Looking Back at the Gilded Age

The entrance to The Marble House once owned by William Vanderbilt

This blog post was written on October 10 and being published now. Thanks for your patience!

Today we landed in Newport, Rhode Island, known for its yachts, glorious homes, and delicious seafood.

Here's the back of the house -- no pictures allowed inside

We didn't have much time but luckily arranged tickets to see two of those amazing homes, both owned by the Vanderbilt family.

Cornelius II and William were the grandsons of Cornelius who founded the Vanderbilt empire on shipping and the railroad.

The first house we saw was the Marble House, owned by William and decorated by his wife Alva Erskine Smith.

One can tell by the décor how much she wanted to prove that the family Alva married into was one of the most powerful and famous in the world.

The massive gates at The Breakers

It was called the Marble House because practically every room in the house has marble in it. The grand foyer itself is an indication of what's to come, thick slabs of Italian marble that were cut like a book so that the panels mirrored each other.

The home was also one of the first to have electricity installed as well as modern plumbing. Alva hired a French chef to cook gourmet meals for the family and guests, and he was paid $10,000 a month – not a bad salary at the time!

However the story of their daughter Consuelo is sad. Even though she was secretly engaged to someone else, her mother kept her pretty much locked up at home until she relented to marry the Duke of Marlborough.

Chinese-inspired pavilion at the back of Marble House

Incidentally he was the last guest to stay in the only guest room in the massive mansion. While she moved to England and became close with one of her husband's friends, Sir Winston Churchill, she was in a loveless marriage and bore two sons.

It wasn't until after 26 years of marriage did she divorce – and her mother testified that it was she who pushed Consuelo to marry the duke. Soon after Consuelo married a French aviator and seems to have lived a happy life afterwards from the age of 43.

The gorgeous facade of The Breakers

Her mother also turned heads by divorcing her husband in 1895 and then promptly marrying one of her husband's friends Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont who lived nearby. As a result, she apparently used Marble House as her storage or closet.

The other house we visited was The Breakers, and it is also a very impressive mansion with massive wrought iron gates at the entrance. The original Breakers was a wooden home, but was destroyed by a fire in 1892.

Cornelius was determined to learn lessons from this and made sure the kitchen was not close to the main parts of the house. While there's marble from Switzerland and even platinum on the walls of one of the bedrooms, the Breakers isn't as over-the-top, though it's still a home to illicit awe from visitors, particularly the dining room with its two massive Baccarat crystal chandeliers and 22K gold leaf on the walls.

The back of The Breakers on a gorgeous autumn day

The bedrooms on the second floor are elegant, but toned down, with lots of portraits and a few items displayed from the time. Cornelius was known as a hardworking man whose personality wasn't ostentatious, while his wife was keen to entertain.

Apparently women at the time of her stature would change clothes seven times a day.

The Vanderbilts didn't spend much time in these houses – perhaps spending six weeks in the summer here. While the chinaware used stayed in these homes, the family packed up the silverware with them wherever they went – and even locked it up every evening.

Looking out onto the water from the second floor terrace

These two homes give a good indication of what Mark Twain meant by The Gilded Age – conspicuous consumption, using classical architecture or design combined with new technology or the nouveau riche to justify their stature in society.

Both homes and several more are looked after by The Preservation Society of Newport  County and it's no wonder they do well with the stream of visitors who come here to gawk at such opulence that people actually lived over a century ago.

Boston's Eclectic Gem

General Joseph Hooker sits astride his horse at the Massachusetts State House

The following blog post was written on October 9, but being published now. Thanks for your patience!

Today we landed in Boston and we came here two years ago, walking part of the Freedom Trail before heading to other spots like Harvard and Boston Common.

This time around the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was on my list, but it didn't open until 11am so we first visited the Massachusetts State House, not too far from Quincy Market – where a new Uniqlo outlet opened today to the beat of taiko drums.

Part of the stained glass window on independence

The Massachusetts State House is quite grand, with a statue of Hooker on a horse. After a security check we were allowed to wander around certain areas on our own, or follow a guided tour.

The building was designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798, measuring only 65 feet wide at the time. The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1795, by Governor Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Another interesting fact is that the State House is on the land where John Hancock used to have a cow pasture.

The House of Representatives is in there, but my favourite parts of the building are the gorgeous mosaic floors and the stained glass window in the Great Hall, which shows the evolution of the Massachusett's state seal. The state motto in Latin means: "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty".

Uniqlo just opened its latest store in Quincy Market

Then we headed over to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. There is a new addition to the place, including a covered walkway to the actual house.

Isabella Stewart (1840-1924) was born in New York and married Bostonian John Lowell Gardner Jr ("Jack") in 1860. His family was in the shipping business, doing a lot of trade in China in lacquerware and silk. They originally lived on 152 Beacon Street.

They had a son called Jacky, but he died at two years of age. She tried to conceive again, but had a miscarriage. Isabella was very depressed and the doctor advised that she take a six-month holiday.

They traveled around Europe and with the money she had inherited from her father (importing linens and selling off her grandmother's farms on Long Island), she received $1.7 million at the time, which would have been worth $25 million.

A symbol of the Freedom Trail on the ground

She began buying up museum-quality pieces like Rembrandt, Titian and Giotto, and expanded to furniture, textiles, giant wooden Chinese screens, porcelain and even massive palazzo windows from Italy. Isabella preferred Italian art and architecture over French which was in vogue at the time.

Another interesting fact is that being a businessman he recorded all of his wife's acquisitions, so the museum must have a tally of everything she bought.

When she accumulated a massive collection of things, she began planning to house them all. At first they bought the property next door to them on Beacon Street, but it soon became clear it was going to be too small.

Her husband died in 1890 and Isabella continued her project, and bought a piece of land near Fenway Park. Fen means "swamp", and the area was previously swamp land that was filled in.

The Isabella Gardner Museum courtyard

While she hired an architect, it was Isabella who really designed the building to look like a palazzo, particularly from the inside. The courtyard was the original entrance to the home, and she lived on the fourth floor, which is now the residence of the museum director.

The museum, which Isabella called Fenway Court, was opened in 1903.

At first one isn't quite sure what is going on, except that she did collect lots of stuff. However, following a guided tour, we find that things may have been deliberately placed in certain ways and places, that may encourage visitors to make their own associations.

That's because all the items in the museum are placed exactly where she had put them, and it was stipulated in her will that nothing be moved in any way, otherwise all the items had to be auctioned off and the proceeds donated to Harvard.

The museum has the tricky task of having to ask the Attorney General for permission to make changes to the building, such as widening certain areas for wheelchair accessibility and moving certain items to make way for a glass-covered walkway.

A gorgeous sarcophagus from Italy that is in the courtyard

The rooms in the home range from small and narrow to massive and grand, each filled to the brim with paintings, tapestries, all kinds of items, and furniture. An amateur curator, Isabella mixed the religious with pagan.

One painting, probably from a church, was of the Archangel Michael and she bought it from a friend of hers, hinting to him over dinner that it would make a great addition to the room they were dining in.

It does look great above the fireplace that matches the painting with creatures carved into it.

Or there's a painting by Titian of Europa, and a sketch of the original nearby, or a painting of the Annunciation, with a secular picture of a woman, but she is wearing similar coloured robes to Mary in the painting, and on the other side is a painting of Mary holding baby Jesus, and on the table there's a sculpture of a cherub, and another of a foot.

Is Isabella expecting us to make these associations, or is this just her clever or intriguing way to put things together?

The rooms are kept in as original state as possible, which means some rooms are darker than others. There are also no labels next to the paintings and one has to look them up in nearby plastic cards to identify them.

The ironic thing about visiting this museum is that even though the place was originally a home, one hardly feels comfortable here because the security guards are constantly warning us not to get too close to a piece of furniture or painting. One practically feels anxious and hardly relaxed in there!

Next to the courtyard is a Spanish chapel, with a picture of Mary and Jesus. The baby, our guide said, looks very similar to her son Jacky, which is probably why she bought it.

When she died, she wrote in her will that her body be laid in the chapel near the portrait for a few days before it was buried. Nearby is a fantastic painting called El Jaleo or "the ruckus" by John Singer Sargent. It's so dynamic with a woman dancing in what looks like a cave with musicians in the background.

We also love the Roman sarcophagus lining the outside of the courtyard, though inside the mini garden is a child sarcophagus, probably alluding to her son.

In 1990, some paintings were stolen from the museum, including a Vermeer. The thieves posed as policemen and fooled the security guards, of which there were only two at the time.

The investigation is ongoing; they believe they know who stole them, but the whereabouts of the paintings is still unknown. There are two empty frames in the Dutch Room to signify two paintings used to be there, and that the museum is the rightful owner of them.

Isabella is such a fascinating character and we are so grateful she channeled her energy into collecting such a wide range of items. The museum is quite an eclectic gem.

Life as a Cruiser

Delicious grilled halibut with polenta was one of the dinners I ate

This blog post was originally written on October 8 but being published now. Thanks for reading!

Today we spent the day at sea and are on our way to Boston. Last night the ship was rolling over the waves and I got a bit seasick! I felt as if I was carsick and tried to get to bed as early as I could to sleep it off.

We went about our day and my brother and sister-in-law took in a tour of the galley kitchens. An interesting fact is that the Queen Mary 2's kitchen staff prepare 15,000 meals a day.

Marinated Peking duck was a bit of East-Meets-West

For breakfast we usually grab something to eat at the buffet area called King's Court, and there's everything from fried eggs to oatmeal, fresh fruit, pancakes and sausages, muesli, yogurt, and today I even saw congee, though it was plain.

In the evenings we dress up for dinner to eat at Britannia Restaurant, where we are served a more formal meal. While the presentation of the dishes isn't exactly refined, churning out thousands of dishes around the same time isn't an easy feat either.

Already missing the fluffy scrumptious scones at afternoon tea

For the most part the food has been fantastic. The salads have always been fresh and crisp, mains are a good portion and on the whole delicious. I particularly liked the vegetable and cashew korma I had last night with popadums.

However, tonight we were disappointed by the grilled lobster tail. We had assumed the crustaceans were ferried on board yesterday from Sydney, Nova Scotia, but we were wrong. Our waiter told us the lobsters had been put in storage at the beginning of the trip and only now were cooked.

That explains why the lobster tails hardly tasted fresh and were soft in texture. While it is understandable the kitchen wanted to save the lobsters for a particularly formal occasion, freshness is of the essence when it comes to seafood and should have been consumed as quickly as possible.

The Indian vegetarian cashew korma was a winner

A good way to make up for it would be to use the shells to make bisque the next day so we wonder if that will happen tomorrow.

I have mostly avoided dessert, though the soufflé with vanilla sauce was pretty good, fluffy and light – not bad again considering hundreds of these are being served around the same time.

This afternoon the Queens Room held not only the traditional afternoon tea but also the tea dance and so it was packed by the time my mom and I arrived after watching a one-hour condensed version of Romeo and Juliet.

Desserts anyone? In the Queens Room

Many people were on the dance floor, while others sat back to enjoy the proceedings. We had to share a table, and sat with a couple from Toronto but were originally from Hong Kong.

I tried to make conversation with them, asking if they were enjoying the cruise. The wife immediately replied that this one wasn't as good as Celebrity Cruises because the ships were newer and the food tasted better.

This made conversation awkward as we thought it was pretty good (again considering how big the ship is), but she and later her husband chimed in that this cruise was more British, meaning it was more formal at dinner, how the ship was old (2004?!) and how it catered more to elderly people.

Um, yes… the vast majority of cruisers are elderly people, and Cunard is known for its Britishness – to separate itself from other cruise companies. Even more so, the Queen Mary 2 is large enough that it doesn't feel crowded which is no easy feat.

The one bad meal -- not fresh lobster tail (right) with shrimp

My mom later told me that cruises on Celebrity are very expensive, practically double the cost of ones on Cunard. So of course if you pay more you get better service…

The wife sat there, her arms folded, as if nothing was good enough for her. She didn't even eat anything, nor did they want to dance. So why be there?

Even though they immigrated to Toronto, they are still very much like Hong Kong people – ones who think they are too good for anything and deserve even more.

Who do these people think they are?

Feting some of the chefs who cook 15,000 meals every day

One wonders where this superior attitude comes from – is it insecurity from being ruled by the British, and now under the Chinese? What about being a bit more appreciative of the most basic things, starting with good health?

Perhaps then Hong Kong people wouldn't be so miserable? While having high standards as a customer challenges the hospitality industry in a good way, never being satisfied seems too extreme…

Stepping Back in Time in Nova Scotia

A picture of the Queen Mary 2 taken from tenders, or small boats to go ashore

This blog entry was written on October 7 but is being published now that I have internet access!

Today we arrived in Sydney, Nova Scotia and we couldn't ask for a more gorgeous day. Our ship, the Queen Mary 2 is very large and there was already a Holland America ship docked at the port, so we had to take tenders, small boats seating 120 people to get to shore. The 15-20 minute ride was fun, as the water was so calm there were hardly any ripples.

Once on shore we wandered around the area near the port, as destinations further away, like the Alexander Graham Bell Museum are several hours' drive by car and we didn't have that much time to explore everything.

One massive fiddle at the terminal!

Sydney was founded in 1785 by Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres, a Swiss-born Canadian statesman who acted as Lieutenant-Governor of Cape Breton (the regional municipality) from 1784 to 1787.

The town was named after Thomas Townsend, first Baron (later Viscount) Sydney, the British Home Secretary. The first residents were mainly Loyalists who fled after the American Revolution.

In the 19^th century there was an influx of Scottish immigrants, which may explain why kilts are popular here as well as bagpipes and fiddles. Speaking of which, at Sydney Marine Terminal to greet marine visitors there's the world's largest bow and fiddle that are 60 feet tall, made of solid steel and weighs 10 tons.

An apothecary set up in the Jost Heritage House

We visited a few historical sites near the terminal, starting with St Patrick's Church Museum. It's the oldest Roman Catholic church on Cape Breton Island, built in 1828 and was a church until 1950 before being turned into a museum 16 years later.

Inside there are interesting artifacts, from antique playing cards, and Chinoiserie porcelain, to various styles of school desks and old maps.

We next visited the Jost Heritage House on Charlotte Street, that from the outside looks very ordinary and at first we weren't quite sure if we wanted to go in. However, once we walked in and paid CAD$3 admission, we weren't disappointed.

The house was originally built in 1786 and then bought by Thomas Jost, a merchant in 1836 and owned by his descendants until 1971. Jost made his money by opening a general store in the ground floor of his home, and today there's one room themed "apothecary" with all kinds of antique medicines, mortar and pestles, bottles from centuries ago and manuals from that time.

An uncomfortable-looking bed!

One room, the parlour, was considered the best room in the house, and this one had a portrait of Queen Victoria on the wall. Upstairs there was even a shawl displayed that was once owned by her too – she had given it to one of the captains of her bodyguards before he immigrated to Canada.

A bedroom revealed how the beds were made – the bottom was strung vertically and horizontally before laying down the mattress made of straw – talk about easily getting a bad back!

By the bed was a wash basin and pitcher, where water was drawn by a well, and a chamber pot on the floor. That was already considered luxurious as it was an even worse predicament to have to go outside to the outhouse in the middle of the night or in freezing temperatures of 25 below Celsius!

The basement had an interesting display of tools, like an iron, egg beater, candle making equipment, and even an ice cream scoop. There was also an old school wooden contraption to wash clothes in. The instructions said to mix a bit of flour into the water, probably to soak up the oil, then to scrub hard before laying things out to dry. As the Josts had 10 children, there must have been a lot of washing to do…

The minimalist but nice parlour in the Cossit House

We visited another house nearby, the Cossit House that is considered Sydney's oldest house built around 1787. It was the home of Reverend Ranna Cossit, the town's first Anglican minister. He and his wife had 13 children, but 10 survived.

He fled from the American Revolution and was given the house and land. The guide explained that most things were original in the home, like the floorboards and chimneys, while most of the furnishings were from that period.

While there was less to see in this home, the place was well preserved and furniture of good quality. At the back of the home they planted lots of herbs, and there would have been an outhouse and a well.

A peek inside St George's Church

Afterwards we visited St George's Church for British engineers who laid out and surveyed the town in 1784. One of the guides explained that the Queen Mother visited this church in 1967, the year of Canada's centenary and sat in the front row on the right side.

We then went in search for Governors Pub & Eatery for some lobster rolls. The place was already bustling when we got there and we managed to get a table. We promptly ordered lobster rolls (CAD$14.99) and were not disappointed at all!

Unlike the McLobster rolls we had two years ago in Halifax, these were choc full of fresh lobster with little mayo and celery in between a soft long bun that was warm. So good.

The seafood chowder was also excellent, again featuring fresh seafood like haddock, salmon, halibut, shrimp and lobster in a broth that wasn't salty. However the dessert of apple crisp was a tad too much on the sweet side, but loved the extra dose of cinnamon in it.

Delicious lobster rolls for lunch with a salad

We made our way back to the terminal via a wooden walkway along the waterfront. It was a pleasant stroll, except that when we got closer, we could see a massive line for the tenders to get back onto the ship!

When we visited the Jost House, one of the volunteers told us that they were now experiencing summer weather, whereas the summer they had just had was cold and not a lot of rain.

On some real estate agent office windows we saw homes for sale, starting at CAD$32,000! While it must be nice and quiet during the summer (and all the lobster you can eat), the winters must be a real drag.

We enjoyed the gorgeous scenery and beautiful weather

We wonder if we'll get back to Sydney again sometime, as the Alexander Graham Bell Museum would have been interesting, as well as the Marconi National Historic Site, where Guglielmo Marconi sent the world's first trans-Atlantic wireless message from Glace Bay in 1902.

The locals are also very friendly – perhaps because the town doesn't get many visitors except for those traveling through by ship. Nevertheless, we are still thinking of those delicious lobster rolls and hope to sample more on our trip!