Photo Courtesy Yann Prigent
With so much to see in Paris, it’s easy to shortchange Versailles. Over the years, I made a number of half-day trips to Versailles, dreading the lines I’d face waiting to visit the Château and bracing myself for the crowds of fellow tourists.
Recently, though, I’ve come to embrace Versailles as a destination unto itself rather than a simple daytrip from Paris. The more time I spend in Versailles, the more I grow to appreciate its splendor, history, and dynamism.
Every year, millions of people visit Versailles’ Château, gardens, and Trianon Palaces, and each year the crowds grow! I have learned how to navigate the swelling crowds of Versailles, and I am setting out to create a guide to the Château, its grounds, and the city of Versailles. My French co-authors are Art Historian Stéphane Ceccaldi and Professor Yann Prigent. As we research, write, and photograph, I will share some of my Versailles secrets with you on Creative Sanctuary. Collected in the My Versailles category of the blog, the brief posts “unlock” Versailles with personal tips and tricks for avoiding long lines at the Château. I’ll share favorite restaurants at all price points and highlight local hotspots often overlooked by tourists. Please send questions and inquiries to unlockingversailles@gmail.com.
[DECEMBER 2018 NOTE: The Rabbit Hole’s Redfern location will close after December 23, 2018, but Barangaroo location will still be open.]
T Totaler is a homegrown tea business, focusing on Australian grown teas and botanicals. Founded in 2012, Amber and Paul Sunderland make custom tea blends for restaurants, develop tea-based “mocktails”, and teach workshops. At their Newtown tea bar, I sampled a dazzling Teagroni, an iced White Peony tea with rose petals, and a hot Australian grown Sencha with coconut and lemon myrtle. Each one was perfect in its own way, and the tea bar’s decor was charmingly cozy with fiddle leaf figs and apothecary jars. Since my visit, T Totaler has opened a second location in the center of Sydney, which is now their primary location.
One of Sydney’s favorite dumpling restaurants, Lotus The Galeries also features a range of teas. I had the privilege and pleasure of sharing dumplings and tea cocktails with Sydney’s own teagramming sisters Neha and Smruthi. This charming and generous sister team marries the art of tea with the art of cocktails on their 
Sydney’s innovative and cutting edge tea scene also leaves room for traditional afternoon tea that showcases high end teas and fine pastries incorporating local ingredients. I spent a leisurely and luxurious afternoon at the Langham Sydney. This afternoon teatime is perhaps the most perfect I’ve ever experienced—attentive service, perfectly-infused teas, delightful savories and sweets, a cozy armchair. The pink champagne enhanced my languorous afternoon! I was able to sample a number of teas—a subtle Orange blossom tea, a creamy black Assam, and a white tea with melon. The scones were warm and crumbly, and other sweets were graced with an Australian touch: a hibiscus and guava tart and a cherry lamington. The savories were traditional and spot on: a curried free range egg finger sandwich as well as a prawn, shallot and dill finger sandwich.
The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
Every day, I wear stories. The stack of bracelets on my left arm reminds me of dear people, travels, and great deals scored in local antique shops. Side-by-side, the bangles, beads, cuffs, metal, and leather hold meaningful moments that span decades—my visit to the Leather School in Florence, a sterling silver bangle that Dad brought back from Ireland, two sweet bracelets made of glass beads from Mali.
In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
As soon as I stepped into the theater, a sumptuous hush fell over me.
Heart-shaped cookies abound! In the spirit of the season, I developed a savory cut out cracker recipe for a Valentine aperitif. Since I forego frosting and sprinkles, this treat is relatively low maintenance.
“Space is the breath of art.”
I have some minor hoarding tendencies, mostly involving excessive amounts of books and clothes. But when it comes to decorating for the holidays, I prefer a clean, streamlined, and muted look. A few strands of twinkling white lights, some live greenery, and a dozen or so ornaments compose my Christmas décor most years.