Been there, done that!

Friday, we went to the Villa Rothschild. Because I've been there twice before, I wondered if it might be a little of "been there, done that" for me.  However, the villa is so stunning that it never fails to impress.

This time, we used an audio-guide which I hadn't done before and it certainly improved to the visit and gave me lots of info I hadn't known before.  As I have written about the villa on a blog on an earlier trip, I won't repeat those details.  So, here is something I didn't know.  Beatrice Ephrussi, daughter of a Rothschild, was a bit eccentric and she doted on her pets which included dogs, birds, fish, and a mongoose - like who owns a mongoose!  One of little chairs on the floor in her salon was reserved for that animal!  At one point, Beatrice arranged a marriage for two dogs which including sending engraved invitations to people and their dogs as far away as London. The ceremony was "officiated" by a bulldog in a top hat and was formalized by putting a diamond-encrusted ring on the bride's paw.  Really???  The gardens were still spectacular and we discovered parts that I hadn't seen before.

In the distance, sitting in the Bay of Beaulieu was Paul Allen's (co-founder of Microsoft) yacht which is called Octopus.  That is worth checking out on Google. It has space to store 2 helicopters in it that is "in" not just "on". What is really clear is that, for well over 100 years, this area has been a playground for royalty, the wealthy, and the famous!  So, what am I doing here except living vicariously!