Royal Gardens of Europe

So you know Europe by heart. You've been to Paris 10 times, shopped in London 20 times, and vacationed in Italy first as a kid with your parents, did the hostel thing in Spain during college, (re)discovered Venice with your sweetheart. You are pretty much tired of "touristy" Europe, but you are in love with the Old Continent. What to do, what to do?

How about looking for some inspiration? (No, I won't mention Tuscan, Sun, Under, The) .

Here's a book for you: George Plumptre's Royal Gardens of Europe. It is not your typical coffee table book (not as heavy, half page photos, lots of useful information).

How can this book help you? Let's take a look at the index: you can read more about Gardens For Display, The Age of Leisure, Royal Landscapes, Botanists & Plantsmen, Great Restorations, and From Grandeur to Privacy. Aside from the chapter on the people behind the great gardens of Europe, you can pretty much find sufficient information for your next 2-3 quarterly trips across the Atlantic.

Enjoy. Next, I will review the chapters individually.