Chillon Castle (Chateau de Chillon)

Located on Lake Geneva, in the Canton of Vaud, Chillon Castle is an island castle built on the island of Chillon.  The island is an oval limestone rock on a narrow shore between Montreux and Villeneuve.  The name of the castle, according to Swiss ethnologist Albert Samuel Gatschet means "flat stone". In 1195 the name Castrum Quilonis literally meant "castle built on a rock platform."  The castle was built on the island for strategic reasons with one side of the island having a steep side while the other side juts into Lake Geneva.  The position of the castle meant it was able to guard the passage between the Vaud Riviera that gave access to the north towards Germany and France.  The castle was also positioned to to oversea a quick route to Italy and had an excellent view of the Savoyard Coast on the opposite side of the lake. The strategic position of the castle meant a garrison operating from Castle Chillon could control the road to Italy both commercially and for military reasons while collecting a toll for use of the passage.  

Chillon Castle in its current form took over seven centuries to construct.  The  build of Chillon Castle spanned over various, very distinct historical periods.  It was believed to initially be a military site during the Roman Period. Originally serving as a Roman outpost, Chillon Castle was a place from which the  roads that led through the Alpine passes could be guarded. In the nineteenth century Roman artifacts and bronze age artifacts were discovered at the castle. The site at first housed a double wooden palisade, a defensive stakewall and in the tenth century a square dungeon was added to the structure. It was then believed that the site fell into the possession of the Bishop of Scion.  A Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the canton of Vaud, Scion was the oldest bishopric in the country.  

Not yet completely dated the oldest part of the castle as it is now was first mentioned in records in 1005.  Primarily built to control the road that led from Burgundy to the Great Saint Bernard Pass a charter dated 1150 mentions Count Hubert III, the Count of Savoy from 1148-1188, allowing the Cistercians of Hautcrêt free passage to Chillon.  The charter cited the owners of Chillon Castle as the Counts of Savoy who shared the rights to the castle with the sires of Blonay.  In 1214 Thomas I of Savoy founded the town of Villeneuve.  The family used their control of the route that passed in front of the castle leading to the new town of Villeneuve to collect tolls and cover maintenance of the roads.  The route was very popular with travellers, pilgrims and merchants who were heading towards Rome via the Great Saint Bernard Alpine Pass.  Construction and enlargement of the castle was carried out during the Savoy period of occupancy.  These were initiated by Count Thomas I of Savoy and carried on by his sons.  Pierre II, the master of the castle from 1255-1268 entrusted the work on the castle to Pierre Mainier, a cleric from Chambery.  Pierre II’ brother Philippe of Savoy succeeded his brother and employed Jacques de Saint-Georges, a specialist in military installation and a master mason and engineer, to work on Chillon Castle.

Chillon Castle was used as a temporary residence to the Savoy family who were required to travel around their extensive territories regularly.  As the castle required a full time keeper the Counts of Savoy nominated a castellan, usually chosen from Savoy aristocracy, to guard the castle. The castellan was in charge of not only guarding the castle but also levying the custom duties and the seigneurys income as well as dispensing justice.  During the second part of the thirteenth century the Duchy of Savoy was divided into several bailliages and the castellan of Chillon took on the duties of Bailiff of Chablais.  The castle became a centre for finance and administration for the northern Savoyard lands.  In the latter half of the Savoy Period a prison was built around the stone pillars and rocks beneath the castle.  The prison was said to have housed François de Bonivard, Prior of Saint-Victor in Geneva who was held for his opposition to the Savoys in 1530.  During his imprisonment de Bonivard was said to have paced as far as his chain would allow him to and the rut his pacing created still remains on the floor of the castle  His life and imprisonment became an inspiration for the poet Lord Byron when he visited Chillon Castle and heard of de Bonivard.  Byron subsequently was inspired to write his poem “The Prisoner of Chillon” 

 By  the end of the fourteenth century the administrative works had been centralised in Chambery.  In 1436, before becoming Pope Felix V, the Duke Amédée VIII sent a master builder, Aymonet Corniaux, to carry out important works to the castle, including modifying the defences on the walls and towers. This work did not continue and Chillon Castle was neglected and fell into disrepair.   

On March 29th 1536 rundown Chillon Castle fell into the hands of the Bernese.  The Savoy prisoners, including François de Bonivard were released.  The castle became the residence of the Bernese Bailiff.  Serving as the administrative bailliage of Vevey the Bailiff, who represented the monarch was obliged to carry out several duties during his residency in Chillon Castle.  In 1733 the Bernese bailiff left the castle and it was primarily used for storage.  In January 1798 the castle was occupied by patriots from Montreux and Vevey.  The castle became national property during the Vaud Revolution and was transferred to the canton of Vaud in 1803. Chillon Castle was taken care of by a caretaker and police guards.  Between 1836-38 the castle was altered and  primarily became a munitions store and prison.  Despite Chillon Castles utilitarian use, Lord Byrons poem  “The Prisoner of Chillon”and the romantic writings and artwork depicting the castle by other authors and artists,  resulted in it becoming a popular tourist destination.  

During the second half of the nineteenth century the restorations of monuments became a priority.  A systematic restoration of Chillon Castle using the application of archaeology and history was planned.  Pioneering specialist in restoration, Johann Rudolf Rhann, a founder of the Swiss Society of Historical Monuments and Henri de Geymüller, architectural historian were part of the team who drew up restoration plans for Chillon Castle.  The commission assigned with the task of restoring Chillon Castle first met on 27th October 1890 and by 1896 a framework for the Milestones for the Restoration Programme were printed in Lausanne.  The Chillon model of restoration was so exemplary that German Emporer William II inquired about it when planning restoration of the Fortress Haut-Koenigsbourg.  Chillon Castle has become a popular tourist destination and by 1939 was already attracting over 100000 visitors, a number that has subsequently increased over the years. 

With such a long and at times violent history it is not surprising that Chillon Castle is said to be haunted.  The most well known ghost is that of Agnès de Faucigny, a duchess and member of the house of Savoy through her marriage to Pierre II, Count of Savoy.   Footsteps, a drop in temperature and music have all been attributed to Agnès.  

I loved visiting Castle Chillon.  It is a beautiful castle and a wonder to explore.  I also enjoyed that Lord Byron was so inspired by the castle. The cafe at the castle is named after him and he has carved his name into the walls of the dungeon that inspired him to write “The Prisoner of Chillon”.  The castle is filled with actual furniture from its various inhabitants.  It is a place you must visit if you are ever in Switzerland.

Pea Soup Andersen’s

Pea Soup Andersen's is a restaurant chain in California.  It was founded in 1924 by Anton Andersen and his wife Juliette.  Born in Denmark, Anton Andersen had trained as a chef in Europe and New York, also helping with the opening of the Biltmore Hotel.  He and his wife purchased a property in the small town of Buellton, California in Santa Barbara County, neighbouring Solvang, a Danish community of recent immigrants.  

The land in Buellton had previously been part of a Mexican Land Grant owned by Jose Maria Corarrubias and Joaquin Carillo of Santa Barbara.  The land was purchased by the Buell Brothers in 1865.  R.T Buell turned the land into a prosperous horse and cattle ranch and a dairy farm called Ranch San Carlos de Jonata.  Buell married Miss Emily Budd in 1892 and they had five children.  When Buell died in 1905 he was buried in the family plot which would later become the car park for Pea Soup Andersen's.  His body was later moved to Oak Hill Cemetery in Ballard.

The area of Buellton, located in the Santa Ynez Valley, changed rapidly and by 1911 Danish immigrants, attracted to the area, were settling there opening businesses and farms.  When the highway was diverted through Buellton and electricity was bought to the valley the Andersen's saw an opportunity.  They opened a small restaurant called Andersen's Electrical Cafe.  The name was in honour of their prized new electric stove.   

With a menu of simple foods including hotcakes, ice-creams, sodas and coffee, the café was created cater to the people that travelled the highway.  Initially the customers were mostly people that were travelling between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  The café also happened to be on the road to Hearst Castle at San Simeon. This was the heyday of the Hearst Media empire and writers and journalists such as Arthur Brisbane, one of the best known newspaper editors of the 20th Century and O.O McIntyre, a newspaper columnist of the 20s and 30s, stopped to eat at Andersen's. In this way praise for the establishment and the food it served was sent all across the country.

What would become the famous pea soup, a family recipe belonging to Juliette, Anton Andersen's French wife, was first added to the restaurant's menu three months after it was opened. Juliette was a fabulous cook and was responsible for preparing many of the popular recipes on the menu. As the establishment became more popular in 1928 the Andersen's built a hotel and dining room as well as sinking a well.  the Andersen's called the new establishment The Bueltmore, a play on the name of the Biltmore Hotel.  As Anton had worked in many well known restaurants, many famous chefs stopped by the Bueltmore.

In the 1930s Robert, Anton and Juliette's son, returned from Stanford University.  Robert became instrumental in the marketing aspect of the restaurant.   He discovered a cartoonist called Forbell who created a cartoon entitled "Little Known Occupations" for a magazine called Judge.  The illustration depicted two chefs creating split pea soup using a chisel to split the peas.  Andersen obtained the rights to the image.  Robert famously used billboards as part of his marketing strategy.

Robert Andersen married Rosemary Mohan who opened a gift shop attached to the restaurant.  the couple had a son called Robert in 1942.

During WWII the restaurant was closed to the public and  instead served as a place that military personnel and their family were served meals.  When the war was over Pea Soup Andersen's reopened.  Robert commissioned a Disney trained artist to draw the two mascots for the restaurant Hap-Pea and Pea-Wee, whose names were chosen through a competition.

In 1947 the new coast road was rerouted through the centre of Buellton.  That year the name of the restaurant became Pea Soup Andersen's. In 1965 Vince Evans, a successful business man and leader in the Santa Ynez Valley, purchased the restaurant.  He was said to have bought Pea Soup Andersen's on a whim because he enjoyed the soup. He promoted the restaurant like it was a Hollywood film putting huge billboards up and hiring new chefs.   Thriving under Evans management, the restaurant was said to be producing three quarters of a million bowls of soup a year.  Evans added a small wild animal park and aviary filled with parrots as well as a miniature train to further attract customers.  By the 1970s this was all demolished to make way for a Danish themed hotel.  In 1967 a second location was established in Santa Nella, California in Merced County.  The property had a restaurant, hotel, gas station and a gift shop as well as a working windmill.

Two short-lived restaurants were opened in Carlsbad and Mammoth Lakes.  Following the death of the Evans family in 1980 the restaurants passed through several owners.  Buellton and Santa Nella are now owned by Milt Guggia, a central coast restauranteur.

The Buellton Pea Soup Andersen's is said to be haunted by former owner Juliette Andersen.  Strange sounds, unexplained music and doors opening and closing have all been reported.  Furniture is also said to move on its own accord.

I have been to Pea Soup Andersen's several times on various trips to California and I always find it charming.  The soup is very delicious and the gift shop always has unique and interesting wares. 

Baker Street

Situated in the Marylebone District, Baker Street is in the City of Westminster, London.  In 1755 Henry William Berkeley Portman began developing the London Portman Estates.  He began to issue the first building leases, one of which was granted to William Baker.

William Baker of Audrey was an architect, surveyor and builder who worked in Shropshire and the adjacent counties in the mid 18th century.  William Baker laid out what became known as Baker Street on the leased land in 1794.

Lying in the postcode of the areas NW1/W1 and forming part of the A41 there, Baker Street is a busy thoroughfare.  The Portman Estate dates back to the sixteenth century.  Sir William Portman, who served as Lord Justice to King Henry VIII, leased 270 acres of the Manor of Lileston (Lisson).  He acquired the freehold in 1554 however most of the land remained as farmland until the building boom, following the Seven Year War involving the Great Powers of Europe at the time in 1763.

Madame Tussaud opened her first wax work museum in 1835, a permanent exhibition on the upper story of the Baker Street Bazaar in 1835.  Prior to this Madame Tussaud had toured Great Britain with her works for thirty three years.

The Baker Street Bazaar exhibited a huge range of items for sale, including such goods as horses, carriages, stoves, furnishing and ironmongery.  The Bazaar was opened by Samuel Godley, who had fought in the Napoleonic Wars.  Though Bazaars were common, the Baker Street Bazaar had some unique elements. Firstly it had Madame Tussaud’s waxworks including her popular Chamber of Horrors.  The Baker Street Bazaar was also the home of London’s first artificial ice rink, the Glaciarium.  The artificial rink was built in 1844 and the ice was made up of churned hogs lard, sulphurs and sulphate of copper.  The Glaciarium was 3000ft wide. Later the same year that it was built, due to the terrible smell it was emitting, it was closed down. 

In 1940 the Baker Street Bazaar, by then known as Druce’s, named after Thomas Charles Druce, burnt down.  The co-owner of an upholstery business Thomas Charles Druce had been embroiled in a legal case that ran from 1897 - 1908.  An allegation was made by a widow named Anna Maria Druce, that her father-in- law, who had died,  was living a double life and was infact the 5th Duke of Portland.  The widow went onto claim that the Duke had faked the death of his alter ego in 1864 to return to just living his aristocratic life.  Anna Maria Druce petitioned to get Thomas Charles Druce’s grave  in Highgate Cemetery opened, claiming it was full of cement blocks.  During the court case, Anna Maria was put in an asylum and the case was taken over by George Hollamby Druce.  Eventually it was agreed that the grave should be opened.  Druce’s body was indeed in the coffin.

In 1835  James Fillan, a Scottish sculptor, artist and poet came to live on Baker Street.  Formally trained in Paris, Fillan had a short but influential career and finally settled in London at 82 Baker Street.  At the Regent Street end of Baker Street stands an illustrious mansion block known as Chiltern Court which was home to famed novelists Arnold Bennett and H.G Wells. 

221B Baker Street is the London address for the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Originally a physician, Doyle published the first of the Sherlock Holmes and Watson detective novels in 1887.  At the time that the books were published Baker Street didn’t go as high as 221.  When street numbers were reallocated in the 1930s, the block of odd numbers from 215 - 229 were assigned to an art decor building known as Abbey House.  The building was constructed for the Abbey Road Building Society in 1932 and they occupied the building until 2002.  As soon as the building was opened they began to receive correspondence from Sherlock Holmes fans from all over the world.  The company was forced to hire a full-time secretary to deal with the huge volume of mail.  In 1990 a blue plaque was erected at the Sherlock Holmes Museum which was located between 237 and 241 Baker Street.  In 1999 Abbey National sponsored the creation of a bronze station of Sherlock Holmes that stands at the entrance to Baker Street Tube Station.  A fifteen year dispute then ensued between the Abbey National and the Holmes Museum for the right to receive mail addressed to 221B Baker Street.  Following the closure of Abbey House in 2005 the dispute over ownership was dropped.  

In 1940 the headquarters of the Special Operations Executive moved to offices at 64 Baker Street and they were colloquially known as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holme’s gang of street urchins.  In 1941 two unexploded missiles were removed from the burnt wreckage of Druce’s.  by 1957 the site was redeveloped as Michael House, the UK headquarters of Marks and Spencers.  It was at this location until 2005.  The site now serves as part of the 55 Baker Street office complex.  

From 1967 - 68 the Beatles Apple Boutique was situated at 94 Baker Street.  In 1971 a significant bank robbery occurred at a branch of LLoyd’s Bank on Baker Street.  A plaque was placed at 120 Baker Street to mark the place that Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger lived from 1803-4. Welsh born,  eighteenth century English actress Sarah Siddons lived on Baker Street  In the 1960’s entertainer Dusty Springfield lived on Baker Street.  Singer Gerry Rafferty wrote a song titled Baker Street in 1978 and Jethro Tull wrote the song Baker Street Muse.  

With such a long and interesting history it is not in the least surprising that there have been allegations of paranormal phenomena in various places along  famous Baker Street. The ghost of the actress Sarah Siddons has apparently been seen passing through the walls on the first floor of an electrical sub-station that stands where her former home once was. Also along Baker Street is the old Kenwood House Hotel that allegedly has several ghosts.  A piece of furniture in the pub is said to have drawers that open and shut by themselves and a mirror researchers believe houses a poltergeist.  The hotel is also said to have a ghost that is a former cavalier and appears from time to time.  The Volunteer Pub on Baker Street is said to be haunted by a ghostly figure that lurks in the dark corners of the establishment.  The ghost is said to be that of Rupert Neville.  The pub was built where the Neville Mansion once stood.  The mansion burnt to the ground in 1654 but the original cellars remain under the pub.

 I would recommend a walk along Baker Street and a visit to the Sherlock Holmes Museum.  It’s a fascinating street with an amazing and interesting history.