Eventually, the morning sunshine and aroma from the automatic coffeemaker brought everyone downstairs from their bedrooms... even if Lewis tried hiding under the covers. Ha ha!
Being a great organizer, Lee had taken care of the car problem before we assembled for breakfast! One call to "Triple A" scheduled a tow truck to bring his SUV to the dealership. Another call arranged for a taxi to bring Pierre to the local train station. The last call reserved a rental car for us, for the remainder of the weekend. All was well!
In fact, the dealership had his car ready within a few hours, so the rental car was cancelled, and we were able to proceed onward to our outing, as scheduled. We visited Sunnyside, the "bachelor cottage" home of famed early-American author, Washington Irving. It is situated in the Village of Irvington, named for the author in 1854.
The cottage was constructed in 1650 by a Dutch-American named Wolfert Acker, who was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn... (when it was spelled the Dutch way: Breuckelen). In fact, Flatbush was colonized by Dutch farmers in 1651 and achieved its name as a adaptation of the Dutch words Vlacke Bos (Flat Forest).
The cottage and its farmstead were part of an aristocratic Dutch patroonship named Philipsburg Manor. In 1693, a Netherlandish landowner, Frederick Philipse, received a Royal Charter and became Lord of the Manor. The charter was granted by King William III of England. (Seen below, the king was born in the Netherlands and was its reigning Prince of Orange).
When the English were defeated in the American Revolution, the pro-English "Lord of the Manor" was arrested for treason, and his land was auctioned. After Acker, the cottage was owned by the Van Tassel family until 1802.
Van Tassels lived in the area as one of the oldest families in America. The first to arrive was Cornelis van Texel (as the name was originally spelled). He was born in 1600 in the Netherlands. He emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland (now New York). He married a Native American princess of the Montauk tribe, named Catoneras. Their son, Jan van Texel, was born in the colonial capital: New Amsterdam (renamed New York City).
Seen below, Washington Irving bought their house in 1835 and used their name in his ghost-story. During refurbishment, he liked Dutch architecture and included stepped gables on his roof.
Wearing historic costumes, several tour guides took visitors around the grounds and through each room of Sunnyside. Unfortunately, no picture-taking was allowed inside Irving's home.
We visited the old ice storage house, sunken into the ground. Then, we meandered through the property.
He is also famous for penning Rip Van Winkle, Bracebridge Hall, The Devil and Tom Walker, as well as fanciful biographies about Christopher Columbus.
While writing about the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, he also befriended two U.S. Presidents: Fillmore and Pierce. His final authorship was a biography of his namesake, George Washington. He died eight months after completing it.
Most people don't know that, in 1812, he described a Christmastime St. Nicholas flying over NY treetops in a flying wagon! It might be the precursor to Santa's flying sleigh. That tale inspired others, most famously Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 with A Visit from St. Nicholas a.k.a. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. (Moore was born in NYC in 1779). Note: early authors still called the gift-giver Saint Nicholas, per the Dutch fable of Sinterklaas, which inspired the American invention of Santa Claus. Interestingly, Moore's poem described St. Nick as “an elf” riding a “miniature sleigh” with eight “tiny reindeer”. Even though much of the poem’s details became “gospel” for other tales of Santa Claus, his miniscule size was ignored. When naming two reindeer, Moore used the Dutch words for thunder and lightning: Donder and Blitzen.
*To see our teatime at Claridge's in London, please use this link:
Lewis, Lee, and I cooked dinner. I prepared my homemade chestnut stuffing (with apple cider, sage, bacon, cream, and brandy to deglaze the pan so the drippings add extra piquancy). I'll share my recipe with you:
In an era when most American townsfolk were born and died in their hometowns, Irving was a remarkable man. He was a lifelong bachelor (perhaps gay?). Born in 1783 in Manhattan (the week that the American Revolution ended), he was named for George Washington: spy-master, general, and America's first president. At age 6, he met the man, who was a deist and blessed him. He visited the Village of Sleepy Hollow in 1798 and always remembered it. He used his childhood memories when he set his ghost-fable, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, in the year 1790.
Irving's father was a Scottish merchant and his mother was Cornish. As a young man, he toured Europe from 1804 to 1806. Like Orson Welles' farcical 1938 radio broadcast The War of the Worlds, he began an 1809 newspaper series about a fictitious missing person named Diedrich Knickerbocker... which people believed and read giddily. That year, he published his first book: A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. Then, the War of 1812 occurred, and Britain "kicked America's ass", as retaliation for the Revolution. After the war, his parents returned to Britain with him and lived there for 17 years.
While living in England, Irving's writing skills and author-fame earned praise from Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, and Mary Shelley, and it enabled him to encourage American authors: Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. He visited Paris twice and stayed in Madrid at the ducal palace of the Duke of Gor, who shared his vast library of medieval manuscripts. Irving preferred Dutch and German folktales. He returned to England in 1829, where he received a medal from the Royal Society of Literature and an honorary doctorate from Oxford University! Wow.
Living in London, he joined the staff of the U.S. Ambassador. When the next ambassador arrived (future President Martin Van Buren--who grew up speaking only Dutch and was America's only president that didn't have English as a first-language), Irving left the role to continue writing. (Van Buren was suddenly rejected as ambassador by the backstabbing American Senate, but it propelled his reputation to become president... as Irving predicted to him).
Emigrating to the USA in 1832, Irving joined Count Albert-Alexandre de Pourtales (also a "lifelong bachelor") on an exploration of the American frontier. His chronicles of it were a best-seller. Next, America's richest man--and greediest skinflint--John Jacob Astor, paid him to compile the biography of his fur-trading monopoly. Consequently, Astor's will decreed him as the first chairman of NYC's Astor Library: the forerunner of the NYC Public Library. In 1842, Queen Isabella II bestowed the honor for him to be the U.S. Ambassador at the Royal Court of Spain. He held the post for four years, while his brother, Ebenezer, cared for Sunnyside. Irving died at Sunnyside in 1859 at age 76.
The family owned the cottage until WWII ended in 1945, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. bought it for preservation. (He also funded the preservation of Colonial Williamsburg, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Seen below, I visited it as a teen.
As the world's largest "living history" museum, it's named for King William III who built the first college in America there: the 1693 College of William & Mary, which educated U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler. The college perseveres to this day).
Situated alongside the Hudson River, Sunnyside has impressive views. Unfortunately, the land was severed from the waterfront by railroad tracks and electric poles... which is a typical New York tragedy.
Designed with ornate-yet-quaint details, it is a lovely home. In the image below, please notice the birdhouse atop the cupola of the "Spanish Tower".
The estate was so pretty that the famed lithographers, Currier & Ives, sold prints of it in 1860.
Residents are proud of that historic place, just as they are enthusiastic about Halloween! It was evident by the books for sale in Ye Olde Gift Shoppe.
Do you know the storyline? Watch this short video from the 1999 Johnny Depp and all-star film...
Residents are proud of that historic place, just as they are enthusiastic about Halloween! It was evident by the books for sale in Ye Olde Gift Shoppe.
They also provide recitals of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Do you know the storyline? Watch this short video from the 1999 Johnny Depp and all-star film...
The plot regards the Headless Horseman: an undead Hessian mercenary. During the American War of Independence, the British "redcoat" army outsourced to "soldiers for hire" who were provided by German princes. Hessians earned their nickname because they mainly came from the Principalities of Hesse-Hanau and Hesse-Kassel.
*To see our trip to Germany, where we tasted wine made by the current Prince of Hesse, please use this link:
Other characters of the horror story include a bully named Brom van Brunt, and a fearful schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane. For mystic reasons, the headless horseman cannot cross the covered bridge, so victims scramble to get there to literally "save their necks".
The place were the bridge stood is commemorated by New York State with a historical marker.
Like Gone With The Wind and Casablanca, the story has an open-ended finale, letting your imagination determine what happened. The story is worth reading, and the film is entertainingly suspenseful. If a talented storyteller recites it, that is a treat!
Some historians say that Irving learned of the folktale while visiting Morristown, New Jersey, where a similar event occurred: an American cannonball beheaded a Hessian soldier on horseback, and the horse rode into the swamp. Searches for the horse or the corpse were unsuccessful, and that fueled fear.
Wearing historic costumes, several tour guides took visitors around the grounds and through each room of Sunnyside. Unfortunately, no picture-taking was allowed inside Irving's home.
The familiar term "Gotham"—which relates to NYC and was adopted by Batman—was created by Irving! As a world traveler, businessman, lawyer, diplomat, and best-selling author, Irving was especially keen to make fun of NYC's stuffy/corrupt society & politics during the early 1800s until his death.
In 1807, he created a literary magazine, Salmagundi. Using pseudonyms, he lampooned NYC's selfishly wealthy culture. It became so popular that the president's wife, Dolly Madison, invited him to the White House. "Gotham" was the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "Goat's Town", which Irving used to refer to New York City... full of mindless goats.
Seen below, our trio relaxed on the veranda.
We visited the old ice storage house, sunken into the ground. Then, we meandered through the property.
He is also famous for penning Rip Van Winkle, Bracebridge Hall, The Devil and Tom Walker, as well as fanciful biographies about Christopher Columbus.
Most people don't know that, in 1812, he described a Christmastime St. Nicholas flying over NY treetops in a flying wagon! It might be the precursor to Santa's flying sleigh. That tale inspired others, most famously Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 with A Visit from St. Nicholas a.k.a. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. (Moore was born in NYC in 1779). Note: early authors still called the gift-giver Saint Nicholas, per the Dutch fable of Sinterklaas, which inspired the American invention of Santa Claus. Interestingly, Moore's poem described St. Nick as “an elf” riding a “miniature sleigh” with eight “tiny reindeer”. Even though much of the poem’s details became “gospel” for other tales of Santa Claus, his miniscule size was ignored. When naming two reindeer, Moore used the Dutch words for thunder and lightning: Donder and Blitzen.
*On the topic of reindeer (since it happens infrequently), if you want to read about our trip to Finland, where we ate delicious fillets of reindeer, please use this link:
The staff at Sunnyside provided era-accurate amusements to help visitors feel immersed in the bygone lifestyle. Below, Lewis tried using stilts to walk (with Lee's guidance), while others played a game of "Horseshoes" and the "Game of Graces" that involved a hoop and a stick.
From there, we visited another 19th-century estate, The Biddle/King Mansion in the historic Village of Tarrytown. It is only open to the public as a hotel.
We drove back to Wixon House for some cozy "afternoon tea" and Sauvignon Blanc. Lewis looked cute, awash in jungle prints!
Apropos for a room with bookshelves during the autumn season, use this link to read a clever autumnal poem:
We drove back to Wixon House for some cozy "afternoon tea" and Sauvignon Blanc. Lewis looked cute, awash in jungle prints!
I set up our refreshments in the library.
Apropos for a room with bookshelves during the autumn season, use this link to read a clever autumnal poem:
*To see our teatime at Claridge's in London, please use this link:
Letting us choose a dinner destination, Lee was happy that Lewis selected Blu At The Lakehouse. Lewis and I love eating within view of the water, and the shores of Lake Mahopac were ablaze with fall foliage, so it seemed ideal. The waterside Italian restaurant has an Albanian chef from NYC's Madison Avenue who cooked for David Letterman, Robert Redford, Robert De Niro, and Frank Sinatra. Chef Tony Kolaj is a also friend of Bill Murray, ever since Murray worked on the TV show Saturday Night Live.
We enjoyed homemade ravioli, fried calamari, tender veal, and shrimp over freshly-made linguine. Other diners arrived in costumes, and a table of 6 teenage girls (in monochromatic dresses) celebrated a Halloweentime birthday. Some customers arrived in their boats from islands on the lake.
While it firmed in the freezer, we went upstairs and got comfortable in the terrycloth bathrobes that Lee provided. They were perfect on a cool Fall night. On the stovetop, Lewis brewed warm mulled cider (with a cheesecloth full of spices). I shook up some pumpkin-butter martinis and presented the bars of Ecuadorian chocolate that we brought!
With plenty of sweets and beverages, we sat in the living room and watched the thriller movie, Cellular.
We enjoyed homemade ravioli, fried calamari, tender veal, and shrimp over freshly-made linguine. Other diners arrived in costumes, and a table of 6 teenage girls (in monochromatic dresses) celebrated a Halloweentime birthday. Some customers arrived in their boats from islands on the lake.
*To see an astounding assortment of Halloween costumes, please use this link:
After Lee brought us back to the house, we whipped up some chocolate mousse. Being the handiest helper, Lewis earned the reward of licking the mixer's wire-whisk.
While it firmed in the freezer, we went upstairs and got comfortable in the terrycloth bathrobes that Lee provided. They were perfect on a cool Fall night. On the stovetop, Lewis brewed warm mulled cider (with a cheesecloth full of spices). I shook up some pumpkin-butter martinis and presented the bars of Ecuadorian chocolate that we brought!
With plenty of sweets and beverages, we sat in the living room and watched the thriller movie, Cellular.
The next day, we "slept in". After a freshening ourselves at a leisurely pace, we had brunch delivered from a local gourmet market. We spent the rest of the day lounging at the house: watching movies and sipping a Gewürztraminer from the Alsace region of France. In the evening, we stirred up some martinis.
Lewis, Lee, and I cooked dinner. I prepared my homemade chestnut stuffing (with apple cider, sage, bacon, cream, and brandy to deglaze the pan so the drippings add extra piquancy). I'll share my recipe with you:
- 1 loaf of country-style bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (8 cups)
- 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into half-inch pieces
- 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
- 1 pound of pork sausage meat (or buy sausages and remove their casings)
- 1 turkey liver (optional if it comes with your turkey), coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
- 1 1/2 cups of cream (not merely milk)
- 1 cup low-sodium turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 14-ounce jar of peeled, cooked chestnuts, coarsely crumbled
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered sage
- 1 teaspoon of powdered thyme
- freshly-ground black pepper
Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on a large baking pan and bake in lower third of oven until completely dry, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cook bacon in a skillet over moderate-high heat, stirring, until crisp. Put bacon in a large bowl.
Pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet. Sauté onions in the residual fat over moderate-high heat--scraping up brown bits--for 10 minutes. Add celery and stir for 3 minutes, then transfer to the bowl.
Cook sausage in skillet, stirring until meat is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer to onion/bacon mixture.
Pour off any remaining fat from skillet. Away from the heat, add cognac. Then, deglaze the skillet by simmering over moderate heat, scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute, and add contents to the bowl.
If you do not stuff this into a bird for cooking, you must cook it by itself so increase oven temperature to 375°F.
In another bowl, soak bread cubes in cream, tossing frequently, until liquid is absorbed. Stir that into the sausage mixture, discarding any remaining cream. In the empty bowl, stir together turkey stock, cider vinegar, and eggs and add to stuffing mixture. Stir in chestnuts, herbs, and pepper.
If cooking by itself, pour stuffing in a baking dish and cover with foil, then bake in upper third of oven 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is crisp, about 20 minutes more.
That recipe always earns compliments, and I'm certain that you will adore it!
We dined by candlelight and had rousing conversation. Our host thanked us for our pleasant companionship. According to him, our presence always makes Wixon House come alive. Lee owns four residences (the others are in Chicago, San Fransisco, and Phoenix), but it's his favorite. In the decade that he owned it, he hosted many soirees and sleepovers. Yet, he told us that our sparkling personalities and creative ideas made his fondest memories at Wixon House. We enjoyed a refreshingly splendid time there, and we were sad to return home to the city. (The slow, dirty, overpriced train--full of slovenly people with their dirty shoes on the seat--didn't help).
Lewis and I look forward to our next reunion with Lee. I'll gladly tell you about it.
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