LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Josephine De Beauharnais
built 633 days ago
[J]ust as Martinique was part of Josephine, so Josephine left her mark on Martinique. The island today is, in fact, a bit like Josephine: a blend of the tropics and France. It is a bustling French département like no other. A voluptuous island of black sand beaches, rolling mountains and flourishing fields of pineapple, banana and sugar cane (from which is produced its famous A.O.C. rum), Martinique ... boasts boulangeries, and routes nationales filled with the latest Renaults and Citroëns. Like Josephine’s, the local accent has a pleasing Creole cadence and la métropole (Paris) is spoken of as if it were next door (which, with direct flights daily, it almost is).
Source:
Josephine begins decorating Malmaison, a three- story house eight miles from Paris. She lays out the gardens and imports exotic species of flowers and plants 200 varieties of roses. By cross breeding she produces the tea rose, from which most garden roses today are descended.
Source:
Josephine was interested in gardening, enjoyed painting and involved in charity and reforms in Sweden. Although she was a devoted Catholic she agreed to raise her children Lutheran. Oscar and Josephine had five children, of which two were to become kings of Sweden and Norway.
Source:
This well-written biography is empathetic and understanding in its account of Josephine's life, although the author often refers to details she hasn't mentioned. Of course, this could spur you into reading the full-length biography she recommends! The same page is here under a different design.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Josephine De Beauharnais