Victoria May/June 2019

Along with mild temperatures and fragrant blossoms, this time of year also seems to bring wanderlust. Sunshine casts its radiant glow over the days of late spring and early summer, illuminating possibilities for travel, and I find myself dreaming of Paris. We invite you to join us as we explore the City of Light, strolling through magnificent gardens on page 73, tracing the footsteps of a legendary chef on page 57, and pausing at other romantic sites throughout the issue. The serenity I seek often can only be found in a moment’s repose. Reflecting on our new Victoria Classics Book Club selection, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, I recognize the value of solitude. “There is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious,” she writes. “Life rushes…

Take a closer look at some of our favorite May/June features: Footsteps of a Legend A trio of French recipes from the Victoria test kitchens pays tribute to the iconic Parisian restaurants that prompted the culinary career of esteemed chef Julia Child. Serene Destinations From Roman temples and calm waterways to art-inspiring views and tantalizing brocantes, the regions of southern France hold much allure. A Well-Watered Château On the grounds of a seventeenth-century castle, a silver stream courses through a shaded garden in a scene so idyllic, it evokes images of a fairy tale. Ode to Maternity Worthy of every celebratory note, the daughter’s first friend, greatest example, and dearest ally arrives with unmatched grace to our table beneath a canopy of blooms. Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content…

As a child, I would always tiptoe down the stairs in the morning—greeted by the aroma of fresh coffee—to find my mother wrapped in one of her pink or floral robes. Before doing anything else, I would crawl onto her lap and rest my head on her chest. Planting a kiss on my forehead, she would ask me how I slept. She always smelled like peonies, and I think this was because she adored them. I believe that what you love, you in some way become. Today, newly married, I have a painting hanging in my house of a woman with auburn hair smelling roses. Her eyes are closed, and her head is lifted, as if she is inhaling the best perfume in the world. This portrait reminds me of my…

So small and silent, created 350 years ago and now in the Louvre, Paris, The Lacemaker by Johannes Vermeer has much to tell us. Riveted the first time I saw her, I sensed that she had a secret to share. “Immersed in her world, I sensed her calm, private contentment and the exquisite beauty of this retreat in the home … .” You have probably noted, as I have, how some people just seem to know things you would want to know but somehow missed. For me, making my way through school, to work, family, and on, it was the world of the home arts that had escaped my understanding. I was vaguely aware of beautiful, graceful surroundings while racing around making my life: an Edenic flower garden, a laden pear tree…

Thought to have health benefits in medieval Europe, small cloth bags filled with dried blossoms, herbs, and seeds were once a favorite accessory of Queen Isabella of Spain. Today, sachets remain a natural and aromatic alternative to commercially scented products. Artist-in-Residence Stephanie Monahan fashions these accents using a variety of techniques and materials. Folded into an envelope and fastened with a button, a cheery patterned paper delivers the calming character of lavender. Sealed with glue or stitched together, pockets cut from greeting cards showcase découpaged blooms and wisps of trim. Simple ribbon-tied fabric pouches shelter rosebuds perfumed with essential oils. Whether tucked into a linen closet or slipped over a doorknob, sachets add redolent charm wherever they are placed. And when the elements chosen to create these sweet-smelling tokens are selected with…