A Day on the Castle Grounds

If you should find yourself in or around London or down south a bit in Brighton, you might want to take a brief detour and spend a day on the grounds of Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. There are cafes and a bookshop, rowboats on the lake (for an extra fee), a hedge and a water maze, a playground for the kids. It's beautiful, and the family ticket (prices listed in the brochures on the Web site linked above) makes it a great deal if you have children. I was there with friends one magnificent day in April.

Our Very Own Not-So-Antique Roadshow

Have you ever seen the show on BBC or PBS where people bring in to appraisers stuff they find in their homes and sometimes they find they've got dusty old stuff up in the attic that's worth a bloody fortune?

Well, something sort-of similar happened last night as Stefan and I discussed his move. He was going to give his dining room chairs away. I said, "At least sell them on eBay. Are they anything special?" "Yes," he said, and looked under one chair for any information he could find. He shot me an email and I started Googling, "Frederica Designed by Nanna Ditzel."

Turns out Stefan's set of six dining room chairs are Trinidad armchairs designed by Denmark's first great female designer. They won the 1995 ID prize. She died in 2005 and though the chairs are still being produced, to have a set of six armchairs in great condition is worth something. A lot, actually. Thousands of dollars. They are not going to a charity shop on Friday.

I am sorry to say my main thought about them before was, "They're sleek and pretty but don't look very comfortable." Actually, they are deceptive that way.

You may not be able to afford these fine things... but look around your place, what could stuff you no longer want pay for? One garage sale Saturday about two years ago I made $1400 off random household items.

I'm just sayin'. You never know...

Addendum: Maybe just because I was a Ms. Smartypants and posted this online, I paid a little karmic dues... I made an executive decision on Moving Day, while S was at work, to leave behind a chair that looked old and kind-of beat up. Then I saw it in Nate Berkus's new Manhattan apartment featured in O at home magazine! Turns out Stefan inheritad an original mid-century modern Bertoia chair... WHOOPS! The good news for you is that you can buy new chairs just like Nate's quite affordably. I found a couple on eBay for less than $100.

Bufalini ed espressi

Fine things are where you find them, and sometimes I find mine on the autostrada (highway). This is another fine thing I was led to by a Galloni, but Stefan reminded me of it a few years later.

Whenever we're on the autostrada in Italy, we stop into an Autogrill for a grilled Bufalino sandwich (I like the Gran Provolo, too) and espressi. Some of these roadside stops also have fine pasta and salad bars. On the way from Torino to Milano last year I had a great three-pasta plate with different hot sauces made while I waited.

Oh, and these you can definitely afford! 3 Euros 70, I think, for a Bufalino. Two weeks ago Stefan and I got big, crusty croissants filled with crema (vanilla custard) straight out of the oven.

Fine, fine things all...

Residenze l'Ulivo

I think maybe I shouldn't tell you what I'm about to because you might all rush the place and it will no longer be free when I am ready to visit again. Our family friend, Mrs. Galloni, told my mother who told me about the apartments behind the Villa Serbelloni, one of the loveliest fine hotels I've visited. I am fortunate to have grown up with parents who love fine hotels. They've taken me to The Breakers, The Broadmoor, The Sherry Netherland. In my opinion, none compare to the Villa Serbelloni. The secret fine thing you can probably afford, though, is what makes the Villa even better: they have these apartments over the fitness center... complete with kitchenettes and all the amenities of the hotel... for a fraction of the cost!

They're called the Residenze l'Ulivo and come in three sizes 40, 45 or 65 metres square. The Web site says they rent only for week-long stays, but if you ask very, very nicely you can usually get a shorter booking. The lowest rate I've seen for a small unit is 130 Euros per night, making this a fantastic travel value. All of the appartments I've seen have bedrooms and then sofa beds in the living rooms, too. They're air conditioned, a rare commodity in these parts. Some have lovely views of Lake Como. They are not at all fancy, but you in your spa robe lounging by the pool or in the ornate breakfast room of the Villa hotel will be!

Honkin' diamonds are not completely out of reach

If you live near their stores, you may find their ubiquitous radio ads terribly annoying, but I love the Shane Company. That statement is remarkable for several reasons:
1. I am secretly a hippie chick. I always thought I wouldn't want diamonds; I wasn't at all into jewelry when I was younger. But when I hit 30 something happened and rows of sparkly diamonds and rubies and sapphires seem like a very good idea.
2. Even still, affinity for a chain diamond store isn't really my style.

Here's why I love The Shane Company, though, and why it made this list early: the trade-in policy.

You can take anything you bought there back for a 100% credit if you trade up -- and you only have to spend $1 more. I've done this several times and now have a fun little collection. I cannot tell you how fabulous it was to take my wedding ring in and get a bunch of new necklaces, diamond earrings... I spent hours. It was a lot of fun and didn't cost me very much money.

So get the ring you can afford now, and every year celebrate your anniversary by trading up until you never want to take that ring off your finger again! Reaffirm your commitment... every year make an investment symbolizing the relationship. Then start on the bracelets and pendants. There are great restaurants near the Westminster location -- make it a tradition! You can afford fine things!

The Chocolate Standard

I have often said that I'm not an addictive personality -- but don't dare take my chocolate and coffee! My love, affection and perhaps reliance on chocolate is so profound that when S and I had just started dating he confessed to me that one of his only concerns was that I talked about chocolate so much I would get very, very fat. Why I wouldn't have done so in the preceding 36 years I'm not sure.
I have recently tasted a chocolate bar that made me feel rich. Chocolate has done many things for me in the past, but this bar was so fine it was a whole different experience. It was a small taste of a DoMori Barrique bar. I was standing at the bottom of the stairs in my entry hall, an inauspicious place for encountering an entirely new yardstick for the quality of chocolate.

As both a chocoholic and cook, I immediately tried to guess what combination of flavors was in my mouth -- it wasn't just dark, rich (75%, as it turns out) chocolate. I tasted cinnamon. It was buttressed and enhanced by other spices, including pepper, but they were so scarce that they just made it richer; they weren't distinct flavors for me.

This particular DoMori bar came from the Manor grocery in downtown Lugano (a fine place); it sells for 6.80 Swiss francs there. That's about $5.50 for a 50g bar. I've seen them online for 2.45 GBP. For me, chocolate will never be the same.

Who needs Provence?

Can't get to Provence this summer for the lavender harvest? Grow your own! This variety grew thick along the length of my house in Moscow, Idaho. A different variety is huge in the garden of my Lugano home. You can dry it for bouquets, crush it for scented baths, put it in bottles of fine oils for gifts, make soaps or potpourri sachets. It's beautiful and will make your yard smell just like the south of France or a l'Occitane store.

Mint is also super-easy to grow, but put it in a pot away from other plants or it will grow wild like a weed and take over your yard. I have a pot on my patio with thyme and basil combined. The thyme is growing fast and I'm having to think of ways to use the basil so I can cut it before it flowers and turns bitter. Fresh herbs produce strong flavors when you cook with them right after you cut them. It feels luxurious to use them. Your dinner guests will be impressed!

Here's one idea for growing fresh herbs -- these make great gifts, too!

Cascina Grassi

It's not so secret that Stefan and I talk about, as a long term goal, refurbishing and living in a place, maybe in Italy, that's a retreat center for workshops, artists, etc. Well, his sister-in-law Bettina recently stayed in this one opened by a German couple with the same idea. It's in the Piedmont, an area renowned for its wine and food. You can rent small apartments or the whole place (up to 20 people). I'm not sure, but I bet if you rent the whole place it's pretty darned affordable -- plus it has a big kitchen so she said her group cooked big communal meals every night. With kids, they were well over 20 people and all fit. A good time was reportedly had by all!