Tea and La Duree??!!

I absolutely LOVE sipping tea.  I absolutely LOVE Patisserie La Duree. I absolutely LOVE Josephine….So??

Do you remember my review of that fabulous ‘little treasure’ of a book:  Walks Through Napoleon and Josephine’s Paris...

So then you remember the fabulous author Diana Reid Haig (her Interview here)!  

She’s sooo sweet!!!  She sent me this from La Duree!!!

BUT!!! Check it out from close and see what makes this even more special. Look at the at the inscription at the bottom…

 It's Josephine's tea!!

 My Tea Lover's Review:

Subtle, velvety taste…not fruity- no…I would say almost flowery (not the scent, but I imagine petals tasting this smooth).  With a touch of honey- this is soo delicious- Almost tastes like it came from Jo’s gardens;)

What a perfectly sublime gift- Thank you so much Diana!

Review: THE QUEEN'S LOVER

 

 The Queen’s Lover by Francine Duplessix Gray

Due to partiality towards my favourite Queen, Marie Antoinette, I have to admit that I was very reluctant to read this novel.  I knew right off the bat that some things in this book would definitely rub me the wrong way…so let’s see how that turned out;)

Written as a memoir, Count Axel  von Fersen’s story is presented to us as an edited version published by Sophie, his sister.  Hence, there are passages and chapters interjected by Sophie’s account of what happened as well as those by Axel himself. The historical details are incredibly palpable bringing you a sense of actually being there. 

Despite the title, I found The Queen’s Lover though to be mostly about the Queen’s life rather than about her alleged lover.  Many of the events that occurred are true to the history as can be attested by similar written works already seen on Marie Antoinette.  That being said, there are no big surprises here when it comes to Marie Antoinette’s story.

As for the Count’s extraordinary life, it seemed that it was mostly his flagrant sexual encounters that were rendered the most descriptive.  His insatiable ravaging of almost any female he encountered rendered his adulterous affairs hard to comprehend the undying love he claimed for his queen…Go figure!   In contrast, his great accomplishments read more like facts that happened as these were presented through many quotes and mostly letters to his father.   

One thing that pleased me about this novel was that Axel was always portrayed as respectful and caring to both the Queen and Louis XVI.  Throughout the book there is not one passage that tears down the character of these two royals.  The immense respect and love is felt throughout.  I also appreciated the fact that there were no vulgar descriptions or any graphics at all when mentioning the suggestive of Axel and the Queen’s more than friendly relationship (surprising considering the overly descriptive info with his other flings!). 

This fact-filled memoir of Count Axel von Fersen’s chapter in Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI’s life is an  interesting read.

I reviewed the Queen's Lover as part of the TLC Book Tours

Here are more reviews of this book- on tour:

Monday, April 16th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Monday, April 16th: Twisting the Lens
Wednesday, April 18th: Life in Review
Monday, April 23rd: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, April 25th: Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, April 26th: Broken Teepee
Friday, April 27th: Unabridged Chick
Tuesday, May 1st: Amused By Books
Wednesday, May 2nd: Life is Short. Read Fast.
Saturday, May 5th: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Wednesday, May 9th: Historical Tapestry
Thursday, May 10th: A Bookish Affair
Monday, May 14th: Scandalous Women
Wednesday, May 16th: Enchanted by Josephine

The Last Romanov- Book Review

The Last Romanov

Knowing so very little about this fascinating Russian Royal family’s history, I jumped at the opportunity to read The Last Romanov, by Dora Levy Mossanen (Sourcebooks).

This is the story based on the life and times of the Romanov’s with a specific focus on Alexei's royal nanny, Darya (fictitious character).  Rich in period history, Dora Levy Mossanen has written a vividly imaginative historical fiction for those who love a bit of magic sprinkled in their reading.

I, however, mostly enjoyed reading some of the details that dealt with day-to day living of this royal family. The Tsar and Tsarina were both loving and fiercely dedicated to their family. Their devotion to keeping Alexei, the future heir of Russia, safe from physical harm and danger-while safeguarding this secret from the world,  was almost all-consuming and borderline obsessive (but understandingly so). I felt for them as parents.

Along those lines of total devotion surfaces the care and loyalty of Darya Borodina (whom the story is mostly about). With special, almost supernatural, powers (an opal eye) and with the help of an ‘ambergris’ mineral that gave strength, protection- with some hallucinatory properties, Darya helped preserve the Tsarevich’s health...up until the dreadful massacre that put a tragic end to this royal family. 

From thereon, Darya spends her days hoping to find the ‘lost’ Alexei and prove that he was not murdered; in order to bring him back to his rightful position to the throne. 

Surrounding the basic history of the Romanovs, the author spins a tale of magic, love, supernatural forces, past lives and more to tell another side of what might have been to the history of this majestically royal family.

Lovers of fantasy mixed with historical writing will enjoy this one.

PRESS RELEASE and EXCLUSIVE Special Offer!!!

Last week I had the honour of having the fabulous Diana Reid Haig here on EBJ-History Salon.  What an Author- What an Historian- and What a Book! 

TODAY I have ANOTHER Special Offering!!

If you loved what you read here last week…then you will LOVE this!!

What's it about?

'Revelry. Revolution. Scandal. Fashion. Princesses. Prostitutes. Gambling. Gastronomy. Intrigue and bloody uprisings. Welcome to the Palais Royal, once called, “the capital of Paris,” and now the city’s loveliest shopping destination. 

The following announcement is being released right here on EBJ First!! You are the first people to receive this news:

PRESS RELEASE

 Rama: Travel App for Food & History Lovers (Crimson Bamboo) 

Philibert-Louis Debucourt created this lively image ( La Promenade publique (The Public Promenade) of the Palais Royal in August of 1792, and critics have called it, “the masterpiece of French color engraving.”  As the revolution became more violent, visitors to the Palais escalated their revelry. 

This new tour of the Palais Royal, written by Diana Reid Haig released by Rama, tells the history of this once-royal palace and childhood home of Louis XIV. The French Revolution is said to have begun there on a hot Sunday afternoon in 1789 when a young law graduate jumped onto a table outside a café and urged the Parisians, “To Arms.” This led to the storming of the Bastille, an infamous fortress and prison that was a symbol of royal corruption, two days later.

During the 1790s Napoleon and Josephine made countless visits here and often dined at Le Grand Véfour, one of Paris'  oldest restaurants, where visitors eat amid sumptuous, hand-painted panels of golden goddesses.  If you book in advance, you can even request the table where Napoleon romanced Josephine!

The Palais Royal played an unforgettable role in Bonaparte’s life: he lost his virginity to a streetwalker that he met in the arcades on a chilly night in November of 1787, as shown in this image.  The eighteen-year-old artillery lieutenant, newly arrived by boat from Valence, later described the evening in his journal: “I was striding along the avenues of the Palais Royal and… in the galleries, standing on the threshold of those iron gates, my eyes fell on a female.” After plying the pale young woman with questions, Bonaparte took her back to his rented room and, as he admitted, “was not overcome by my scruples.”

Napoleon lost his virginity to a streetwalker that he met while walking

through the Palais Royal.

For decades Napoleon bought his famous hats here at Poupard, one of the city’s finest hatters. When he became Emperor in 1804, Monsieur Poupard became his official purveyor. The bicorne, a dark military hat with two points, came to be a symbol of “the little Corporal."

In the 21^st century, the Palais Royal remains one of Paris’ loveliest spots. Few visual changes have been made to the arcades and garden, which appear almost the same as when author Colette, who lived in an upper apartment, penned  Gigi.  Despite its proximity to the Louvre, surprisingly few tourists visit this lovely destination now filled with the ultra-chic boutiques of fashion designers Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs.  The finest architecture, cuisine, fashion, and art wait at the Palais Royal, as they have for centuries.

                                      

The Palais Royal in the 1800s. Then as now, it sits just behind the oldest section of the Louvre.

NOTE:  SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE OFFER!!!   TODAY until MONDAY MIDNIGHT ONLY the price of this new app will be available to you for:  only 99cents!!! 

           A fun way to learn more about history-travel as though you were there...

This app is great not only for those traveling to Paris, but also for anyone, anywhere at any time- no need to be there in person. If you would love a private tour of this fabulous palace, fun-reading history (and you just know Diana's history telling is ever so stellar! No dreary text-book lesson here). Hurry and go and download it now! 

You will love touring le Palais Royal!

Search for "Rama" under iphone apps. It should say "Rama - travel"

Download the Rama app.

Open the app and search for Paris and then click on Palais Royal.

Please help spread the great news to all History and Travel Geeks out there by Tweeting, FB and blogging:)

 Follow or mention our @RamaApp and @Rama_Food feeds when you post.

Thanks!