Entire books have been written about
Biltmore House. I doubt I can do an adequate job of describing the 250 rooms, 33 guest bedrooms, 45 bathrooms (with indoor plumbing, in 1895), 65 fireplaces, indoor swimming pool (with original underwater lights- how in the world did they manage not to be electrocuted?), bowling alley, tapestries from the 1600's, paintings by Sargent, Renoir and others, Ming vases, gargoyles, a bazillion staircases, etchings from the 1500's, carved oak everywhere, and breathtaking beauty at every turn. We weren't allowed to take pictures (though one lady in front of us blatantly ignored that rule. My pearls were clutched) on the carefully planned tour, but we wandered through something like 50 rooms, for two solid hours. It was flat-out amazing. And if I ever get back to Asheville, I'm not just going to see the house again, I will also to take some of the
specialty tours. Our one indoor picture was taken by their photographers:
But we were allowed to take all the pictures we wanted outside, so we did:
from a distance
up close
From the side
looking up
gargoyles
carved columns
copper downspouts
Random sculptures scattered about the house.
And then there were the trees, which accommodated us by turning just in time for our visit:
view from a back courtyard, which I think used to be the lawn tennis court
on the walk to the Conservatory.
Tomorrow: the Conservatory
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