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bookmark_borderTwo (very different) Gothic Revival Mansions

Posted on by Christine Elias

This is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina…

Pretty impressive, right? It’s even more impressive in person. I am not the only one who thinks so — over 1 million people visit every year. The estate is still owned by one of the Vanderbilt’s descendants —  William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil — who sounds like a pretty business-savvy fellow…

“My acquaintances in the world of historic preservation told me in the 1960s that Biltmore could never be profitable, that I couldn’t run it as a private enterprise,” recalls Cecil, who is president of The Biltmore Company, which operates the 8,000 acre estate in Asheville, NC. “But they were wrong.”

Beyond the actual castle — I mean house — the grounds are pretty  amazing, too — all 125,000-acres of them were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

The architecture is not exactly my taste, but I really enjoyed my visit there a few years ago.

And this is Casa Loma in Toronto…

Also quite impressive! The exterior was restored a few years ago at a cost of $20 million. The interior — well — it’s very tired. In fact, some parts of the mansion appear to be in dire need of serious restoration.

The City of Toronto has always owned Casa Loma but it was managed by the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma (KCCL) from 1937 to 2011. Currently it’s run by the Casa Loma Corporation. Apparently, there was a bit of a power struggle between the city and the Kiwanis..I must have missed that in the paper.

In 2006, a public process to develop a strategic vision for Casa Loma was started, but because of downturns in the economy and a number of financial challenges, this  vision has not been implemented to any significant extent. That’s too bad.

There were not a lot of people there this past weekend which surprised me a bit. From what I read, the attraction gets about 300,000 visitors a year, which sounds like a lot. But to compare, the CN Tower gets 2 million visitors or so a year.

Casa Loma is — at the risk of sounding maudlin — a beautiful tourist attraction in dire need of some love. I hope it gets some soon.

That said, I did enjoy my visit — especially the stables and the tunnel!

 

 

 

 

 

bookmark_borderWhoopie Pies and other delights

Posted on by Christine Elias

“I have just returned from Boston. It is the only thing to do if you find yourself up there.” ~ Fred Allen

Fred was pretty funny — “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy”— but he got it wrong.

Boston is not New York, but it has many charms. For example, the Gilded Lily B&B in Boston’s South End is a super place to stay. Beautiful and well located! And not your typical B&B — no awkward chitchat with morning people you don’t know. The Garden and Parlor Rooms — where we stayed — share a private self-catered kitchen that is stocked with continental breakfast supplies. I have no idea about the other rooms — this is not a review — but I imagine the other guests got breakfast, too.

The Gilded Lily (in the summer…)

Photos of The Gilded Lily, Boston
This photo of The Gilded Lily is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

The Gilded Lily (it looked more like this last weekend!)

Note to self: there are lots of stairs — don’t over pack!

Photos of The Gilded Lily, Boston
This photo of The Gilded Lily is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

But the rooms are beautiful! This is the Garden Room on the top floor. Nice, eh?

Photos of The Gilded Lily, Boston
This photo of The Gilded Lily is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

But the bed was tall! This is me trying to launch myself onto the floor.

There is no after picture of my graceful landing.

Anyway,  it was a great weekend getaway with fun people. (Both local and travelers.)

Places to eat! (There was more than eating on the agenda though, really.)

  • The Beehive — good food, fun atmosphere! Good drinks…well, I think I remember good drinks.
  • Hamersley’s Bistro — really fine food in a lovely farmhouse inspired setting.
  • Teranga — Boston’s first Senegalese restaurant is worth a visit. Our dinners were delicious and be sure to try the ginger juice!
  • Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe — so tasty and so retro, but no bathrooms. Really, none. You have to walk to bar down the street to pee.
  • Tapeo — mmm sangria and margaritas.  A nice place to have snack and a drink on Newbury Street.
  • Algiers Coffee House in Harvard Square — Tea! Cookies! Lentil soup! Beer! (Yes, all of these were consumed. Also consumed was a “Whoopie Pie” — but that was secreted in via a purse!)

But this dining establishment stands out in my mind for some reason…

This is the Caspersen Student Center at the Harvard Law school.
No food was consumed here, but I bet it would’ve been tasty.
Lawyers need energy and precisely stacked fruits just add to the visual appeal — and sense of drama!

Addendum

This — for the record — is a Whoopie Pie.

Oh, can you imagine two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them? There’s even a festival!