Country Life International October 13, 2021

International AUTUMN 2021

FLY AWAY

Where to go to escape the cold

Royal palaces: the grandest ones outside Britain PAGE 40 CLI326.cli_cover.indd 35

For your eyes only: scenic Bond settings PAGE 46

Ahoy me hearties: the Caribbean’s pirates PAGE 36 07/10/2021 10:25

Meet Our Experts Raised in Croatia where she consumed a steady diet of the BBC and Brideshead Revisited, Jelena acts as a lynchpin for our Global Residential Division and is often the first port of call for international clients.

Jelena Cvjetkovic Director, Savills Global Residential

I joined Savills back in 2008 having moved to London after a 13-year stint living and working in Italy. I was searching for a position that was client-focussed and would make use of my knowledge of European culture and languages: international property fitted the bill perfectly.

My role has two main focuses: the first is managing our associate offices across Europe, making sure they are plugged into the extensive assets that Savills offers.

The other is acting on behalf of clients who have a pan-European search criteria - for example, those looking for a historical property along the Mediterranean, or a discreet off-market purchase.

It’s hard not to get carried away by the beauty and breadth of properties we have on offer; I find myself mentally moving somewhere on each trip - Lisbon is my current favourite. For me, tapping into different cultures, markets and places is infinitely stimulating.

To find out more about the European residential market, watch my video update here: http://sav.li/meetourexperts

FOR SALE | Quinta do Lago, Algarve | Guide €8.5 million This resort goes from strength to strength with a wonderful array of sports facilities - it’s perfect for year-round activity.

Jelena Cvjetkovic Savills Global Residential +44 (0)20 3930 4907 jcvjetkovic@savills.com

FOR SALE | Amoreiras, Lisbon | Price on application A rare 4 bedroom townhouse which has been beautifully decorated, located in one of the best cities in the world.

FOR SALE | Chianti Hills, Tuscany | Guide €3.5 million We actually found this house for the current owners following an extensive search across Tuscany. Their children have been at the international school in Siena, but the family is now on the move again. The traditional facade belies striking and contemporary interiors.

FOR SALE | Cannes, French Riviera | Guide €1.75 million I love this wonderful lock-up-and-leave 3 bedroom apartment in a fantastic town with a picture perfect view of the Mediterranean.

FOR SALE | Pollensa, Mallorca | Guide €4.5 million A beautiful house set in the countryside - which is less affected by the tourist seasons - and yet within reach of the coast.

Eco-Friendly Villa Rapallo, Italy Genoa: 21 miles Beautifully designed property with enchanting views of the Italian Riviera. 3 reception rooms, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, swimming pool, triple glazing throughout, solar and thermal panels, separate guest apartment and Mediterranean garden.

About 1.5 acres | Guide €2.2 million Annabel Smith Savills Global Residential +44 (0)20 4502 3667 annabel.smith@savills.com

savills

savills.com

Stunning Quinta do Lago Villa Algarve, Portugal Faro Airport: 8.5 miles Exceptional residence in a beautiful setting overlooking the golf course and lake.

6 en suite bedrooms, cinema and games room, swimming pool, covered outside dining area, landscaped gardens and south-west facing.

About 0.6 acres | Guide €8.95 million Jamie Robinson QP Savills +351 289 396 073 jamie@qp.pt

savills

savills.com

Girona Country Property La Selva, Spain Caldes de Malavella: 1.2 miles Beautiful country home sympathetically restored and set in an exceptional location, offering excellent access to Girona, Barcelona and the Costa Brava. 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, swimming pool, stables, guest house and paddocks.

Guide €1.05 million Annabel Smith Savills Global Residential +44 (0)20 3918 7643 annabel.smith@savills.com

savills

savills.com

Aegean Sea Views Agrari, Greece Mykonos Town: 5 miles Sophisticated and beautifully decorated villa overlooking Agrari Beach. 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, infinity swimming pool, Jacuzzi, multiple terraces surrounding the property and secluded patio carved out of the natural rock.

About 2.5 acres | Guide €3.85 million Fani Dritsa Savills Greece +30 210 699 6311 f.dritsa@savills.gr

savills

savills.com

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CHAMONIX, FRANCE

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halet Diard is a large, beautiful property situated in the popular Les Favrands area of Chamonix. Offering numerous renovation possibilities over three floors, this chalet is on a quiet plot, featuring magnificent mountain views.

8 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 1 R E C E P T I O N R O O M | B A L C O N Y | G A R D E N | G A R A G E

Guide price €1,650,000

knightfrank.com/overseas-property

roddy.aris@knightfrank.com +44 20 3944 6825

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G R I M E N T Z , SW I T Z E R L A N D

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halet d'Adélaide is a superb project in the wonderful resort of Grimentz, Valais. Designed by local architects and built using authentic local materials, the beautiful apartments offer light spacious interiors with mountain views.

2 - 3 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 1 - 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | B A L C O N Y S K I - I N S K I - O U T | F U L L Y AVA I L A B L E T O N O N - S W I S S R E S I D E N T S A S A H O L I D AY R E S I D E N C E

Prices from CHF 949,000 alex.kdeg@knightfrank.com +44 20 3627 9289

knightfrank.com/overseas-property

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S T JA M E S, B A R B A D O S

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harming beachfront apartment with views of the Caribbean sea. Set over four floors, the apartment offers extensive living areas with the option to keep as one property or split into two, ideal for rentals.

4 B E D R O O M S | 4 B A T H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | P R I VA T E B A L C O N I E S & R O O F T E R R A C E 2 P LU N G E P O O L S | PA R K I N G | P E R S O N A L I S E D B E AC H S E RV I C E

Guide price US $2,500,000

knightfrank.com/overseas-property

andrew.blandford-newson@knightfrank.com +44 20 3504 4170

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ST PETER, BARBADOS

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eautiful semi-detatched villa situated in Port St Charles. Overlooking the marina and Caribbean sea, the villa offers excellent living areas and the sale includes a 25 ft Bennington Seagoing Tritoon.

3 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | T E R R A C E | T W O B O A T B E R T H S COMMUNAL AMENITIES INCLUDING SWIMMING POOLS, GYM AND 24 HOUR SECURITY

Guide price US $1,600,000 andrew.blandford-newson@knightfrank.com +44 20 3504 4170

knightfrank.com/overseas-property

International news

Visitors to Amsterdam in the Netherlands this December will see the city in a whole new light as 20 bespoke artworks transform its famous canals for the annual Amsterdam Light Festival, now in its 10th year. The theme for 2021 is ‘Celebrate Light’ (www. amsterdamlightfestival.com)

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HE yachting community in the BVI is looking forward to raising a glass (or two) this autumn to toast the re-opening of the Bitter End Yacht Club in time for the sailing season to get under way. This much-loved international hub, named for its iconic location as the last stop before the Caribbean meets the waters of the open Atlantic, was devastated by Hurricane Irma

in 2017. Now, after a careful reconstruction, the marina is set to re-open with vastly improved amenities, including a panoramic members’ lounge and a state-of-the-art clubhouse. There are a busy few months ahead: according to the Charter Yacht Society BVI, the majority of the 48 fully crewed yachts in the territory are already fully booked for the upcoming season.

‘Co-primary’ homes come to the fore

The events of the past two years have produced pent-up demand for second homes, according to Knight Frank’s Global Buyer Survey, which reports that one-third of respondents feel more motivated to buy a home-from-home since the pandemic began.

Knight Frank also found that a new class of wealthy homeworking buyers is on the hunt for a ‘co-primary’ property that must deliver not only the natural beauty and local character of a second home, but also fibre broadband, modern technology and impeccable eco-credentials. The UK, Australia, the US, Spain and Italy top the second-home hotspots globally, but, for Europeans, Middle Eastern and North American buyers, France ranks highly this year, with excellent healthcare high on the list of must-haves.

No shine off the Big Apple

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IG money is back in New York as US agent Corcoran reports that sales along Billionaire’s Row in Manhattan rocketed this summer. Ready to meet this demand is the most expensive unit at Central Park Tower—the tallest residential building in the world. At $150 million (£109.4 million), the 11,500sq ft duplex on floors 127 and 128 comes with eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a private elevator, a 30ft dining room, staff quarters, chef’s kitchen and 270˚ views. The building is sure to deliver everything owners require under one roof, including an exclusive private club, multiple fine-dining options and a state-of-the-art wellness and fitness centre (www.centralparktower.com).

Grand opening

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NE of the most notable museum openings in a generation is scheduled to take place at the end of this year as Egypt completes a resting place for its treasures after a decade of delays. Built on Cairo’s Giza Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum promises to explore more than 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history through its 100,000-piece collection. Highlights include the Tutankhamun display— all 5,600 objects retrieved from the boy king’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922—plus a 30ft-high statue of Ramses the Great and a 4,600-year-old wooden solar boat that was found in a closed pit near the Great Pyramid in 1954.

Editor Carla Passino Editor-in-chief Mark Hedges Art Heather Clark, Ben Harris, Dean Usher Pictures Lucy Ford Sub-editing Octavia Pollock, James Fisher Advertising Lucy Khosla 07583 106990 Email firstname.surname@ futurenet.com

Klaas Fopma; Getty

No bitter end for BVI yacht club

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Highland Beach, FL | $37,500,000 Premier Estate Properties, Inc. D’Angelo/Liguori — +1 866 281 3884 WEB ID: HLMI

Finding your home is a personal process of discovery, and the accomplished global network of Luxury Portfolio International® member companies are ready to assist in the journey. Explore over 50,000 of the world’s finest properties marketed on luxuryportfolio.com each year. Enter the property Web ID for more detail.

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Meggen, Luzern Price Upon Request

Aeugst am Albis, CH Price Upon Request

High-end mansion near Lucerne, to be completed in fall 2022 (bespoke interior).

Splendid mansion: High-end interiors, swimming pool, stunning view, ba 5, bd 5.

Nobilis Estate AG David Hauptmann — +41 41 709 00 14

Nobilis Estate AG David Hauptmann — +41 41 709 00 14

WEB ID: MILS

WEB ID: OAQE

Saint-Barthélemy, SB | $14,900,000 Villa with 4-bed cottages in garden, gated domain, great indoor-outdoor living.

Sibarth Real Estate Zarek Honneysett — +590 590 298891 WEB ID: QAGE

Alberswil, CG | Price Upon Request

Point Loma, CA | $9,800,000

Westport, CT | $7,200,000

Magnificent castle built 1682, completely renovated with a modern annex, 16 bd.

Gated estate exquisitely crafted & sited on just under an acre of lush grounds.

Compo Mill Cove is a treasured peninsula!

Includes 1 bdrm cottage & 4 bdrm home.

Nobilis Estate AG David Hauptmann — +41 41 709 00 14

Willis Allen Real Estate Willis Allen Real Estate — +1 877 515 7443

WEB ID: NBAX

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William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance L. Clarke/C. Widmann — +1 203 984 1856 WEB ID: EMPI

Zizers, CH | Price Upon Request

Sanibel, FL | $3,395,000

Sacramento, CA | $1,335,000

3 luxury flats in a historical castle, newly refurbished from 3480 to 4590 sqft.

Beautiful coastal contemporary home on prestigious Lighthouse Way.

Beautiful craftsman steps from the vibrant midtown art & culinary scenes.

Nobilis Estate AG David Hauptmann — +41 41 709 00 14

VIP Realty Group, Inc. Jim Hall — +1 239 850 3344

Lyon Real Estate Dave Philipp — +1 916 212 1322

WEB ID: PCDL

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Pirates of the Caribbean

From cunning buccaneer Henry Morgan to swashbuckling Black Bart, Carla Passino retraces the history of the region’s most notorious seamen

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HEN Jack Sparrow stepped off his sinking boat on a balmy morning in 1720, setting off the chain of events that would lead to love, the removal of an ancient curse and cinematic piracy’s greatest success, the golden age of Caribbean raiders was almost coming to an end. As Commodore Norrington tries to do in the film, the Royal Navy was patrolling the West Indies to stamp out the pirates that threatened Britain’s lucrative maritime trade. It hadn’t always been like that, however. Less than 60 years earlier, British governors had been harnessing buccaneers to attack Spanish ships and settlements.

Men with a taste for adventure (or nothing to lose) had been flocking to the West Indies since the 1500s. By the early 17th century, part of the island of Hispaniola (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic) was home to a group of hunters who smoked their meat on a frame called boucan—and so it was that some of the most savage men ever to cross the sea ended up being named after a humble cooking tool.

Over time, the buccaneers moved to turtleshaped Tortuga (and, later, Jamaica), embracing piracy after the Spanish attacked them and killed their cattle. Since then, many cultivated an almost personal vendetta against Spain and this presented a great opportunity for the English: they could conveniently inflict serious damage on an enemy country almost without firing a single shot of their own.

Letters of marque were swiftly issued, giving the pirates a veneer of privateer respectability.

This didn’t make them any less ferocious: when Welshman Henry Morgan assaulted the city of Porto Bello in 1668, he came up with a plan that was as cunning as it was ruthless.

The settlement was defended by mighty fortresses and the buccaneers only numbered 400.

Undeterred, Morgan had huge ladders built and forced the city’s nuns and monks to set them against the fort’s walls. Caught between the pirates and Porto Bello’s own governor, who was presumably not afraid of God’s wrath and ‘spared them as little as he had the raiders’, the brothers and sisters were slaughtered—

but, by then, the ladders had been put in place, ‘the buccaneers immediately swarmed up’ and the fort fell, according to Alexander Exquemelin’s Buccaneers of America.

Porto Bello was but the start of Morgan’s career. He harried the Venezuelan cities of Maracaibo and Gibraltar before embarking on his boldest raid: Panama. Landing at the northern end of the isthmus, he led his men up the Chagres river, across thick forests and deadly swamps, to reach Old Panama City in the south. There, he took the Spanish army by surprise, forcing them to abandon their position and march—straight into his firing line. It was a complete rout, but finding that the governor had fled with most of Panama’s wealth, Morgan torched it to the ground.

For diplomatic reasons, Charles II could not be seen to condone the raid, so Morgan was arrested and sent back to London. But the King, who had profited handsomely from the privateer’s ventures, soon honoured him with a baronetcy and sent him back to Jamaica to be the island’s Deputy Governor. Perhaps

Getty; Alamy

Bring me that horizon: the Caribbean waters no longer run red with blood, but the romance of Jack Sparrow (facing page) remains

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Pirates of the Caribbean his new position required him to polish up his image, because, in 1684, he sued the publishers of Buccaneers of America, as he didn’t like how he had been portrayed in the book.

If Morgan tried hard to maintain his reputation, Bristol-born Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, did his best to blacken it, even cultivating a particularly fearsome look. In his A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates, Charles Johnson described him as having ‘a large Quantity of Hair, which, like a frightful Meteor, covered his whole Face…This Beard was black, which he suffered to grow of an extravagant Length... it came up to his Eyes’.

Getty; Alamy

Blackbeard took the pardon, but boredom must have gnawed: he turned rogue again Less than 50 years separate Blackbeard’s rise from Morgan’s, but much had changed.

With Spain’s influence waning, England consolidated its grip on the colonies and governors cracked down on unruly buccaneers.

English pirates found refuge in New Providence on the Bahamas and, although many stuck only to plundering French or Spanish ships, Teach had no such qualms, attacking any appetising vessel that had the misfortune to cross his path, including a large number that he captured in a very short time in May 1718 off Charles Town, in South Carolina.

By then however, George I had had enough of pirates and, in a masterstroke, offered a pardon to anyone willing to give up cutlass and pistol. He sent Woodes Roger, a former privateer (and the man who had rescued the original Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk, from Juan Fernández Island), to govern the Bahamas and hunt down those who would refuse his offer.

Blackbeard himself took the pardon and retired to a plantation, but boredom must have gnawed at him: he returned to the sea as a privateer, then gave up all pretence and turned rogue again. He delighted in pillaging ships up and down the Ocracoke inlet, until traders and landowners asked the governor of Virginia for help. He sent two sloops under the command of

Lt Robert Maynard, who engaged in battle with Blackbeard on the morning of November 22, 1718. They fought ‘till the Sea was tinctur’d with Blood’ and Blackbeard was still cocking his pistol when he dropped dead. ‘Here was an End of that couragious Brute, who might have pass’d in the World for a Heroe, had he been employ’d in a good Cause’.

Less glorious was the end of another renegade, ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham, two years later.

Having captured a few sloops, he and his crew headed for Jamaica, where they took the ill-fated decision to drop anchor and imbibe some celebratory punch. They were entirely helpless when a pirate-hunter found them and boarded their ship. Only two crewmembers put up some resistance and they both turned out to be women—Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

Bonny was Rackham’s lover, but that didn’t prevent her from giving him a damning epitaph: ‘If he had fought like a Man, he need not have been hang’d like a Dog.’ By then, hundreds of Royal Navy ships policed the Caribbean and only a few notorious pirates remained: Londoner Edward Low, as fond of torturing and killing as he was of plundering, and Welshman Bartholomew Roberts. Known as Black Bart, he was every inch the swashbuckling pirate: according to Johnson, he faced a man-of-war ‘dressed in a rich crimson Damask Wastcoat and Breeches, a red Feather in his Hat, a Gold Chain round his Neck, with a Diamond Cross hanging to it, a Sword in his Hand, and two Pair of Pistols hanging at the End of a Silk Sling’.

Sailing from Newfoundland to Brazil and on to West Africa, he captured more than 400 vessels. A merchant seaman, he had turned to piracy to better his lot in life: ‘In an honest Service,’ Johnson reported him saying, ‘there is thin Commons, low Wages, and hard Labour; in this, Plenty and Satiety, Pleasure and Ease, Liberty and Power; and who would not ballance Creditor on this Side, when all the Hazard that is run for it, at worst, is only a sour Look at choaking.

No, A merry Life and a short one, shall be my Motto.’

He had his wish granted, dying aged 39, in battle, but unvanquished: his crew ‘threw him over-board, with his Arms and Ornaments on, according to the repeated Request he made’. Roberts was killed on February 10, 1722, and with him died the Golden Age of Pirates. Unless, of course, you count Capt Jack Sparrow.

Live in the Caribbean

Plenty of pirate festivals and tours add to the region’s charm, making it the perfect place to escape the winter blues Barbados Set next to the Royal Westmoreland golf course, five-bedroom Seaduced has an open-plan living and dining area that flows onto a covered terrace with a spectacular pool beyond. $5.2 million (£3.8m), Realtors Limited (00 12 46 537 6946)

Bahamas Perfect for entertaining, this magnificent house has four bedrooms, a swimming pool and 1,000sq ft of covered terracing overlooking an Old Fort Bay canal. $3.8 million (£2.78m), Knight Frank (020–7861 1553)

Jamaica Built in the 18th-century and later home to Lord Brownlow, one of the Duke of Windsor’s friends, five-bedroom Sussex was the first house in Jamaica to have a telephone line installed. $2.95 million (£2.087m), Coldwell Banker Jamaica Realty 00 18 76 403 7483 or 00 18 76 521 4826)

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Luxury Collection

USA – Bird Key, FL

Sensational deep boating waters overlooking a sprawling horizon that captures city views from this mesmerizing residence.

US $6,950,000 +1 941 232 2000

A4510572 The Walter Group

USA – Anna Maria Island

A waterfront paradise, Sun Kissed Cottage is the ultimate of beachfront living.

US $3,250,000 + 1 941 900 9777

A4512601 Kathy Marshall

USA – Sarasota

Recently renovated residence in the heart of downtown offers extraordinary bay views.

US $2,495,000 + 1 941 724 4034

A451187 Michael James

USA – Lido Key

Extraordinary villa offers a private pool & spa overlooks the white sands & azure waters of Lido Beach.

US $4,700,000 + 1 941 376 1717

A4503738 Kim Ogilvie

USA – Boca Grande

USA - Longboat Key

A life of sophistication and privacy awaits you with simply spellbinding views at L ’Ambiance.

US $4,400,000 + 1 941 376 1717

A4503404 Kim Ogilvie

USA – Venice Beach

Enjoy the stunning tropical maritime scene from this elegantly appointed property.

Exceptional home offers an island lifestyle with endless opportunities.

US $3,150,000

US $2,950,000

+ 1 941 276 1162

D6120934 Carol Stewart

USA – Longboat Key

Stunning casual coastal residence curates an aspirational sense of island living.

US $1,995,900 + 1 941 284 5049

A4511867 Tom Cinquegrano

+ 1 941 713 5000

A4511866 Margaret Kennedy

USA – Sarasota

Experience a vibrant downtown lifestyle with sweeping views overlooking the bay and city.

US $1,850,000

A4510482

+1 941 544 6648

Susan Fox

Over 450 offices worldwide

The Residences at The St. Regis Longboat Key Set on pristine white powdered beachfront, The Residences at The St. Regis Longboat Key combine elegant architecture with just 69 unique provenance, offering expansive, limited-edition condominium residences with five-star resort amenities and leisure comforts. Living each moment exactly as you wish, this is a place to linger - an idyllic canvas for relaxation and play. www.srresidenceslongboatkey.com +1 941 213 3300 Sales Gallery located at 100 S. Washington Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34236

From the $2,000,000s

Residences 400 Central Anticipated to be the tallest residential buildings on the West Coast of Florida, The Residences at 400 Central will soar 515 feet above downtown St. Petersburg’s vibrant Central Avenue, capturing breathtaking views from Tampa Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Discover an elevated approach to city living in this 46-story, full-service luxury condominium tower consisting of 300-plus designer one-to-four-bedroom floorplans and a select collection of penthouse residences. Topping off the building on the 46th floor, enjoy the breathtaking, panoramic views from the resident-only Sky Lounge Observatory. www.residences400central.com +1 727 209 7848 465 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701

From the $800,000s

Mayfair International Realty, Cashel House, 15 Thayer Street, London W1U 3 JT Email info@mayfairinternationalrealty.com Web www.mayfairinternationalrealty.com

Fit for a king

Palaces around the world epitomise their countries’ varied architectural styles.

Arabella Youens is enchanted

Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand More than a palace, this is a complex in the heart of Bangkok that has been the official residence of the kings of Siam since 1782.

Work on it began when the capital city was moved across the Chao Phraya river from Thonburi to Bangkok after the execution of late-18th-century King Taksin, a brilliant strategist who had become mentally unstable, and the accession to the throne of Rama I, Taksin’s former military commander, who founded the current dynasty. Other buildings were added throughout successive reigns until the palace reached more than two million square feet in size, covering 233 acres of grounds.

Home of the king, his court and the government until 1925, today, it is used for official events and state functions. It’s partially open Live nearby This three-bedroom apartment sits in the Ritz Carlton Residences, Thailand’s tallest building, in Bangkok’s central business district. Price on application, Christie’s International Real Estate (00 66 02 030 0060)

to the public—visitors are allowed into the grounds and some buildings—and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand, as well as a pilgrimage destination for devout Buddhists. One of the most spec-

A medieval meditating Buddha is carved from a block of green jasper and swathed in gold tacular elements is the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha, a gilded structure decorated with glass mosaics. It houses a medieval meditating Buddha, carved from a block of green jasper and swathed in gold—its costumes are changed three times a year to reflect the seasons.

Perhaps the palace’s most unusual building is the Chakri Maha Prasat, completed in 1882 after a plan by Singapore-based British architect John Clunish. It reflects a blend of Italian Renaissance and traditional Thai architecture.

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Alamy; Getty; 2012 ExtremeClarity.Net; Peter Engmalm

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ROM the striking mustard-yellow walls of the Palácio da Pena in Portugal to the sacred stepped walls of the Potala Palace in Tibet, royal palaces around the world are masterpieces of a country’s built heritage. But there’s something altogether especially captivating about those residences that have withstood the test of time to remain homes or governing spaces for working members of royal families and their households even today.

Those presented here are among the most splendid and bustling of all.

Fit for a king

Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest functioning royal palace in Europe. It was first occupied by Carlos III in 1764, with the last monarch to live there being Alfonso XIII. Today, it’s only used for state ceremonies: the present king, Felipe VI, and the royal family live in the Palace of Zarzuela on the outskirts of the city.

The palace is home to the world’s only complete Stradivarius string quintet

Alamy; Getty; 2012 ExtremeClarity.Net; Peter Engmalm

Long before Felipe II moved his court to Madrid in 1561, Emir Mohamed I chose this as the site for a fortress to protect nearby Toledo from the advancing Christians; the alcázar burnt down in 1734. To replace it, Felipe V ordered a new palace to be built after a design by Italian architect Filippo Juvarra, who was, in turn, inspired by the sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Felipe’s son, Carlos III, who was dubbed the ‘Mayor of Madrid’ for all the work he undertook in the city, then moved in.

With more than 3,000 rooms, including a Royal Chemist’s and the magnificently

Castle of Laeken, near Brussels, Belgium Set in a private park, the neo-Classical Castle of Laeken is the official home of the King and Queen of the Belgians, but was built in 1782–84 for the Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband, Albrecht of Saxony-Teschen, with gardens to a design by Capability Brown.

The Archdukes left after the French Revolution and, after a spell in Napoleonic hands, the castle was assigned to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, during which time it acquired

Live nearby This five-bedroom apartment in the central district of Chamartín has a private garden and swimming pool. £3.37 million, Knight Frank (020–7629 8171) preserved Royal Kitchen, the interiors of the palace are home to paintings by Caravaggio, Goya and Velázquez, as well as frescos by Tiepolo and the world’s only complete Stradivarius string quintet. The Palacio Real is open every day, except for some public holidays.

a theatre. In 1831, Leopold I of the Belgians moved in and his son, Leopold II, later had a complex of conservatories built. Each spring, the Greenhouses of Laeken, where plants from Leopold II’s original collection still grow, are opened to the public for three weeks.

Live nearby This eight-bedroom villa is set in seven acres near the Bois de la Cambre and Parc Duden. €1.45 million (£1.24m), Engel & Völkers (00 32 02 340 1940) 41

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Palais du Prince, Monaco The official residence of the prince of Monaco was built in the early 13th century as a Genoese fortress on top of the Rock, the principality’s oldest district. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the home of the Grimaldi family, who ruled first as feudal lords, then, from the 17th century, as sovereign princes.

Unlike other European royal families, the Grimaldis had nowhere else to live, resulting in their continuous use of the palace for more than seven centuries—they celebrated their

700th anniversary in 1997. As a result of the often fragile agreements made by the Monaco princes with their larger and more powerful neighbours, the palace needed to be fortified and today is a blend of styles ranging from the original medieval fortifications via the Renaissance to the Napoleonic period.

One of the highlights is the York Room, named after George III’s brother, who died in Monaco in 1767. It features frescos of the four seasons by Gregorio de Ferrari. The palace is open to visitors from May to October.

Live nearby This stylish two-bedroom apartment is located in Le Mirabeau, one of the most famous apartment buildings in Monaco’s sought-after Carré d’Or area. £12.796 million, Knight Frank (020–7629 8171)

The ruler of Bahrain came to the UK to buy plumbing fixtures

Al-Sakhir was abandoned and remained locked until the mid 1990s, when a considerable restoration project was undertaken.

Today, Al-Sakhir is used for ceremonies and to play host to visiting politicians.

Al-Sakhir, near Zallaq, Bahrain Set in the Sakhir desert, the palace was built at the dawn of the 20th century in traditional Islamic fashion, featuring arches and columns, as well as a minaret that towers above the building, all painted a crisp white.

In 1925, the then ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad, moved in and reportedly came to the UK to buy furniture and plumbing fixtures for the palace. After his death in 1942,

Live nearby This eight-bedroom family villa in Saar has a large garden that includes a pool and a tree house. 650,000 BHD (£1.26m), Savills (00 97 33 910 4444) 42

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Join the office commute Say goodbye to long commutes and enjoy a sense of community, safety and stability. With excellent healthcare and education systems, and no minimum revenue levels to gain residency, it’s worth considering a future in Guernsey.

Talk to us to discover how easy a move to Guernsey can be.

To start your journey call the Locate Guernsey team on +44 (0)1481 220011, email enquiries @ locateguernsey.com, or visit locateguernsey.com Follow us. Search: LocateGuernsey

A better life for you

Royal Palace, Rabat, Morocco Known as the Dar al-Makhzen Palace— or the Palais Royal—the official residence of Mohammed VI of Morocco stands in the centre of the country’s capital, Rabat.

Alaouite sultans and kings have had a residence in the city since the reign of Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya in the 700s, although Rabat was only made the capital of Morocco in 1912. Dar al-Makhzen dates from 1864 and it was there that the late king, Hassan II, who reigned from 1961 to 1999, was born and the present one got married.

The palace compound overlooks a large mechouar (parade ground), which is used for major public gatherings, and encompasses a mosque, accommodation for the Royal Guard, a cookery school, a library that holds Hassan II’s manuscript collection and the College Royal, which educates members of the Moroccan Royal Family. Dar al-Makhzen is not open to the public.

Also worth a visit

Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan Only the gardens are open, but are a must-see Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Fine Khmer architecture, open to visitors

Live nearby Villa Bellevue Atlantique has three bedrooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and overlooks the beach in Harhoura, a short distance from Rabat. Price on application, Kensington Morocco (00 212 52 442 2229)

Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark Go for the changing of the Royal Guard and the royal history museum Royal Palace, Oslo, Norway A guided tour takes in the magnificent state rooms

has hosted four-legged residents: Hedwig Eleonora was so fond of her spaniels and pugs that she commissioned German-born artist David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl to paint their portraits. Since then, the palace has been a haven for dogs and there’s even an island in the grounds, Ormholmen, where they can run off the lead—when the current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, and his queen, Silvia, opened a new pavilion there, they were accompanied by their Bavarian mountain hound, Brandie.

Visitors can take guided tours of some of Drottningholm’s state rooms and wander through the grounds.

Drottningholm, Stockholm, Sweden Renaissance-inspired Drottningholm is regarded as Sweden’s best-preserved royal palace and is one of Stockholm’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It was a woman—the queen dowager Hedwig Eleonora—who commissioned the building, which rose on the site of a previous castle.

Work began in 1662, about the same time as Versailles. The 18th century saw the addition of a theatre—for Queen Louisa Ulrika, who was so passionate about culture, science and the Arts that she not only created a graceful library, but also brought in Carl Linnaeus to

classify her natural-history collection—and a Chinese pavilion, where Swedish Rococo style met Oriental porcelains, silks and lacquered panels. When the weather was fair, Queen Louisa Ulrika’s son, Gustav III, would place a hearts playing card on his audience chamber’s door and the court would know they should head to the Chinese Pavilion that day.

Drottningholm’s interiors reflect Sweden’s ambition to be one of Europe’s most powerful nations, particularly evident in the gilded splendour of Hedwig Eleonora’s state bedchamber. Much as the British royal palaces are home to The Queen’s dogs, this one, too,

Live nearby This former water tower is now a four-bedroom house with spacious reception rooms and a rooftop sauna.

SEK 19.75 million (£1.6m), Christie’s International Real Estate (00 46 70 617 9606)

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Licence to thrill The ‘James Bond’ franchise is as famous for its glamorous settings as for its rip-roaring adventures. Inspired by No Time to Die, Antonia Windsor explores the best 007 film locations across the world Venice With medieval palazzi rising out of the Grand Canal, you can’t mistake when Bond is in Venice. He made his first visit in 1963 in From Russia With Love, in which Sean Connery and Daniela Bianchi (as Tatiana Romanova) stay in a hotel in San Giorgio Maggiore and drift under the Bridge of Sighs in a gondola.

Strangely, Connery didn’t actually shoot the scenes in Venice—they were all done at Pinewood Studios and in Scotland.

By 1979, Moonraker had been filmed on location. In a thrilling scene, Roger Moore rides a souped-up gondola down the Grand Canal being chased by a speed boat. At the touch of a button, he manages to convert the gondola into a hovercraft and drives right through St Mark’s Square, causing a shocked waiter to pour wine on his customer. Bond returns in the

final moments of Casino Royale, sailing down the Grand Canal with Vesper to hand in his resignation to MI6. But, of course, it doesn’t end peacefully and dramatic scenes follow —not least a palazzo collapsing into the Canal.

Live nearby Set in the heart of Castello, this one-bedroom apartment with its own private entrance and courtyard is the perfect Venetian pied-à-terre. €420,000 (£359,555), Savills (020–3664 9887)

Live nearby Stretching over seven floors (with a lift), this historic house in Istanbul’s Emirgan neighbourhood has eight bedrooms, a lovely garden and magnificent views across the Bosphorus. £4.66 million, Key Holders International (07305 405081)

Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul was one of Ian Fleming’s favourite cities and it’s easy to see why. It’s a magnificent capital at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with a skyline of domes and minarets, an intricate maze of streets lined with restaurants and tea shops and some of the most important religious buildings in the world. All this, of course, also makes it the perfect Bond backdrop: Skyfall opens with Daniel Craig in a motorbike chase over the roof of the city’s Grand Bazaar and in From Russia with Love Sean Connery meets his love interest, Tatiana Romanova, at the ethereal Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine cathedral-turned-mosque that dominates the city. In this film, the 6th-century Basilica Cistern, the largest of several hundred cisterns that lie beneath the city, becomes a secret waterway through which Kerim and Bond paddle to get to the Russian consulate and eavesdrop on a conversation.

Alamy; Getty

Roger Moore rides a souped-up gondola down the Grand Canal

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Licence to thrill

Vienna, Austria Vienna is the setting for the first part of The Living Daylights, the 1987 film that’s Timothy Dalton’s first turn as the British agent, opposite Maryam d’Abo as Kara, his love interest.

The couple have their first kiss during a visit to the Wurstelprater amusement park. After spinning on the dodgems and tearing around a rollercoaster, Bond wins Kara a large cuddly elephant at a shooting range, before

Bond wins Kara a large cuddly elephant at a shooting range taking her for a ride on the iconic Prater Ferris Wheel. Arranging for the wheel to stop when their carriage is at the top, Bond takes advantage of the scenery to lunge forward for a kiss, gently lowering Kara down onto the elephant after suggestively whispering: ‘We could be here all night.’

At more than 213ft high, the wheel was the tallest in the world when it was erected in 1897 to celebrate Emperor Franz Joseph I’s golden jubilee. To this day, it remains a popular attraction in the park, providing

Live nearby The views from this twobedroom penthouse almost rival the Prater’s, particularly from the glassdomed gallery and the high terrace, which look out towards the spire of St Stephen’s Cathedral. €4.4 million (£3.77m), Knight Frank (020–7861 1109) spectacular views over the city—and it’s still a favourite for romancing couples.

Alamy; Getty

Mürren, Switzerland Mürren was the film location for much of the 1969 Bond classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The crew lived and worked in the village for five months and many locals were extras in the film. The Schilthorn cable car staged a hair-raising fight scene between Bond and Blofeld and the revolving mountain-top Piz Gloria restaurant, which was partly funded by the film producers and takes in views of more than 200 snowcapped peaks, was Blofeld’s lair. The film’s most thrilling scene sees Blofeld and his sidekicks pursue Bond down the mountain from the top of the Schilthorn in what remains one of the film world’s most exciting ski chases to date.

The revolving mountain-top Piz Gloria restaurant was Blofeld’s lair

Live nearby This spectacular apartment with panoramic views, within easy reach of Mürren, has five bedrooms and striking interiors. CHF2.5 million (£1.98m), Engel & Völkers (00 41 31 310 0670) 47

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New Orleans, US New Orleans’ vibrant French Quarter features at the start of 1973 film Live and Let Die, with a jazz funeral scene on Chartres Street. The film was the first to star Roger Moore, who said in a 2008 interview: ‘There’s such a tremendous excitement in New Orleans ... Soft-shell crabs I remember eating a lot of. What I liked particularly was going and listening to the jazz. It was fascinating to be there. I wish I hadn’t had to work all the time.’ That’s despite Moore getting his first Bond injury when filming a boat chase

Live nearby Situated within easy reach of the French Quarter, this atmospheric, 19th-century house has seven bedrooms, plenty of delightful period features and a landscaped garden. $1.995 million (£1.46m), Sotheby’s International Realty (00 15 04 944 3605) Brazil Moonraker is one of the few Bond films to travel to South America, with Roger Moore as 007 getting into a pulse-quickening fight with Jaws, an assassin with metal teeth, on top of the Sugarloaf cable cars in Rio de Janeiro, high above the seafront city. The film also sees Bond travel up the Amazon River in a speedboat to Drax’s secret facility in the Amazon jungle and dramatically jump ship at the mighty Iguazu Falls to escape using a hang-glider. That said, the Amazon boatchase scenes were actually shot on the St Lucie River in Florida and other sections were filmed in the Guatemalan jungle.

Live nearby This historic property in Paraty, in the state of Rio de Janeiro and about four hours’ drive from the city, has four bedrooms, striking architectural details, a pool and tropical gardens. R$13,000,000 (£1.786m), RioException (00 55 219 8291 3779)

in the bayous of Slidell—the power steering went on his motor boat and he crashed into a boathouse, hurting his knee and his teeth.

A rather less traumatic scene was shot at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, where Bond boards a train with his love interest Jane Seymour.

Bond at home

For all Bond’s globetrotting, London is his stomping ground and features at some point in almost all the films. In No Time to Die, we see him walking in Whitehall next to the building known as Whitehall Court, which was an MI6 headquarters at the turn of the 20th century. In fact, the bombproof former headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, after being converted into a luxury penthouse, went on the market last August for £5.5 million.

Other iconic London locations include the Langham Hotel, which was used in GoldenEye, and Rules in Covent Garden where M, Q and Moneypenny have all dined on screen, most recently in Spectre.

Scotland is another classic Bond haunt and appears in many of the films.

Apparently, Ian Fleming, Bond’s creator, was so impressed with Sean Connery’s portrayal of the secret agent in the 1962 film Dr No that he decided to write Scotland into his heritage, giving him a family home in Glencoe (which features heavily in Skyfall). For No Time to Die, the crew set up in Aviemore and the trailer to the 25th Bond movie features a car chase through the dramatic wild scenery of the Cairngorms National Park. Also featured is Ardverikie, the turreted Victorian Highland estate in Kinloch Laggan that was made famous as Glenbogle in Monarch of the Glen and has also appeared in Mrs Brown, Outlander and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

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The Englishman’s wine

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MAGINE the panic that gripped young subaltern Bruce Guimaraens, newly posted to a regiment in India, at the end of his first dinner in the officers’ mess.

The Port had just arrived and the commanding officer turned to the young soldier. ‘So, Guimaraens, you come from a Port family.

What’s all this about passing the Port in a particular direction? Is it true, and, if so, which way? Clockwise or anti-clockwise?’ A terrified Guimaraens blurted out: ‘Er, anti-clockwise, sir.’ Murmurs started round the table. ‘Thought

it was the other way.’ ‘Are you sure he’s right?’

‘Must be, family makes the stuff.’ To this day, that regiment has the proud tradition of passing the Port anti-clockwise round the table.

Everywhere else, it goes clockwise.

Port is full of these stories and traditions, as befits a wine with a history that goes back many centuries. England and Portugal had been trading partners since 1386—cod and wool going one way, red wine the other—but the first recorded shipping of Vinho do Porto dates from 1678, after English and Scottish

merchants found the wine from the Douro valley, in the north of Portugal, was stronger and more stable than the one they had been exporting from Viana do Castelo, nearer the northern border with Spain.

In its many forms, Port is a fortified wine, which means alcohol has been added to it.

This was originally done to protect otherwise unstable young wine against the conditions of a sea voyage to export markets, but, in the later 18th century, producers began adding brandy during fermentation. This killed off the

Alamy

Charles Metcalfe traces the history of Port and explores the area in which it’s made

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Port from Portugal

Alamy

Live there Enjoy Douro views from this six-bedroom house with swimming pool in Baião. €1.8 million (£1.5m), Knight Frank (020–7861 1109) and Savills (00 35 121 313 9000)

yeast and gave a stronger, sweeter wine, which was more in tune with the English palate.

Estate owners of the 17th and 18th centuries would hardly recognise the Douro as it is now.

Gone are the rushing currents and rapids that made the river dangerous. Five dams, built since the 1970s, have reduced it to a series of placid lakes, removing the danger of transporting the young Port down river by boat to the warehouses or lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. Port companies used to be obliged by law to blend, mature and bottle their wine down in the city rather than in the hot Douro uplands. Now, Port can be made and bottled among the vineyards, many miles upstream.

Because the addition of alcohol stops the fermentation, producers have to extract as much colour, flavour and tannin as they can in a short period. The old way was to foot-tread

the grapes in lagars (shallow, open, stone tanks), paying workers extra to do a few hours more after a day’s picking in the vineyards.

A few producers still do this for their best wines, but robotic machines are replacing humans. With electricity, the extraction can also be done by pumping the fermenting juice over the skins and pips in steel tanks.

Young Ports need time to mature. Those that still make the journey to Gaia go by road these days, but many smaller estates blend, mature and bottle their wines in temperaturecontrolled warehouses near their vineyards.

Flanking the river and its tributaries, planted on hills so steep that most vines are on terraces, this landscape earned the Upper Douro region UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Many of the oldest estates have only one or two rows of vines per terrace, supported by dry-stone walls made from the local slate.

Black and white signs naming Port families, vineyards and estates look magnificent, from boat, car or a delightful train from Porto, which follows the river for much of its journey.

Several Port producers open their doors to visitors, such as Quinta do Bomfim, in Pinhão, home of Dow’s Ports; Quinta do Seixo, in Valença do Douro, which makes the Sandeman Ports; and Quinta do Vallado, in Peso da Régua, which owns two hotels. Traditionally, producers had gracious houses on their estates, but you needed an invitation for those.

Now, the choice of places to stay boggles the imagination, hotels from boutique to large and luxurious, historic and modern, and myriad bed-and-breakfast options, many in striking locations. There is excellent food, modern or traditional, based on local ingredients, such as almonds, oranges and lemons, game and local breeds of meat.

Down river, the city of Porto has smartened up and has a fine modern concert hall, the Casa da Música, several theatres and art galleries, and venues dedicated to fado, Portugal’s indigenous song form, as well as a raft of good restaurants, wine bars and wine shops.

Across the River Douro, in Vila Nova de Gaia, many of the Port companies have opened their warehouses and there are innumerable guided tours and Port tastings. The latest attraction is WOW, the newly opened World of Wine, belonging to the Fladgate Partnership, which produces Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft Ports. A tram-ride away, the towns of Foz do Douro and Matosinhos house some of the best restaurants in the Porto area—in particular, Matosinhos, which is Porto’s fishing port and a seafood-lover’s paradise.

Should you ever tire of Port, the Douro region also has a new and distinguished generation of unfortified wines, labelled DOC Douro, red and white, from the same terraced vineyards as their fortified brothers.

Three Ports to try

Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port £8–£10 An excellent ruby Port, with warming blackberry, spice and chocolate flavours Graham’s 10-year-old Tawny Port £15–£19 Subtle, complex Port, with scents of dried fruits and nuts. Brilliant with blue cheese Kopke 10 Years Old White Porto, £39 A rare example of a barrel-aged white Port, complex and alluring, with notes of fig, honey and marmalade, and tremendous length. Serve cool

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NESTLED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS IS THIS PALLADIAN INSPIRED MASTERPIECE CALLED EDGEMONT Surrounded by 572 acres of rolling Virginia farmland, with the Hardware River running through the lush fields, is a home whose design is reputed to be the only remaining private residence attributed to Thomas Jefferson. Complete with tennis court, pool, pool house, guest house, and a full complement of f arm improvements.

Great location just 15 miles south of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. www.HistoricEdgemont.com MLS#576150

FOR DETAILS AND MORE PHOTOS, VISIT MCLEANFAULCONER.COM Stephen T. McLean | 434.981.1863 | smclean@mcleanfaulconer.com 503 Faulconer Drive, Suite 5, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 | Office: 434.295.1131

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Live the dream!

The north of Mallorca offers a glorious combination of proximity to the sea, rural tranquility and an excellent infrastructure promising a privileged lifestyle.

Gary Hobson, Managing Director at Engel & Völkers Mallorca North 14 years on Mallorca and 12 years with Engel & Völkers

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buyers want to settle permanently in the north, where they are greeted with high-quality properties and exceptional surroundings. Alcudia and Pollensa are especially popular, with towns like Campanet, Santa Margalida and Son Serra de Marina following closely behind. The desire to have a property in Mallorca has never been stronger! Make the move and live the dream with Engel & Völkers at your side.

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Alcudia: Gorgeous country house with wonderful outdoor spaces, heated pool and rental license, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. E&V ID: W-0279Q6 · Price: € 2,300,000

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Pollensa: Magnificent country estate, meeting the highest expectations, beautiful exteriors, 9 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms. E&V ID: W-02D1J2 · Price: € 11,000,000

Puerto Pollensa: Brilliant, modern villa all on one level just 300 meters from the sandy beach, 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms. E&V ID: W-02MLH0 · Price: € 1,975,000

Puerto Pollensa: Amazing penthouse with large sea view terrace in a highly desirable community, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. E&V ID: W-02MIUG · Price: € 1,700,000

Engel & Völkers Mallorca North Tel.: +34 971 89 77 00 · Pollensa@engelvoelkers.com engelvoelkers.com/mallorca/north

White-hot destinations Whether you’d rather take to the slopes or relax by the pool, Holly Kirkwood has the pick of autumn and winter escapes across the world

Mahé, Seychelles, $14.9 million Perched upon a dramatic granite cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean on Mahé’s beautiful south-west coast, Villa Kokomo makes an outstanding autumn escape—weatherwise, October is the best time of year to visit. Inside, the villa combines teak, granite and marble with exceptional finishes for a traditional feel.

Seven bedroom suites are all connected by wooden walkways and the living areas include a Great Room, a dining room, television snug and a chef’s kitchen. The sun deck frames a 131ft-long infinity pool. Owners have access to the Four Seasons resort facilities, including the rental pool. Sphere Estates (020–3617 1360)

Verbier, Switzerland, CHF10.5 million On the market for the first time since it was built 17 years ago, this chalet is an exceptional family property in the heart of Verbier.

With open-plan living spaces and lots of natural light, this five-bedroom chalet has an authentic Alpine feel with a modern twist.

Not only does the property offer easy access to the entire Four Valleys ski area, but it also boasts a (shared) gym, sauna, indoor pool with mountain views and an outdoor Jacuzzi in which owners can relax after a long day in the mountains. Savills (00 41 27 565 8940)

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Winter wonderland

Aspen, US, $16.5 million With more than 11,000sq ft of living space and views to the Elk Mountains, The Lodge at Eagle Pines is exceptional, even by Aspen standards.

Surrounded by world-class mountain biking, hiking and ski slopes, it is an idyllic, year-round family retreat. Accommodation includes six bedroom suites, a Great Room, media room, office, a climate-controlled wine room and a western bar and games room. Picture windows are ideal for admiring the fall colours and vast fireplaces make the house cosy in winter.

Outside, nearly five acres include an outdoor kitchen and a children’s playground. Sotheby’s International Realty (001 970 925 6060)

The Dolomites, Italy, €2.25 million Dating back to the 12th century, Castello Landrino is an impressive and private European winter palace. Just over an hour by car from Venice, the 3,200sq ft property is in top condition, with period features and large windows. It includes four bedrooms and flexible reception spaces, set in more than 10 acres.

The sporting opportunities are excellent, with the slopes at Cortina d’Ampezzo and Corvara within easy reach. Savills (020–3664 9887)

Barbados, $5.95 million Set in two acres of lush gardens on one of the most elevated spots on the Sandy Lane Estate, Villa Aurora is on the island’s platinum coast, near the beach and Holetown. With six bedroom suites and a seventh bedroom on the lower ground level, the accommodation is flexible and the open-plan living spaces look to the pool and gardens. Outside are a dining gazebo and a tennis court, plus a coveted, rare private beach cabaña. Savills (020–7016 3744)

Mustique, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, $7.75 million Elegant by day and striking by night, Tanama is a superb, Oliver Messel-inspired villa in the Endeavour foothills of Mustique. An exquisite Caribbean family home, it has four bedroom suites, five bedrooms in all, and reception rooms in two wings flanking the central Great Room. On the far side of the pool, a pavilion features a wet bar and an outdoor dining area.

Knight Frank (020–7861 1553) Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, $4.25 million Despite sitting discreetly in a secluded area of this outstanding resort, Villa Joy enjoys panoramic views out to the white crescent of sand at Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda. It has four majestic bedroom suites and spacious living and dining areas with high ceilings that flow seamlessly into the tropical gardens outside and the dining pavilion next to the pool. Owners have access to the resort’s amenities, including one of the world’s prettiest beaches. Coldwell Banker (001 284 495 3000)

Courchevel 1850, France, €16 million Built in traditional style in 1991, Chalet Margaux is one of the finest Alpine properties on the market this season. Sitting in a perfect ski-inski-out location in Courchevel 1850, it spans four levels, with seven double-bedroom suites and open-plan reception areas, plus two huge south-facing terraces. Downstairs are the boot and ski room and an indoor Jacuzzi; planning permission is in place for a spa complex. Staff accommodation is ample and this discreet gated community boasts a year-round concierge on site. Knight Frank (020–7861 1727) 55

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Interview

A bridge across worlds Dr Helene von Bismarck describes her international life and the many perspectives it gives her

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From Hamburg, Germany (above), to London: Dr von Bismarck never stays put for long

school trying to explain it to me and I had no clue what he meant because there is no such expression in German.

The most intellectually challenging thing I ever did was taking A-Level Latin in English at the European School in Brussels. I really wanted to study Latin, but there weren’t enough Germans, so I had to join the class taught by a very British classicist. For two years, I spent every evening with three dictionaries: Latin-English, English-German and LatinGerman. I’m not sure how much Latin I learnt, but I really improved my English.

I think everyone should be a stranger at least once in their life Studying foreign languages is so important: you learn about culture and history, because you have to get into the story behind each phrase. It also teaches you tolerance, because you realise there isn’t only one right way; you begin to understand that everything is a matter of perspective and you get a certain humility, hopefully.

If you read newspapers in different languages, you realise how limited the horizons in individual countries can be. Covid is the perfect example of this: in Germany, there was a huge debate about being vaccinated during pregnancy. Initially, they wouldn’t allow it because

they said there was no data available, although thousands of pregnant women had been vaccinated in America and Israel. There was data —but there wasn’t any German data. We saw this insular debate repeated in the discussion about vaccinations for teenagers in Britain.

I also enjoy being able to read books in the original language they were written in: it’s like being able to listen to different kinds of music according to my mood. Apart from history, my passion is literature, particularly 19thcentury novels—Austen, Eliot, Trollope and Tolstoy, especially, although I can’t read it in Russian. Among more modern books, one of my favourite authors is Jhumpa Lahiri, who writes about the experiences of the Indian diaspora in America and Britain. The topic of being a foreigner, with all that this entails, of feeling out of place, really speaks to me.

I am used to being a stranger, an outsider, in Germany as well as abroad. It’s not always easy, because there is something missing, but the benefits outweigh the difficulties by far. When I was younger, I was constantly wondering: ‘Where do I really belong?’ But now I think being an outsider allows you to be an interpreter, to forge connections between places.

I think everyone should be a stranger at least once in their life: it’s very good for you.

Dr Helene von Bismarck is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a visiting research fellow at King’s College’s Centre for British Politics and Government. She lives in Hamburg, Germany

Alamy

AM a citizen of many places. I was born in Belgium to German parents, but didn’t live in Germany until I was almost four and only for a short time, because, after Belgium, we moved to Russia. Then I repeated it all—back to Russia, then Germany, then Belgium—before going to Italy for my gap year. After having spent time in so many different countries, at university I became interested in one place where I hadn’t lived as a child—the UK. British history is so different from German or French, because change has occurred much more gradually. France is in its fifth republic and the country we know now as Germany has only existed since 1990, whereas the ruptures and discontinuities in British history are harder to discern, although no less important. Some historians tend to overstate the evolutionary, as opposed to revolutionary, character of British history, but, still, the long traditions of Parliamentary democracy and the uncodified constitution fascinate me.

The first British history paper I wrote was about the Suez crisis and that brought me to examine the question of Britain’s role in the world, which remains the focus of my work: the experience of Empire and decolonisation, as well as Britain’s historic relationship with Europe. For 15 years, my professional life brought me to the UK regularly. Although I don’t live in Britain permanently, it was the first place where I felt: ‘This is it, this is where I fit.’ To me, Britain has always been European as well as global.

I publish in two languages and read in four, but I really feel that I turn into who I want to be when I speak and write in English. I love its clarity and precision, as well as the humour one can express in it. There are many linguistic differences between English and German that I enjoy, little things, such as the word ‘alas’. I remember a teacher at 56

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LUXURY HOMES FOR SALE IN FRANCE

ORNE REF: A06905 €499,000 Beautifully renovated 5 bedroom town house retaining many original features. High ceilings, bright spaces and magnificent views. Artist’s studio and barn with attractively landscaped garden.

LOT-ET-GARONNE Ref: 107833 €1,990,000 Historic 10 bedroom château, tastefully renovated creating an elegant and spacious home.

Income from chambres d’hôtes, tables gourmandes, receptions and gîte rentals. Stables, quarries, carport and tennis courts plus 2 pools.

ALPES-MARITIMES Ref: P508P €4,500,000 Magnificently renovated stone house in a secure residential domain near the sea and old town of Cannes. Very large top floor roof terrace, swimming pool with pool house, garage, car port and guardian’s house.

HAUTE-GARONNE Réf : 76790 €787,000 Superbly renovated mansion with 4 apartments to rent in the centre of a beautiful spa town and ski resort in the Pyrenees. Owner’s accommodation is luxurious with a stunning living area and terrace with panoramic views.

GARD Réf : 106338 €789,000 Amazing 4 bedroom stone house with magnificent countryside views. Complete with a garage, terrace, private garden and swimming pool. Nearby village with bakery and restaurant, close to Uzès.

EXCLUSIVE

ISÈRE Réf : 117366N €890,000 Fabulous ski chalet, completely renovated to a high standard offering 10 bedrooms, all with ensuites. 200 meters from the nearest ski lift and close to bars and restaurants. Sleeps 15.

Excellent rental history.

EXCLUSIVE

CÔTES-D’ARMOR Réf : 107968 €1,885,000 Marvellous 13 bedroom XIV Century Manoir steeped in history, located a kilometre from the picturesque coastal town of Erquy with its sandy beaches and top restaurants. Close to all amenities. Spectacular location.

HAUTE-SAVOIE Réf : 106273 €1,560,000 Superb 6 bedroom chalet, high-end finish throughout, excellent rental potential, with all the comforts of a family home. Peaceful hamlet with supermarket and ski bus stop. Spacious rooms, terrace and integrated hot tub.

LOT Ref: 93722 €795,000 10 bedroom château, sold furnished, with a huge heated swimming pool, large sports room, jacuzzi and cottage, on 18 ha. Stunning views overlooking the Lot Valley. Absolute privacy with peace and quiet in the vineyards.

www.leggettprestige.com +33 (0)5 53 60 84 88 prestige@leggett.fr

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bidwells.co.uk

ESTATE MANAGER OXFORDSHIRE ESTATE

The owners of a North Oxfordshire Estate wish to appoint an experienced leader to manage this 2,600-acre property. The role will include managing a team to run an important shoot, an agricultural enterprise, pleasure gardens and woodlands.

• There are various properties on the Estate including principal and • •

secondary family homes, farmhouses and cottages. The owners expect the Estate to be maintained in first class condition The successful candidate will have the skills to preserve all that is good within the Estate whilst having the vision to manage change. As the Estate Manager, you will also be expected to represent the owners’ interests in the community Salary and benefits will be appropriate for the role

Provisional closing date of 31st October 2021 For more information, and to request a full job description, please email, in confidence:

9000

Robert Sturman | robert.sturman@bidwells.co.uk Rosie Miller | rosie.miller@bidwells.co.uk

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