Today's bon bon and a few tidbits about Empress Josephine! With my pictures, too!

Josephine in her later years at Malmaison

She was a woman who loved fashion and spent money like water. She was married to a man suspected of being more royalist than was prudent. She almost went to prison, too. But used her charms to persuade a few French men to keep her and her two children safe. But there is more!

Empress Josephine was a setter of style, the love of her husband Napoleon's life—and his torment. We know much of her legend, but there is much about her that was kept discreetly secret.

She had terrible teeth. Black, in fact. And you never see her in portraits smiling.

She took three hours each day to bathe and dress. Her boudoir in Malmaison was the place she took her breakfast and often, her luncheon too.

She never visited a military hospital as she claimed the humours would kill her.

Portrait of Josephine that hangs at Malmaison

She died of a throat infection on the very day Napoleon set foot in Cannes as he escaped from Elba and marched north.

Here I am outside at Malmaison!

The bee is the emblem (or logo) of Napoleon and Josephine! This emblem is cemented in the walkways leading to Malmaison!

One picture of Josephine's enormous boudoir.

Her gardens, lovingly tended by gardeners of the French National Heritage.

She loved animals and kept a menagerie at Malmaison.

She loved flowers, especially roses and Napoloen even had cuttings from England imported to her during wartime!

She had no children by Napoleon but by her first husband, she had two. Today, many of the royal houses of Europe are descended from those two children.

She died at Malmaison and is buried close by in the Ruiel. Next to her is buried her daughter, Hortense.

What to eat? How? When in Rome, Paris or London, partaking of dinner parties was a ritual fit to burst your buttons! European dining rooms that inspire!

Formal Dining Room at Malmaison where Josephine entertained
before and after Napoleon divorced her.

 If you were invited to a dinner party in the nineteenth century, you would have to be on your manners and either starving or terribly polite!

Why?

The meal was hours-long. The service slow and measured. The servants ready to deliver your every need. And the portions to the numerous courses were hearty.

Here are a few of my pictures of houses and dining rooms I adore. In them, kings and queens, emperors and generals ate, laughed and decided the fate of millions of others.
Shall we talk about an average evening and the menu?

Oh, let's!

First, do let out your corset an inch. You're going to need the room to breathe.
Second, roll back your long gloves, darling. No getting those dirty. Just put them in your lap after you've been assisted in your chair by a footman.
Third, remember to sit ramrod straight as your third governess taught you and please do not crush your bustle!
Fourth, you should know which fork or spoon to begin with. Your fourth governess taught you that, remember? Yes, that's right, the soup spoon is the big bowled one.
Remember your nanny's instructions about soup? "Like a ship upon the sea, I scoop my soup away from me!" Good.
That other one above your serving plate? It's for the cream, or shall we say, the ice, later. Hmm. Right.
Fish fork? Tiny, ugly thing. Unmistakeable.
Dinner fork, you'll know right off. Knife too.
Butter knife, ditto.

Now as we begin remember we speak only to the one gentleman on our right. He gets to chat you up for half the meal. If he has not cultivated the art of conversation at teatime with his granny, you must pick up his slack. He needs his bit of talk and you are his to enchant or vice versa, if he is lacking. This means you may well need to be well versed in botany, architecture or archeology, bugs, worms or coal mining. While it is best not to display an understanding of stocks and bonds, it is useful (in your future life as a duchess, etc etc.) to understand farming, goats and sheep, sale thereof, grassland availability on your property, weather patterns. All of this helps immensely when in need of sound dinner conversation.

On to the menu.
First Service:
   Potages (Soup) 
      For example: Consomme or  Puree
   Poisson (Fish)
      Any type: roasted, grilled, sauteed, fried or souped
   Entrees:
      Chicken, Beef or Lamb in any cut or form
   Larger Service:
       Venison
        Beef roast, etc
Second Service:
     Roti:
         Vegetable with meat, fish, protein
     Entremets:
          Salad
           Fruit
           Gateau of fruit (baked, custard, etc with fruit)
      Cheese      
Now you can see that you have eaten your way through your corset and volunteer to walk home! The meal was truly heavy. Furthermore, we have now learned that many of the well-to-do in this era suffered from obesity, too few vegetables in their diet and too much protein. The added sugar in desserts did not help make them any healthier. To be so, one had to be selective in portions and in the types of foods consumed.
       As for me, I am happy to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, fresher meals and fish, all of which is deemed safe before it is stocked in our groceries!

(And yes, all of these photographs are mine!)

Napoleon and Josephine's gold plate, minted for him at Sevres China Factory and given to Josephine's son,
Eugene after her death. Thereafter it was owned by a family in Russia until recently when the French Government
bought it back to display here.

Dining room in Palais Imperial at Compiegne, France set for Emperor Napoleon III and his wife.

A bit different, oui? The servants' dining hall in Vaux le Vicomte south of Paris!

Vive la difference! This is the owners' dining room (set with only half a table) in Vaux le Vicomte!

The Pump Room in Bath, England!
Do go for a full cream tea, music, atmosphere and warm mineral water from the spring!

Cerise went to #Paris! It's #research #champagne #chocolate #France #romance and my Pictures!

Yes, dahlinks, I went off to Paris!

USA's 100th Anniversary of WWI
http://www.worldwar1centennial.org

Drop me a comment here about what you'd bring back!
Champagne?
Chocolate?
A French comte or marquis?
All of the above???
Sigh.
Me, too.
Here are a few of my pictures from trips past!
And here's a hint: Sign up for my newsletter for more info here:  http://eepurl.com/bZ6xkj

Mr. DeLand and I at a chateau along the River Marne
when we spent two and a half weeks trailing the American Expeditionary Forces battle lines of 1917-1918.
Did you realize that the 100th anniversary of American involvement in WWI occurs now?

Center Hall in Opera Garnier, Paris!

Josephine's Malmaison in Parisian countryside, her dining room!

This charming church is in Varennes, France (near Verdun) where the French king, Louis XVI and his wife
Marie Antoinette and their two children took refuge in 1791. Sadly, they were caught by the villagers
and returned to Paris where they died at the guillotine.

Once the House of Worth stood in this #7 Rue de la Paix near the Opera Garner in Paris!

Cathedral of St. Peter on fashionable Rue di Rivoli in Paris

3 Sites to see in #Paris if you love #Georgian and #Regency #romance!

We authors of historical romances love to do our research in those locations that bring the period and the people to life. Most often for Regency or Georgian Romance authors and readers, we travel around England, Scotland or Ireland.

But Paris has much to offer too for someone who wants to soak up the atmosphere of the period when Prince of Wales was Regent and Britain was at war with Napoleon. What could those places be?

Entrance to Malmaison

Part of Josephine's toilette.

First, I offer up the delights of Josephine's home south of Paris in the current suburbs. Malmaison (available by the Metro) is a term that really derives from the terms meaning "bad house' from the period when the Vikings raided through here and destroyed all in their path. The house, built a few decades before the Bonapartes purchased it, is a jewel of perfection of this period. Surrounded by

The back of Josephine's salon.

Josephine's rose gardens and the rest of her beautifully landscaped lawns, the house is lovingingly maintained today by the State. Most of the decor and the furnishings are original to the period if not the house per se and the audio tour (which you must take!) describes the uses Josephine put to the house. The card room, for example, is a small—very small—room, almost a closet. But the empress loved it for its intimacy and warmth. The salon which still holds her harp and her pianoforte contains much of her private art collection as well as furniture. You can almost see the dignitaries conversing, drinking tea or wine, remarking on the politics of the day. Her bedroom where she died is quite stunning in its rich canopy. Most alluring is her toilette, small, the walls swathed in cotton and linens to increase the warmth. Often when she bathed and dressed, Josephine took three hours!

Napoleon's private bedchamber.

A visit to the Cathedral of Saint Denis on the northern tip of Paris (and available by the Metro) is a trip to acquaint you with the horrors of the French Revolution and the Terror, the counter influence on the British mindset during the wars of that period.  Saint Denis is the church in which most of the kings and queens of France and their children are buried.  I say most of them because many are indeed buried elsewhere. However, once you've entered and admired this church, the first gothic cathedral in France and its architecture, and once you've admired the enormous number of sarcophagi of various French monarchs and their families, a visit to the crypt is what you're really after. Here you will find the plaque on the wall which is all that remains of that noted monarch, Louis XIV. It is ironic to find his burial place in such a barren place. But walk further into the center of the crypt and here you see only a huge flat black granite stone covering a very deep pit. This is the marker for the burial plot of those aristocrats of the ancien regime who died by the guillotine during the Revolution and most numerously the Terror. Their bones were collected from various churchyards and from the Conciergerie (on the Isle de France) where they were interred after execution. This tragedy of their deaths by violent means is the very horror that outraged the British, many of whom were their relatives. This slaughter of the nobility is what the British sought to avoid for themselves. While they spent significant national treasure attempting to defeat the various regimes that succeeded the Bourbons, including the emperor Napoleon, they were attempting to ensure not only their own survival, the continuance of their economic system, but also their naval power around the world.

The dining room in Malmaison

Chantilly lies north of Compiegne, and to get here you must buy a train ticket for roughly $11.00 at Gare du Nord to travel beyond the Metro line. But you will adore the easy walk from the train station (1.5 miles) and the ambiance of the forest and the town. The first owners of the chateau were the Montmorency family of soldiers and diplomats. Rising to prominence during the reign of Francis I, Anne du Montmorency ( a man) made his name serving the king. Later, cousins to the Bourbon monarchs, the Princes Conde became owners of the chateau. With landscape designed by the famous gardener Andre Le Notre, the grounds are sumptuous in the Baroque manner. Even the stables are lavish in their appointments. What is notable here are the decor and furnishings much of which dates from the Bourbon Restoration of 1815 when the nephew of the newly restored Louis XVIII and his brother Charles X was granted the property. There his descendants remained until the 1880s when they could not longer pay the taxes and turned the building over to the government.

Louis XIV plaque in crypt of Saint Denis

Life size gisants of praying Louis XVI and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette in chapel of Saint Denis

Chateau Chantilly: View of the stable block and riding academy.

Walter view of Chantilly

Salon with murals commemorating the Fronde led by the Grand Conde.

A portion of the music room with harp.

+N.B. All the photographs are mine.

Cerise went to #Paris for research, discovering tidbits @ #Josephine, #Napoleon, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Fontainebleau, Grand Courtyard of Main entrance

   Travel is a wonderful way to do historical research for novels. Time-consuming, it is an intriguing way to put drama into your day...as you eat and drink you way around your chosen paths!

   My biggest kicks come from standing in the very spots that others infinitely more interesting than I have stood. Reflecting on how they must have felt at certain points in their lives—or seeing what has become of those places long after they have passed sends ripples of ennui down my spine.

   Here, hopefully tickling your need to feel the same sort of ripples, are a few from my recent trip to Paris in October. Note the dates I have put in bold. Many are poignant coincidences of time, place and people.

Closeup of front steps of Fontainebleau

   One of the places we visited was Fontainebleau. (If you wish to read more about that famous grand hunting lodge expanded to a palace, do scroll below in my blog for previous posts about my recent Paris trip.)

Napoleon signing abdication papers
in Fontainebleau, April 1814

   Here you see the grand staircase outside. Why is this an interesting view? Well! Not only was this the main entrance to the palace during the Ancien Regime, but also one used by Napoleon and his coterie. On these very steps, Napoleon emerged from the palais in April 1814. The previous night he had attempted suicide, swallowing a poison which proved ineffective. (I wish I had a picture of his bedroom where he slept and the room where he signed his abdication from imperial power. Alas, the ones I took were terribly out of focus! It's what comes of being too enraptured and soaking up the scenery instead of tending to the camera! Do see the painting which is very accurate decor.) Greeting many of his generals and troops who were gathered in the courtyard below (see next picture), he bid them farewell. He boarded a coach, escorted by a small French retinue and a few Englishmen to assure his departure, and left for Elba. He arrived there May 30, 1814.

The Golden Courtyard where Napoleon's troops would have heard his farewell in April 1814
before he departed for Elba. Here you have the view Napoleon had as he addressed his troops.

   Months later in February 1815, encouraged by news from France that the restored Bourbon king, Louis XVIII, was misusing his power, renewing high taxes and stripping the soldiers of their honors, ranks and pay, Napoleon sailed from the small island of Elba and returned to France by way of Cannes. He made his way north and in March, he returned to Fontainebleau! The palace, you see, is south of Paris. (Today, you can get there on the RER, take a local bus and arrive almost on these front steps!) In 1815, he could take up residence there and be regarded as a threat to the capital city but not in charge of it...yet. Here he waited a few days and once the Bourbons had left Paris and the French army welcomed him, Napoleon took the hour long journey into the city which was once more his.

A small portion of Josephine's gardens blooming still
in October!

  After Napoleon's departure to Elba in late April 1814, the Bourbons returned to France to rule once more. But they came with those foreign officials (and armies) who had defeated Napoleon's army and forced him to abdicate. One of those in Paris at the time was the Tsar Alexander I of Russia. Taking liberty to visit Napoleon's second wife, Marie-Louise, who remained near Paris in the old chateau of Rambouillet, he also took a coach south to visit Josephine, former empress and first wife of Napoleon. She introduced him to her family, Eugene and Hortense. She had an entertainment prepared for him in her music room. (See picture here.) They strolled in her famous rose garden and then, days later, she took a chill. Developing a high fever, she took to her bed. She developed a throat infection, could not speak, and passed away in her home within the week. She died May 29, 1814, leaving her son Eugene the house and contents of Malmaison. When Napoleon returned to France in 1815, he went to Malmaison to mourn the woman he had loved so dearly.

Front entrance to Josephine's home, Malmaison on a rainy October day.

Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette at prayer,
representations in main chapel of Saint Denis

   Finally, for this post about "tidbits" that make me shiver, I give you the picture I took of the statues of Louis XIV and his wife, Marie Antoinette. These two kneel in prayer inside the famed cathedral of Saint Denis. Located in the Paris suburbs, this gothic cathedral is the first example of gothic architectural developments. A marvel to see (and I will post in future a complete blog about our visit to this stunning church), Saint Denis was redone in gothic form beginning in the early 12th century. The other reason you want to take the Metro to view this marvelous cathedral is that it is the church where all kings of France are buried. Yes, all. Many are accompanied by their queens and children, some very young and others older.

Saint Denis, main entrance, undergoing restoration

   What is interesting about this ensemble of Louis and his wife? The statues are representations, yes. But the two are not buried here. No. What is intriguing to learn here is that, while the two were guillotined during the Terror and both were buried in the cemetery of Madeline, their bodies were exhumed in May 1814 and sent to Saint Denis to be buried alongside their ancestors. The two now rest in the lower crypt beneath a huge black granite polished stone bearing their names. Alongside them are other members of the Bourbon family—some named, others not—in a gigantic mass grave.  Sobering to regard, this mass grave bears witness to the inhumanity of man to man.

Basilica of Saint Denis in Paris suburbs, undergoing major renovations,
is burial place of all French kings.

Cerise went to #Paris and came home w. tales of Josephine from #Malmaison! Part 4

Entrance to enchanting Malmaison

Josephine's home in what is now suburban Paris truly gives the feeling of having been hers. From the decor to the flower gardens, the furniture and appointments, the house is a glorious example of Directorate and Imperial decor.

But it tells you about the feeling conveyed by what we Anglophiles call the period, the Regency. The colors are muted, pastoral, juxtaposed by splashes of vermilion, encrusted in gold filigree.

I showed you one pillar from the lobby and parts of Josephine's reception room or Music Room. Here I give you tastes of more.
(Do please note these are my pictures and while they may not be professional grade, please do cite them as my copyright, should you download and use them.)

Seating in one part of her large and inviting Music Room

Napoleon's bedroom made to look like a military tent!

Portrait of Josephine

Josephine's Boudoir with her dressing table

Josephine's Bathing room where she bathed, dressed and
occasionally ate because it was so warm in here!

One set of gold plated serving ware created for the Empress and Emperor, bequeathed to Josephine's son, Eugene.
The service, passing down through generations of Eugene's descendants, wound up in Russia prior to WWI.
Between the two world wars, the owners sold the set back to the State of France.

Josephine's gardens, famous when she was alive for their beauty, astonish visitors still today. The French government cares for the property, employing landscapers and gardeners. Here, even in mid-October, we see one of her rose bushes in beautiful bloom.

Today a trip to Rueil-Malmaison on the RER from Paris is a joy. The town retains the charm of its former smaller self and Josephine's house is tucked into a corner of it, a bit of a walk from the train station but worth it on a fine day.

What I came away with was a feeling of how much Josephine enjoyed the house, how she relished the gardens and how she lavishly entertained. It is a fine credit to her that she had the foresight to leave the house and its contents to her son and that he tried, as did the family and subsequent non-family owners, to keep the possessions in tact. Though time and wars took their toll and many of the items in the house are now "claimed" from the palace at Saint Cloud or the Tuileries, the house is a marvelous representation of the Empress's personality and taste.

Cerise went to #Paris, came home w. tales of #Josephine's #Malmaison (and ate best #frites ever!) Part 3

My pix of entrance to Malmaison, taken a few weeks ago!

Bet you didn't know that Malmaison means Bad House. Who named it that? Not Josephine Bonaparte. Not Napoleon, either.

The Vikings!

Yes. They used to raid and hunt in the forests around town of Malmaison-Rueil and the French named the area the Bad House or Bad Area because no one should be caught there.

That, my friends, is one tidbit I learned on my recent 2 week trip to France. On the day hubby and I took the RER to Rueil, the sun was gloriously shining and the temperature hovered in the mid-60s. We walked from the train station, turned down an offer of a cabbie to drive us to Josephine's house and hoofed it toward the south east part of the town. Two miles later, we looked around and said, as we often did, we're hungry. We decided on a FAB.U.LOUS cafe in the center of town and ordered two champagnes (cuz tourists get thirsty) and our luncheon.  Here, (yes, I want you to drool), I had a marvelous French onion soup and a hamburger with frites.

A pillar in the entry.

Onward!

The house is in pristine condition, saved by the French at the behest of Josephine herself. When she died in 1814, she bequeathed the house and all its contents to her son, Eugene who was to keep it in trust for the State of France. For the most part, his descendants were able to do that and the result is this truly enjoyable house.

Yes, as hubby agreed, it is a home. Comfortable and colorful and rich, the house is a marvelous representation of Josephine's taste. I have pictures galore and will share the best.

Here you see detail from a pillar in the entryway. When Josephine bought the house, as ever, she was in need of funds. She wanted to make the house look grand, especially because Napoleon had just waged his Egyptian Campaign. She wished to welcome him with symbols of that and so when she had the entryway reconstructed for his return, she asked for marble pillars. But she had not the money for marble. The pillars are therefore stucco and painted to appear as if they are marble. This decoration recalls the Egyptian influence atop the faux marble!

Here is the glory of Josephine's Music Room where she entertained and had others do so as well! More pictures
of this in Part 2 of her house.

Throughout the house, color and textures are vibrant. Most of the furniture is original to the house or was brought from other homes Josephine shared with Napoleon. The effect is dramatic and comforting. Also throughout are representations of Napoleon in various forms. In sculpture and painting, this house where he lived with Josephine from approximately 1798 until he became emperor is filled with his presence.

A marble bust of Napoleon in a side stairway!

Oil by David of Napoleon Crossing the Alps in a room with many of his swords and uniforms.

Oil of Napoleon celebrating the Italian Campaign.

Josephine's gardens, most famous for her roses, were in bloom when we visited. Though it was mid-October, the gardeners had done their work and we were treated to glorious blooms.

All of these pictures are mine, FYI, so if you take any to use, please credit me as Cerise DeLand.
Thank you and return for more of the joy of Josephine's house in a few days!