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It’s early June in Maine and that means rhododendrons.
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For a pure burst of color they’re hard to beat.
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And I’m not the only one who loves them.
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Dozens of big beautiful bumblebees happily sip nectar.
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It’s a lovely time of year.
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As we continued our tour of Chateau Sur Mer, a photo of the original 1852 home and the subsequent 1873 renovation.
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This portrait of the owner and his daughter creeped me out a bit.
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I can’t give you any specific reason, just an overall vibe.
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The dining room was a focal point of the home , with the upper part of the walls covered in Spanish leather that was stamped, silvered and painted.
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It’s all original and in relatively good shape.
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The matching chairs show a lot more wear.
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The fireplace carvings were lavish.
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With French majolica portraying disturbing scenes of a hunt.
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Cavorting Bacchus figures are enjoying some wine…
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With this amply endowed creature pouring.
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This sculpture gazes longingly at an iced tub of champagne and I got the feeling a lot of drinking went on here.
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Chateau Sur Mer is a house of exotic wood. And in order to prevent it from fading, most of the heavy drapes in the house are drawn. This made for some very dark photos and required me to edit them here so you can appreciate the richness.
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The butlers pantry was fully stocked.
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With some absolutely amazing silver.
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Nothing I own is anywhere near this elaborate…
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And I still have a hard time keeping it polished.
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I wouldn’t doubt there was a servant whose sole job was keeping this collection shiny.
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Finished with the downstairs …
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We made our way around the central hall …
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And headed for the staircase, which was a work of art in itself.
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Momma woodchuck has four children this year, and they’re keeping her busy.
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Like any overworked mother, there are days when she just needs a break.
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Times when she wants to ditch the kids who hound her and follow her everywhere she goes.
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On those days?
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She just has to climb a tree.
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Didn’t think woodchucks climbed trees?
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Beleaguered mothers do.
😉
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Day four Newport, Rhode Island trip, part two… morning balcony selfie.
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First thing on the agenda that day was Chateau Sur Mer.
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Meaning Castle By The Sea, the home is a landmark of High Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics and stenciling. It was the most palatial residence in Newport from its completion in 1852 until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s.
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One of the first grand “cottages” on Bellevue Avenue, its lavish and extravagant parties ushered in the Gilded Age of Newport.
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From the outside it felt almost gothic.
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And beside the front door?
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One of those marvelous ancient weeping birches I keep admiring.
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This one had a canopy that delivered you into another world when you ducked under it.
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It was fabulous.
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During a conversation with a docent on our previous trip, we asked him which of the mansions was his favorite.
Being a woodworker, he said Chateau Sur Mer.
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Just a few steps inside revealed why.
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A three story 45 foot ceiling with broad balconies draws your eyes up.
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The Italianate library was designed and built in Italy, disassembled and rebuilt here for the owner, William Shepard Wetmore, whose portrait is in the foreground.
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The owl was shocked.
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The home is one of only a few year round residences and I cringe to think what it cost to heat.
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The marble hall served as an exhibition space and gallery for art and sculpture.
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The ballroom was also known as the Gold Salon.
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As the walls and moulding are highlighted with gold leaf.
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Elaborate entertaining was done here.
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With some guest lists exceeding 2,500 people.
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The very last thing we had to move to get ready for new flooring ?
Was the very worst, hands down.
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Treadmills are big, and bulky, and heavy, and awkward as Hell to move.
Much thinking and strategizing went into the process.
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Yes, the tread itself could be raised.
But it wouldn’t fit out the door… even with the door removed… in its entirety.
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Which is when tools were employed and breakdown occurred.
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Or tried to occur because try as they might… they couldn’t figure out how.
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I spent the next half hour on the phone with Nordic track customer service… who, may I just say?
Suck the big root.
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They didn’t help at all, and didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.
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After a lot of hassle, the two parts were separated.
Kind of.
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Annoyingly they were still connected by the electrical wires with no clips or disconnects in sight.
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Which means the top half was precariously balanced on the bottom half and squiggled down the hall.
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Turning was not fun.
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And at one point the husband got stuck. Which, I’m ashamed to admit…
Was a little bit fun.
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Placed on a sheet in front of the den couch is where it landed. Completely in the way of everything.
His Lordship?
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He gave the treadmill a try.
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But exercise isn’t his thing…
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So he found a towel free cushion on which to shed more fur.
🥴
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Next stop… Sakonnet Winery.
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We’re not big wine drinkers but it’s the gift of choice for our cat sitting neighbor… and we have to keep her, and therefore His Royal Highness, happy.
😉
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It was a lovely drive and just when we thought we’d never find it…
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A very large cat.
This winery is way off the beaten path and after a long dirt driveway…
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Another large cat.
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And a large bull.
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There was a barn.
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Some outdoor seating.
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And a tasting room.
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Where we paid $25 for four very small pours.
None of which we really liked.
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But it’s Rhode Island, what do they know about wine?
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Continuing on, we went in search of food.
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Past some lovely old homes in Tiverton.
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Sadly, when we arrived at the much anticipated and highly reviewed Boat House restaurant…
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It was packed to capacity and there was a two hour wait.
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Which is when we turned back and found an unassuming little place called Fieldstone’s.
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It was crowded as well but we snagged a seat at the bar where I ordered a spring Cosmo.
Ketel One vodka, watermelon pucker, fresh strawberry, fresh lime, and a splash of cranberry juice.
Tasty, and potent.
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My shrimp scampi bruschetta appetizer was amazing.
Sautéed shrimp, capers and grape tomatoes in a lemon garlic butter sauce and served over garlic Parmesan toast.
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Husband went with shepherds pie, which was swimming in a rich brown gravy unlike his mother’s bland recipe. I considered that a win, but boys like their momma’s cooking so he was unimpressed.
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On the other hand, my sherried chicken? Ooh la la!
I’d drive four hours from Maine just to have it again.
Sautéed chicken breast with chopped bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled bleu cheese in a creamy sherry sauce, served with mashed potato and broccoli.
Yum!
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With the majority of things emptied out of our office and den, it was time to move the furniture.
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Which in our house is a right royal pain the ass due to the tight hallways and 90 degree angles. The arm chair went out smoothly, but the new couch was another story altogether. It’s big and heavy and had to fit through a small hallway which it did not want to do. After many attempts and many instructions to stay out of their way…
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I suggested they take the feet off.
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Problem solved.
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Until the couch had to turn 90 degrees which it also didn’t want to do. Up and over was the only way and my husband’s poor back was screaming.
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Tight fits are par for the course.
Watch your fingers.
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And no, I wasn’t pleased by the scratched door moulding…
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Or the fricking dent they put in the wall.
😡
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But Lord Dudley Mountcatten was enjoying the temporary high ground.
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There are now two desks in our bedroom…
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And I can’t get to my clothes because the larger one is blocking my bureau.
I’m beginning to wonder if new carpet is worth it.
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Continuing on with our exploration of the Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, we left the garden proper and strolled past the house.
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Which was lined with impressively trimmed shrubbery.
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Sadly the home is not open to tours…
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But there’s a big porch with comfortable chairs where you’re invited to sit.
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We opted for a bench under the shade of a giant tree.
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The lawn slopes down to Narragansett Bay, where we spotted another topiary.
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A rather oddly shaped topiary that my husband and I pondered greatly.
I said long legged turtle.
He said hunchbacked manatee.
What say you?
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Walking back around the house we saw some ornate wrought iron and walls in much need of scraping and paint.
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On the other side of the house… a truly magnificent tree.
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A grand old gentleman who no doubt had outlived many of the home’s owners.
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Husband, for scale.
We were so impressed by the tree we asked one the attendants how old they thought it was…. which was when he directed us to the resident expert of all things.
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This charming young lady of 91 actually worked on the estate as head housekeeper for the last living owner. She had some wonderful stories about the place and informed us the tree in question was over 150 years old.
She lives right up the road and walks down to the gardens every day to help the docents …. as well as socialize. She told us she was quite unhappy with the current crew of topiary trimmers. The policeman was too fat, the giraffe was too short and the goose looked like a duck.
Knowing we were talking to the authority, we asked what the mystery topiary down by the bay was supposed to be.
Not a turtle. Not a manatee.
It was a bear.
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Wow.
No wonder she’s unhappy…
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A few random things that have made me laugh this week.
I figure we can all use more laughs.
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There’s a banana missing in New Hampshire.
Please help.
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That’s one chill pooch.
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I love to look at cows… and am that annoying person who yells, “Cow!” on road trips.
Imagine if I had some right in the back yard like these people.
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I could just point.
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Now there’s a job custom made for me.
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New rule – if you sell it?
You have to learn how to spell it.
And yes, they had multiple signs like that.
🥴
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Anyone remember these?
Burning children’s fingers with molten plastic since 1964.
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Very cool.
🤣
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The Green Animals Topiary Garden was an amazing place.
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Everywhere you looked?
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Whimsical…
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And wonderful.
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The tulips were fading on the day we visited.
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But the peonies were quite something.
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Look at the size of these blooms!
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Even the trees were marvelous.
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Can you imagine having all of that in your back yard?
❤️
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River's world..... 