Villa Ephrushi Rothschild

I wasn't, and then I was, going on, this optional  ( extra cost) tour and left J to his own gallivanting.  My primary interest was in the gardens but on getting there, I was quite disappointed in the planting.  

I guess I expected a more formal garden and the planting was to my mind very higgledy piggledy - to use the ( Mother dear's) technical term.  It was how we used to plant our gardens more than 20 years ago with generally 2 or so plants of one sort here and then another 2 different types and so on.  Of course now, none of my photos will illustrate what I mean!

The local guide was not impressed with my comment that I was  "surprised the plants were such common plants". Her retort " Perhaps to you and in your country but not here".  Fair enough,but the garden wouldn't win high thumbs up from me.  

The location would!  Those sea views are magical but I think blind Freddy could do the garden design.  It was good but not magical. (Perhaps I have seen too many gardening shows and am a hard task marker on this front!). It was a very hot day and lots of walking and I think I suffered from this and dehydration - even though I drank an iced coffee and about a litre of water as soon as the garden walk had finished.

  See the plants lower right. Mum referred to these as Mrs Whitworth's - the next door neighbour had them when she and the three ( youngest) girls moved to Jindalee after Dad's death.

The Villa

Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild had more money than sense  - sometimes I wish I was in that category.  Her villa is one of the finest listed building on the French Riviera that she built to fit the art works from all over the world. 

The Villa is at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and is really an art collection.  As an example, the Baroness liked two gates / doors in two churches so she bought the churches so she could put the gates in this villa.  Part of the house? seems to be an attempt to copy parts of the Palace of Versailles.

The outside - where the steps upstairs were added as an afterthought ( glass tower left corner)

Even though the Baroness was Jewish she collected many religious art treasures.  These paintings ( at entrance high up) all relate to ( our mob) the Medici family - J and I love the Medici family!

The grilled iron gates from churches.

I'll finish on this indelicate note.

Part of the large and very valuable and irreplaceable porcelain collection is on the top shelf.  No. Not gravy boats.  Rather containers that were taken by maids to ladies for a comfort stop when they had to sit in the church listening to the priest preaching fire and brimstone for 4 or 5 hours at a time - and they were not allowed to move from their pew.  

Phew!