Tag Archives: Pottery

Enjoy The Splendid Gardens of Apremont

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Visit The Splendid Gardens of Apremont

gardensApremont is one of the loveliest villages in France. It is comfortably nestled in the heart of Berry, a landscape traversed by hedges and copses on the banks of the Allier. The village is overlooked by its castle, which is surrounded by a flower garden inspired by the “White Gardens” at Vita Sackville-West’s landscaped garden in Sissinghurst. The beautiful village was completely reinstated in the last century.

You do not get a tour of the castle, which is privately owned; but you do get to tour the extensive grounds and gardens – and sometimes, you also get to view special exhibits in the stables.

The owners of the castle actually own the village, with mostly estate workers living in the houses. The houses were bought up in the 1930’s by Eugene Schneider II of Le Creusot, who by marrying Antoinette de Saint Sauveur, daughter of the owners of the castle, had a passion for the site.

Get The History Of The Splendid Gardens Of Apremont

The gardens were developed in the 1970’s by Gilles de Brissac, great-grandson of Eugene and Antoinette Schneider. Ranked as a “Remarkable Garden”, this English garden, planted with rare trees is beautifully highlighted. Waterfalls, ponds and a perfect lawn cover more than five acres, which can be to walked from Easter to October.

In addition to lots of beautiful flowers and trees, there are unusual buildings among the gardens. These enchanting buildings had been designed by the Russian painter and architect Alexander Serebriakoff and his sister. These fantastical creations from around the world are in keeping with the exploratory spirit of the second portion of the 18th century.

A bridge spanning on one end of the lake is styled as a pagoda, with its gabled roof reminiscent of the temples of China. As though it were on the banks of the Bosphorus, both the exterior and interior of The Turkish Pavilion are a beautiful reminder of the past splendors of the Ottoman Empire. Lastly, the Russian-inspired Belvedere is situated to allow a stunning view over the river and beyond to the roofs of the village.

View Paintings From The Shop In Belvedere

Inside the Belvedere, eight panels were created especially for the Flower Garden over 10 years ago by the Montagnon Pottery in Nevers, based on original drawings by Alexander Sebriakoff. All of them can still be found in the shop. The panels tell the tale of an imaginary journey Pulchinelli took by the puppets of the Comedie Italienne of Venice. This trip takes in some of the MOST beautiful sights in the world and finishes, naturally, in the Flower Garden of Apremont. A disused quarry has been converted into a waterfall, of which all the surroundings have been constructed using 650 tons of rocks.

There is a small gift shop that you go through to get to the gardens and the stables. The shop has a small selection of candy, decorative items, garden books, and such.

Give us a call if you would be interested in learning more about our Upper Loire barge cruises! 888-869-7907

A Dutch City and Delftware

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PotteryDutch City of Delft: Pottery History

The Dutch city of Delft is well known for its Delft pottery. The first Delft pottery was made in 17th century, when citizens of the Dutch town began to hand-paint classic pottery. Delft pottery is a tradition in blue and white and comes in various forms. You can find Delft pottery in blue and white milk jugs to kitchen tiles to a little girl and boy poised for a kiss. These porcelain pieces are classic symbols of the Netherlands.

With the passage of time, the distinctive blue-and-white Delftware grew in popularity, increasing the amount of antique vases, plates and figurines that may be found all around the world. It’s quite surprising that in a time when craft work is gradually losing appeal, the interest in Delftware is increasing. So anybody who is visiting Delft must visit the Delft pottery.

Explore Delft Pottery And Authentic Delftware

You can find Delftware in many Dutch households, and it’s enormously popular with tourists. However, authentic Delftware only can be found in the city of Delft, which was one of the most important ceramic production centers in Europe between 1600 and 1800. Delftware products have been an important export product from the Netherlands for 400 years, and it still enjoys a great reputation around the world. The 17th-century Royal Delft Factory (i.e. Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles) and De Delftse Pauw are the only genuine Delftware producers still operating. The charming town of Delft and its pottery factories and shops make it a must visit place.

In the creation of Delftware, a clay mixture is used that is covered with a tin glaze after it came out of the kiln. Delftware painters then paint the traditional patterns on the porcelain items totally by hand. Sadly, however, today only a small percentage of the Delftware is entirely painted by hand.

The city of Delft is often a port on either a barge or river cruise in Holland. So, you must visit the beautiful town of Delft and its Delft pottery and observe the art closely. You can also shop for some exclusive Delftware as a memory of the place! Europeanbarging.com 888-869-7907