I had a whole list of to-do activities in NYC planned out for the week, but we ended up taking an impromptu road trip to Rhode Island instead, which is an approximate 4 hour ride away by bus. Well I've never been, so it's always good to explore!
Of all days, the weather turned crazy during our first two days and it rained cats and dogs. According to the news, it was one month's worth of rain in two days. The worse part was that I only packed my usual summer gear: bikini, shorts and sleeveless - bad decision. The weather had turned so chilly that I had to buy a new cardigan and a pair of jeans to beat the wind. The first few signs that summer was coming to an end! :(
Since we had to pay to enter the mansions, we ended up choosing two - The Marble House and The Breakers. I love learning about the histories and stories behind objects, so the audio tours were perfect for me. That's the reason why I enjoy second-hand books so much, because the crisp pages and musky smells of an old book offer hints and secret stories of the mysterious person who once gleaned through the same pages. My favorite ones used to be gifts to a loved one with cursive handwritten notes dated behind the front cover of the book. I guess I'm a hopeless romantic at heart.
This was one of my favorites - The Marble House which was built by the super rich and powerful Vanderbilt's during the late 1800s. The summer "cottage" reportedly cost $11 million and was once known as the most expensive house ever built in the USA.
To cut the long story short, millionaire Vanderbilt built this beautiful mansion for his smart and ostentatious wife, Alva. She decorated it to the nines, even building a Chinese Tea house in her humongous backyard (to commemorate the event, she hosted an extravagant Chinese costume party where her very angmoh and rich guests dressed up in emperor's and empress outfits!) Being a control freak, she arranged her daughter's marriage to this prestigious European duke. Her daughter was actually secretly engaged with another man, but Alva threatened to shoot her lover if she didn't go on with the marriage (tragic, but all for name's sake so her daughter can be a duchess). Three years after the mansion was built, Alva divorced her husband and ran off with a rich neighbor, moving in just a few doors down. Her daughter eventually ended her loveless marriage and married for love.
See, what an awesome story! Sorry they don't allow pictures of the interior, so use your imagination! Imagine ostentatious and eloquent Parisian designs, completed with miles after miles of unique marbled ceilings and floors.
Here are some pictures of the interior taken from the internet, just so you have an idea how crazy luxurious the place was...
The Gold Room, where majestic black-tie events were hosted.....
Alva's fairytale inspired bedroom...
The Breakers - Another Vanderbilt family mansion. Probably the biggest of them all.
Wish I was in a nicer dress....meh.
Oh also, their cold marble bathtubs are so thick that water had to be filled up and drained 4 times so that the water will be hot enough for bath. Their bathtubs have four taps, one for cold water, one for hot water, one for cold sea water and one for hot sea water. Just imagine the lavishness inside.
On the way home from Newport, we stopped by for gelato.
Online deals such as Groupon and Livingsocial are all the rage now. They are super awesome for consumers though, can save super a lot of money. Such as this $5 for $10 worth of gelato coupon.
Choices, choices.
Okay, gotta go catch up on sleep now. Will blog more about my Providence experience later. CIAO!
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