Giverny: Claude Monet's Home & Garden

As a fan of both beautiful gardens and the art of Impressionist painter Claude Monet, a visit to his home in Giverny was a highlight of my trip to France. The day dawned cool and rainy but overcast skies softened the shadows and enhanced the watercolour hues of the irises, roses and peonies at the height of spring bloom.

Claude Monet's House in Giverny

Palace & Park of Versailles

Chateau de Versailles, residence of the French monarchy for one hundred years, was created by Louis XIV, the Sun King. When revolution broke out in 1789, the court departed for the capital. This magnificent palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an easy day trip from Paris.

Versailles Palace Gates

Floral Flashback

It's now the middle of May and I'm still waiting for the leaves to appear on the trees – not to mention the sighting of a flower or two. In the meantime, I've been looking back at some of the beautiful gardens and flowers I've seen during my travels in Europe. They're a reminder of more colourful days to come. I hope you enjoy them too!

Love – Amour – Amore

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Wednesday and no matter how you say it, romance is on the mind of lovers everywhere. Tributes to the greatest of human emotions can be found in many places but the most lovely I’ve seen are in the middle of an Italian lake or on a Côte d’Azur hilltop. Here are five special testaments to the power of love.

Invitation, Monaco

Eze: The Exotic Garden

Eze Village on the Côte d'Azur has an amazing Jardin exotique, Exotic Garden, at the summit of the hill on which the town is perched. To my regret I didn't venture quite that far on my previous visit to Eze. On my recent trip to France, I got a second chance.

Exotic Garden, Eze Village

Promenade du Paillon, Nice

There's a coastal river that runs from the Alpes-Maritimes through the French city of Nice. But you won't be able to see it at the point where the Old Town and the modern city meet. This river, the Paillon, now flows beneath a 12-hectare public park, the Promenade du Paillon.

Gardens of the Promenade du Paillon, Nice

London's Royal Parks

It’s been a mild winter but I’m never sorry to see this cold, dark season come to an end. I’m definitely more of a summer person. Now spring has arrived and I can’t wait until leaves fill out the trees and grass sprouts up everywhere in fresh shades of green. Thursday is Take a Walk in the Park Day so I’ll take a look back at a few of London’s Royal Parks, at their summer best of course.

Hyde Park, One of London's Eight Royal Parks

War & Peace in London's South Bank

Imperial War Museum

Imperial War Museum London

Kensington Palace & Gardens

This autumn the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will begin spending more time at Kensington Palace with their two adorable children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.  The palace was also the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria, and Princess Diana lived here from the time of her marriage to Prince Charles until her untimely death in Paris. Last summer Kensington Palace hosted exhibitions on these two famous residents: Victoria Revealed and Fashion Rules Restyled.

Kensington Palace, London

Buckingham Palace & The Royal Mews

The official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II is a familiar sight to many of us, from the ceremonial Changing of the Guards to the balcony where royal newlyweds kiss for a cheering crowd. I wanted to peek behind the palace walls so I timed my trip to England for the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace, London

England's Tea Plantation

It’s no secret that the British love their tea but I was surprised to learn that England has its own tea plantation in the county of Cornwall. Tea bushes thrive in the microclimate of the Tregothnan estate near Truro, which mimics that of the Himalayan foothills.

England's Tea Plantation, Tregothnan

My 3 Favourite Gardens

In honour of Mother’s Day on Sunday, I’d like to revisit three of my favourite gardens in France and Italy. These are special gardens filled with colourful flowers but they also have elements that make them unique: musical fountains at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild; Chinese white peacocks on Isola Bella; and spectacular scenery at the Gardens of Augustus.

The Flowers of Spring

Yesterday was the first day of spring. I don't know what the weather is like where you live but we just had another large snowfall. It will be quite a while before it looks like spring. Nothing signals the change of season to me like gardens in bloom so here are some flowers I've enjoyed during my spring travels in Europe, beginning with Kensington Palace in London.

Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London

Tuileries Garden, Paris

It’s the last day of February and I’m craving a little dose of summer. How about you? One of my favourite cities is Paris so I went back through my photos (some very old) and decided to share some images of the city’s oldest public park, the Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries).

Tuileries Garden (1981)

Venice – Queen of the Seas

Venice today is a popular port of call for cruise ships, large and small, and even river cruise boats can be seen in the waters of the lagoon. In previous centuries, the Most Serene Republic of Venice ruled the seas and the Arsenale di Venezia, the Venice Arsenal, was the centre of the republic’s shipping and naval power.

Cruise Ship in Venice

My Venetian Palazzo

After nine days of travelling through Italy we arrived at our final destination, the legendary city of Venice. I’d been here once before and was deluged by rain so I had high hopes for this visit. Under sunny skies we said farewell to our motor coach and boarded a water taxi. Then we cruised through scenic canals to the grand palazzo that, for the next two nights, would be my home.

Arrival in Venice

Isola Bella, the Beautiful Island

On Lake Maggiore in northern Italy there's an island called Isola Bella which translates to English as 'beautiful island'. This island certainly is beautiful but it was actually named after Isabella Borromeo, the wife of the man who created this little piece of paradise.

Italian Lakes: Lago Maggiore

Throughout the month of April I was busy participating in the A to Z Challenge. Now I'm returning to my regular posts about my trip to Italy last summer. My last post at the end of March was about two resort towns on the Italian Riviera, Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure. From there we travelled north to Lake Maggiore– not as glamourous as nearby Lake Como where George Clooney owns a villa but lovely all the same.

Lake Maggiore, Italy

"U" is for Unicorn

The Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees in Stresa is a hotel built for 19^th century travellers on their Grand Tours of Europe. This is where Ernest Hemingway recovered from his war injuries and Winston Churchill honeymooned. So why does this luxury hotel on northern Italy's Lake Maggiore display the symbol of two unicorns?

"P" is for Peacock

When I think of a peacock I visualize a large bird with brightly coloured feathers. A more modest peacock with snowy white plumage lives in the gardens of the Borromeo Palace on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. And meeting these ethereal creatures was an item on my Bucket List.

White Chinese Peacock of Isola Bella