ITINERARY

The Grand Tour


Around the world in thirty houses
The book’s chapters, rearranged as one continuous journey eastward — pack lightly, read heavily

Leg the First · The New World

Begin at home, with republican dignity, then south into the gardens of Mexico.

  1. 1.The Gardens and Grounds of Mount VernonVirginia
  2. 2.Colonial Homes of NatchezMississippi
  3. 3.The Borda GardenCuernavaca
  4. 4.The Floating Gardens of MexicoMexico

Leg the Second · England

Take the steamer to Bristol and motor through eleven gardens — the book lingers here, and so shall we.

  1. 5.Dunster CastleSomersetshire
  2. 6.Beaulieu AbbeyHampshire
  3. 7.The Abbey of BattleSussex
  4. 8.Moor ParkHertfordshire
  5. 9.The Home of the VerneysBuckinghamshire
  6. 10.Stowe HouseBuckinghamshire
  7. 11.Blenheim PalaceOxfordshire
  8. 12.Broughton CastleOxfordshire
  9. 13.Warwick CastleWarwickshire
  10. 14.Levens HallWestmoreland
  11. 15.An English Castle and its VillageNorthumberland

Leg the Third · France & Spain

Cross the Channel for one perfect château, then south to the royal gardens of Spain.

  1. 16.The Chateau de BrissacFrance
  2. 17.Royal Gardens of La GranjaSan Ildefonso
  3. 18.The Gardens at AranjuezAranjuez
  4. 19.The Gardens of the AlcazarSeville

Leg the Fourth · Italy & the Adriatic

Five villas and the ghosts of ancient Rome, then up the Adriatic to a castle by the sea.

  1. 20.The Villa DantiFlorence
  2. 21.The Villa PalmieriFlorence
  3. 22.Gardens of the Villa LanteViterbo
  4. 23.The Villa D’EsteTivoli
  5. 24.Ancient Roman Country HousesRome
  6. 25.Gardens of Castle MiramarTrieste

Leg the Fifth · The East

An empress’s island palace, the walled paradises of Persia, the Taj by moonlight, and irises outside Tokyo.

  1. 26.The AchilleionCorfu
  2. 27.Persian GardensPersia
  3. 28.Gardens of the Taj MahalAgra
  4. 29.Indian GardensIndia
  5. 30.The Iris Garden at HorikiriTokyo

Homeward

The Pacific steamer takes three weeks. Just enough time to read the book again — or to see where you have been on the world map.