Sign-In
Cart
Memoirs of a Mansion
Paperback
Central AmericaGeneral European HistoryArchitecture History
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 2970151014
ISBN13: 9782970151012
Publisher: Ametsa
Published: Nov 15 2021
Pages: 298
Weight: 0.72
Height: 0.67 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
ISBN13: 9782970151012
Publisher: Ametsa
Published: Nov 15 2021
Pages: 298
Weight: 0.72
Height: 0.67 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
Although it may shock you, I was conceived on a drafting board. It happened on a rainy day in the office of my architect, Monsieur Ernest Devolz, in the city of Fribourg in Switzerland. The name I was given at birth was The Villa St. Pierre, and I was destined to have an interesting life.
I appeared in the peaceful and prosperous year of 1912, in a chic faubourg outside the ramparts of a medieval town on Lake Neuchâtel. Wealthy Parisian tourists sojourned in the hotel across from me, spending their days at their beach cabins and their evenings at the Casino-Theatre. The first automobiles passed in front of my gate on Avenue de la Gare and a Zeppelin dirigible floated silently over my rooftop. Savoring the warmth of the early summer in 1914, we were unaware that we were living in the calm before the storm of the Great War. Suddenly, the whole world was plunged into an abyss of death and destruction. Our newly-drafted soldiers took communion in the church, their rifles at their sides and to the sound of drums and bugles, marched off to defend our borders. How could a small, neutral country like ours, surrounded by nations at war, defend itself? Did those blaring air raid sirens mean a bomb was about to land on my roof...? Memoirs of a Mansion brings a 110-year-old villa to life by giving it a voice of its own. The villa reveals its history through two wars, earthquakes, tornadoes and three generations of the Swiss family who built it. Abandoned and in disrepair, it is bought by an American couple who begin its restoration. The untimely death of the American husband puts his widow in a precarious position. With no income, should she sell the villa and return to the United States with her young son or continue with the restoration and invent a way to support her family? The spacious villa finds a new life as a Bed & Breakfast, an extension of an American University, a venue for Master Class opera, art classes and a TV soap opera. The villa's amusing perspective of the human condition will delight readers as it passes through the industrial and digital revolutions, ending with the Coronavirus. Memoirs of a Mansion, in its authentic geographical setting in French-speaking Switzerland, shines a laser beam on a lesser-known area of Europe. Funny, factual and wise, Memoirs of a Mansion is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
1 different editions
Also available
Also in
Central America
Lonely Planet Costa Rica: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Waterfalls, Sea Turtles, Traditional Crafts and
Lavis, Elizabeth
Brooklyn, Cassandra
Ferrarese, Marco
Paperback
$27.54
Lonely Planet Belize: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Belize District, Northern Cays, Northern Belize and
Ferrarese, Marco
Bartlett, Ray
Chanona, Carolee
Paperback
$23.74
Lonely Planet Central America: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Costa Rica, Mexico's Yucatan & Chiapas, Pan
Isenberg, Robert
Bartlett, Ray
Bell, Rosie
Paperback
$28.49
Lonely Planet Panama: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Panama City, Bocas del Toro, Darien and More
Bell, Rosie
Egerton, Alex
Ruiz, Jen
Paperback
$22.49
Insight Guides Costa Rica: Travel Guide with eBook: 2026-2027 Culture & Society Must-See Sights Stunning Photos Expert Advice Covers: San Jose, Arenal
Stafford, Paul
Insight Guides
Paperback
$24.69
The Salvisoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes & the Women Who Preserve Them
Vasquez, Karla Tatiana
Hardcover
From $17.99
Mexico City: The Extraordinary Guide: An Insider Tour of Art, Food, and Culture
Mommalier, Thibault
Juery, Franck
Hardcover
$31.50
The Gardener's Companion to Medicinal Plants: An A-Z of Healing Plants and Home Remedies
Irving, Jason
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Hardcover
$21.84
Lonely Planet Experience Costa Rica: Build a Trip to Remember Local Insights Maps & Planning Tools Covers San Jose, Caribbean Coast, Northern Highland
Vorhees, Mara
Isenberg, Robert
Lavis, Elizabeth
Paperback
$25.64
Lonely Planet Guatemala: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Guatemala City, Antigua, Lago de Atitlan and More
Vidgen, Lucas
Bartlett, Ray
Paperback
$23.74
Costa Rica - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Maddicks, Russell
Koutnik, Jane
Culture Smart!
Paperback
$16.14
Moon Costa Rica: Best Beaches, Wildlife-Watching, Outdoor Adventures
Moon Travel Guides
Solano, Nikki
Paperback
$23.74
The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget: Travel Guide with eBook
Stafford, Paul
Guides, Rough
Paperback
$28.49
The Rough Guide to Guatemala: Travel Guide with eBook
Savage, Robert
Stewart, Iain
Guides, Rough
Paperback
$24.69
Rough Guides Belize with Tikal and Flores: Travel Guide with eBook
Chanona, Carolee
Guides, Rough
Paperback
$23.74
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, Vols. I and II
Stephens, John Lloyd
Hardcover
$46.24
Guatemala - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Maddicks, Russell
Culture Smart!
Paperback
$16.14
Birds of Central America: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
Dyer, Dale
Vallely, Andrew
Paperback
$57.95
RV Road Atlas Mexico 2026: The Essential Guide to RV Routes, Safe Stops, and Epic Mexican Landscapes
Hurley, Marcos
Paperback
$19.19
Jungleland: A Mysterious Lost City and a True Story of Deadly Adventure
Stewart, Christopher S.
Paperback
$15.99
Costa Rica Butterflies & Pollinators: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species
Kavanagh, James
Paperback
$8.50
Mayan Whitewater Chiapas & Belize, 2nd Edition: A Guide to the Rivers
Schwendinger, Greg
Contos, James Rocky
Paperback
$43.75
Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, and Living the Zero Hour Work Week
Pisani, Nadine Hays
Paperback
$15.59
Spanish at a Glance: Foreign Language Phrasebook & Dictionary
Stein, Gail
Wald, Heywood, PH. D.
Paperback
$9.49
The Hummingbirds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide to Every Species Found in the Country
Jiménez, Yeral
Paperback
$29.99
Cocina Holistica: Plant-Powered Recipes Inspired by Guatemalan Superfoods
Fiedor, Kassia Emily
Paperback
$39.08
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica: A Field Guide
Paulson, Dennis R.
Haber, William A.
Paperback
$33.20
Costa Rica: An Expat's Travel Guide to Moving & Living in Costa Rica
Johnson, Melissa Nicole
Paperback
$15.58
Nicaragua - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Maddicks, Russell
Culture Smart!
Paperback
$14.24
Greater Than a Tourist - Bologna, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy: 50 Travel Tips from a Local
Mathews, Emily
Tourist, Greater Than a.
Paperback
$14.36
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, Vols. I and II
Stephens, John Lloyd
Paperback
$46.24
Nicaragua Unveiled: A Traveler's Handbook: A Condensed Guide to Beaches, Volcaones, Rum Tasting, Nightlife & Beyond
Claeys, Kristen
Paperback
$15.59
All Points Guide Living in Costa Rica: Visas, Cost of Living and Expat Essentials
Guetzkow, Jason
Paperback
$21.59
Belizean Slang Dictionary: A Colorful Journey Through Belizean Slang and Sayings, Talk Like a Belizean
World, Slang
Paperback
$11.99
Walking the Americas: 1,800 Miles, Eight Countries, and One Incredible Journey from Mexico to Colombia
Wood, Levison
Paperback
$16.15
Predator's Paradise: A True Tale of Trust, Betrayal, and Survival in Costa Rica
Walden, Jessica
Paperback
$17.49
Costa Rica: A Beautiful Print Landscape Art Picture Country Travel Photography Meditation Coffee Table Book
Zaxu, Chloe
Paperback
$14.29
Greater Than a Tourist - Branson Missouri USA: 50 Travel Tips from a Local
Rush, Kayla
Tourist, Greater Than a.
Paperback
$14.36
El Salvador Slang Dictionary: Your Fun and Easy Guide to Speaking Salvadoran Spanish
World, Slang
Paperback
$11.99
Obsessions Die Hard: A Motorcycle Adventure Across the Pan-American Highway's Darién Gap
Culberson, Ed
Paperback
$40.43
Incidents of Travel in Yucatan Volumes 1 and 2 (Annotated, Illustrated): Vol I and II
Stephens, John L.
Hardcover
$56.19
Choose Costa Rica for Retirement: Retirement, Travel & Business Opportunities for a New Beginning
Howells, John
Paperback
$16.95
Incidents Of Travel In Yucatan: Illustrated By 120 Engravings: In Two Volumes; Volume 1
Stephens, John Lloyd
Hardcover
$51.19
A statistical and commercial history of the Kingdom of Guatemala ... With an account of its conquest by the Spaniards, and a narrative of the principa
Juarros, Domingo
Baily, John
Paperback
$38.69
Explorations In Alaska, 1899: For An All-American Overland Route From Cook Inlet, Pacific Ocean, To The Yukon (1901)
Herron, Joseph S.
Paperback
$26.19
Greater Than a Tourist - Antigua Guatemala: 50 Travel Tips from a Local
Tourist, Greater Than a.
Haylock, Rachael
Paperback
$14.36
Greater Than a Tourist-Antigua and Lake Atitlán Guatemala: 50 Travel Tips from a Local
Záková, Dita
Tourist, Greater Than a.
Paperback
$14.36
Cruising Coast to Coast Through the Panama Canal 2020-21: A guide on What to Expect
Deitch, Lew
Paperback
$17.94
Mayan Whitewater El Salvador, Honduras, & Nicaragua: A guide to the rivers
Schwendinger, Greg
Paperback
$43.75
El Silencio de los Garifunas: Donde el viento susurra historias antiguas
Rojas Silva, Bienvenido
Paperback
$26.39
The Fallen Stones: Chasing Butterflies, Discovering Mayan Secrets, and Looking for Hope Along the Way
Marcum, Diana
Hardcover
$23.70
The Manuscript Hunter: Brasseur de Bourbourg's Travels Through Central America and Mexico, 1854-1859 Volume 84
Brasseur de Bourbourg, Charles Étienne
Hardcover
$59.93
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan - Volume 1
Stephens, John Lloyd
John Lloyd, Stephens
Paperback
$89.90
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan - Volume 2
John Lloyd, Stephens
Stephens, John Lloyd
Paperback
$100.05
Belizean Urban Dictionary: The Complete Guide to Belizean Urban Language, Humor, and Culture
Yes, Slang
Paperback
$9.59
Discovering the Bahamas: A Journey Through Culture, Nature, and Paradise
Thompkins, Michael G.
Paperback
$14.50
B'ajlom ii Nkotz'i'j Publications' Achi Maya Phrasebook: Ideal for Traveling to the Department of Baja Verapaz in Guatemala
G. R., Mateo
Chigüela, Sandra
Paperback
$26.40