The Enchanted Hill

{fig. 1} The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle {fig. 2} On the beach at San Simeon, in the Alexa Chung for Madwell Betty Tea Dress and Opening Ceremony sandals {fig. 3 & 4} Outside one of the guest houses; statues in the Neptune Pool {fig. 5 & 6} The front gates of Casa Grande; a guest bathroom features clothing from Hearst's heyday {fig. 7} Indoor Roman pool inlaid with gold

"Rosebud" he whispers, as his hand falls limp around the snow globe he was clutching. It rolls to the ground and shatters into a million pieces. A scene from the film "Citizen Kane" based on the life of newspaper magnate and great eccentric William Randolph Hearst. I watched "Citizen Kane" in a college film class and was instantly mesmerized. Learning about Hearst and the real life "Xanadu" which was dubbed La Cuesta Encantada or "The Enchanted Hill" by Hearst proved equally as fascinating. I always wanted to visit the Hearst castle, and since it's the perfect little day-trip from LA I finally ended up at the gilded gates of San Simeon.

The castle makes for a fun visit, wandering the grounds everything is an exercise in glamour, excess and historical significance. A gold inlaid pool, whaaaa?! Zebras roaming the ground, you're kidding?! The Hearst Estate mixes various architectural styles that Hearst admired while travelling Europe. Where else would you find a genuine facade from a Roman temple alongside the architecture of a Spanish Cathedral and statues from Egypt. During the 1920's and 30's the Hearst Estate was the place to be. The likes of Charlie Chaplin, Jean Harlow, Cary Grant, Winston Churchhill, Howard Hughes and Charles Lindbergh were guests at the castle.

The Betty Tea Dress from the Alexa Chung for Madewell collection fit in perfectly with my surroundings. It's a little bit Great Gatsby with a 1920's vintage feel. Embarrassingly the skirt is very flippy and it was an incredibly windy day at San Simeon. I have a feeling the California coast may have gotten a flash of panty on accident. Luckily I was wearing boy briefs with little trucks on them.