Chambord after a summer downpour

All the photos below are all taken from the rooftops, which must be one of the most stunning examples of architecture I’ve ever seen. François I was only 25 when he commissioned the château in 1519. Unfortunately, despite the 2000 workmen, it wasn’t completed in his lifetime and he only stayed there for 72 days out of his 32 years on the throne! He used it as a hunting lodge of course and it was not furnished – he used to travel around with everything he could possible need – including the kitchen sink. But his son, Henri II, and Louis XIV, who also loved hunting, turned it into the château we know today.

Renaissance staircase seen from the rooftops

Middle tower over the famous double Revolution staircase

The downpipe is nearly identical to the ones in the Tuileries Gardens!

The different roofs all fit together in the most intricate way

Architecture, Italy, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Ruins of Rome

December 2, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

The most striking thing about the ruins in Rome is that they are part of the city, sometimes incorporated into more modern buildings such as churches and restaurants. One lot of ruins has even become a cat sanctuary! I’ve visited most of the more well-known ones with the exception of the Colisseum because it closes at “sundown”, though the definition of what sundown really is isn’t clear, and each time I’ve been too late!