I have just returned from a restorative vacation week with my family (human and canine) in rural North Carolina. Along with relaxing by the lake and in the mountains, I checked off another item from my personal "getting to know America" list: We visited Biltmore in Asheville. No-one could fail to be impressed by the 250-room mansion on 125,000 acres decked out with the finest furnishings from all over the world, Europe in particular.