Paris Recap: Chateau Versailles

One thing that we all agreed was on our Paris Bucket List was a trip to Versailles. We had heard such wonderful things about the royal palaces, about the gardens, and about Marie Antoinette's country residence; we were dying to take it all in.

Unfortunately, the weather was anything but cooperative.

The morning that we took the twenty minute taxi ride to Versailles was windy, cold and rainy, and, although we felt prepared (Jackets, umberellas, sunny dispositions), we were still a bit disappointed when our first glimpse of the palace was the long line snaking in a random pattern throughout the massive courtyard.

Thankfully, Midge took the initiative to ask one of the guards for instructions, and, he kindly pointed his AK-47 (not even kidding), toward the ticket office, which was located across the courtyard. We separate into two's; Midge and I to procure tickets, and Barbie and Mom to save a space in the line, which, saved us a lot of sadness at the front of the line, where tourists who had just assumed that they were actually in line for tickets were then sent to the ticket office, and, ultimately, back to the end of the line.

It was still quite a wait, however; our view for the majority of the time looked like this...

We were huddled underneath our own umbrellas as well, or, at least most of us were; the umbrella that Midge purchased from a street vendor upon arriving at Versailles was completely destroyed by a rogue wind gust mere moments after she opened it for the first time. I guess 5 euro doesn't exactly buy quality.

Anyway, once we were inside the gates of the palace, the view improved, immensely.

The first thing we saw when we entered the palace, itself, was an interactive display that depicted the changes that the palace went through as it housed the different Kings of France. It was a dizzying experience to watch the growth; the palace is seriously huge.

Interestingly, a huge building does not equate into huge rooms, and, most of the chambers are really relatively small. This made touring them a bit of a challenge because, small rooms + a zillion tourists = crowded conditions. Plus, with the poor weather, the gardens were closed, which, meant that the crowds were less able to spread out over the grounds and were more concentrated in the palace.

That didn't ruin our enjoyment of the palace, exactly, but, the behavior of a certain few tourists (think, waving Selfie Sticks around with no regard for the people around them, pushing, shoving, crowding the lines, etc.), made it a definite challenge to "be in the moment".

We did our best, though. I also did my best to photograph the palace in a way that made it seem like we had the place to ourselves, and, with a few exceptions, I think I succeeded.

The famed Hall of Mirrors was very hard to photograph without a gaggle of tourists mucking up the pictures (darn tourist, ha!), but, it was so breathtakingly beautiful, you hardly notice all the people while you are ogling all the gold, crystal, and gilding. Ok, you notice them, but, Versailles! It's all good.

Although the royal bedchambers were smaller than I had expected, they were certainly sumptuous in their décor.

The bedchamber of Marie Antoinette was especially luxurious, and, it's not hard to see why the French peasants, who were starving in the streets, wanted her head on a platter.

The door, on the far left of the photo above, blended seamlessly into the wall when closed, and, when open, provided Marie Antoinette with a secret escape route, which, she utilized to flee to Paris when the French people stormed the palace on October 6, 1789.

This has been your history trivia tidbit for the day. You're welcome.

Upon leaving the Chateau, we ventured into the city of Versailles, where we found a quaint local restaurant in which to warm up with cappuccinos and, for some of us, to sample the French delicacy known as escargot, but, that is a story for another day.

So, it was a great day. The only real disappointment was, of course, the fact that we couldn't tour the gardens, about which we had heard such great things. Due to the weather, we also elected not to pay the additional admission charge for Marie Antoinette's country residence, which added to our unhappiness, But, it was still an exceptional way to spend a day in France, and, we had to leave something to come back for, I mean, right?

Right.

What? A Post NOT ABout Paris? Get Out!

Seriously though, life has gone on since we returned from our trip. My mom, sisters, and I have all been busy with family, work, and play; in short, life is back to normal, so, might as well blog about it.

In work news: Day Job is kicking my ass. In the weeks since returning, I have been working feverishly to complete a quarterly report, I have drafted an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) for my Board of Directors, created By-Laws, staffed three new families into my programs, and I continue to work one-on-one with a family with a higher need for services.

 In addition, the store is keeping me busy with the usual tasks, as well as some not-so-ordinary stuff, like, on Friday, when a couple purchased a chainsaw using a stolen check. That's $800 that we were about to be out.

Fortunately, Hugh was made aware of the theft just an hour later, when the couple attempted to return the saw at a store in Pixler. The staff there smelled something fishy and called the police, and, the couple, sensing trouble, dashed out of the store with the saw.

Hugh made all of the appropriate reports to the police department and we resigned ourselves to eating the loss, that is, until later that afternoon, when the couple attempted to return the saw at a store in Hooterville, where, in a serendipitous turn of events, Hugh was picking up an item that we were out of stock on and needed for the store. 

Hilarity, in the form of a citizen's arrest, complete with a full-body tackle and a scuffle on the floor, ensued.

We got the saw back. Arrests were made. Just another day in small business.

In sports news: The Man-Cub continues to play baseball. He was recently recruited to play a Varsity game in right field, when the usual right fielders were on an extended Spring Break trip to Costa Rica. He was a little nervous about playing the position, since it's not his usual position, but, he did great.

Mom will be visiting next week and we have four games scheduled, so, she is certain to get in a lot of spectating. She will also be working in the concession stand with me, but, that's going to be a surprise (hi, Mom!).

Friday night, we hosted the team dinner. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and, later, the boys toasted marshmallows for s'mores. I enjoy the boys and am always happy to host them at the house.

In home news: Hugh and the Man-Cub spent the majority of last weekend doing yard work, in preparation of the team dinner. They thatched the lawn, set up the pagoda and fire pit, and dug up-and laid new wood chips on-the overgrown flowerbeds around the house. While they were working on that, I was pressure-washing the porch. It is clean and ready for summer. I even bought new cushions for the wicker. My color scheme changed a bit, from red, orange, and yellow to Tiffany blue, turquoise, and red. I think I'm going to like it. Now, I just have to purchase this year's flowers and I'll be set.

In shopping news: Yesterday, I went to Neighboring City to pick up staples at Sam's Club. On the way home, I stopped at a little boutique that was advertising a 60% off moving sale. I found the cutest pieces at rock-bottom prices; two pairs of earrings, two bracelets, and one necklace for less than $25. I love cheap bling.

 

From The Paris Collection, hah! Total coincidence, I swear!

So, life is rolling right along. The upcoming week will be busy, with company, games, work, and, hopefully, play. The Teenager is planning a visit and we are thinking about going to the Prom Grand March, since she loaned one of her dresses to Katie's sister and we want to be supportive. Also, I am totally missing the fun around having a daughter at prom time. I'll get over it...eventually. Like, just in time for The Teenager's wedding.

Kidding. No rush there.

Paris Recap: Sacre Coeur and the Streets of Montmarte

Are you tired of hearing about Paris yet?

Yes?

Too bad, I'm nowhere near done.

Sorry (Not sorry).

Saturday morning, we ventured to the Galleries de Lafayette, which is a super fancy shopping center. How fancy? This fancy...

 It was at the shopping center that we got our first (and, likely only) taste of Angelina hot chocolate, which, basically sent us each into a sugar coma while immediately causing cavities in every tooth in our heads. Ok, not really, but, I'm not kidding when I say it was sweet.

Angelina was on my Paris Bucket List, and I was pleased to cross it off. Another item on my list was a visit to Sacre Coeur, a church located at the highest point overlooking the city. I had heard stories about the view from the church and was really looking forward to seeing it, so, once we had completed our shopping, we grabbed a cab and headed to Montmarte, where the church is located.

 The stories were true; the view of Paris from the steps of the church were amazing.

The church was equally beautiful, and, clearly draws an eclectic blend of people to the flight of stairs leading up to it; we saw the young, the old, bohemians, devout worshippers, street performers, tourists, locals, and everyone in between, just hanging out and enjoying the cool day. The energy of the crowd was amazing.

In contrast, the inside of the church was serene and reverent.

When we left the church, we decided to walk into town. I wanted an opportunity to photograph a less touristy-and more authentic- section of Paris and was hoping that I might get lucky in Montmarte. I was not disappointed.

 

In  a serendipitous turn of events, we happened to hit the neighborhood on one of only two days of the year that residents of the area set up tables on the streets for a thrift sale. We got an opportunity to browse through a lot of really interesting items and had an interesting conversation with an American ex-patriot from Connecticut, who had been living in Paris for a number of years; she gave us a lot of good tips for getting along during our visit.

We also hit the local shops, where we purchased wine, cheese, baguettes, fresh strawberries, and pastries to take back to the hotel for an evening snack. The wine, purchased in a small grocery, cost only a couple of euros but was easily one of the best wines that I have ever tasted. The French do not mess around when it comes to wine and cheese, my friends.

It was another really great day in Paris, which, I mean, really; are there ever really bad days in Paris?

That was a rhetorical question.

Paris Recap: Pons des Arts

Long before our trip to Paris, I read about the phenomenon wherein people used padlocks on a bridge as a sign of love and commitment. I mentioned the practice to Mom, and, after some conversation, we all agreed that it would be an appropriate way to honor Dad on our trip.

Finding the bridge was easy, we just asked a taxi driver.

Finding a lock was easier still; vendors sell them at stalls all along the River Seine.

Finding a free space to attach the lock was a little trickier, which, explains a lot about why Paris is considering a ban on the practice; all those little locks weigh a lot, and the integrity of the bridge is being compromised by the weight.

Nonetheless, Mom found a space, and, her lock was firmly attached.

I have no idea what prayer she said as she held the key to that lock in her hands on the bridge that day. Or, more likely, what conversation she had with Dad, but, it seemed to bring her peace as we left the bridge to continue our stroll along the riverbank, and that was worth the price of the few euros that we paid for the lock.

The lock may last on that bridge for the rest of her lifetime, or, it may fall victim to the bolt-cutters well before then. Either way, the love that my parents shared is immortalized.

Although, we didn't really need a love lock to prove that.

Paris Recap: The Louvre

After our big night out at The Moulin Rouge, we settled back in at the hotel. I tried to fall asleep, but, the seven hour difference in time (it became an eight hour difference a couple of days later, when Paris started it's Daylight Savings Time) foiled my attempts; I finally fell asleep a couple of hours before I had to get up for our day at The Louvre. Thankfully, the museum was entertaining enough to keep me awake.

We arrived early, in order to secure our place in line to purchase tickets. It was a gorgeous day, very sunny and pleasantly warm, so, the wait outside was not uncomfortable in the least, which, Midge certainly appreciated, given her dismay at the cooler temperatures from our day on the Champs Elysees.

Once inside the museum, we were blown away by the sheer size of the space, not to mention the volume of artwork and artifacts housed within. It would have been easy to lose ourselves for hours in the galleries, but, Barbie was on a mission to find The Mona Lisa, which was on her Paris Bucket List, so; we headed to the Denon Wing in search of the famous painting before doing anything else.

Despite being surrounded by literally thousands of important works of art, The Mona Lisa was the only painting to attract a standing room only crowd, with tourists pushing to get to the front of the pack for a closer look. We eventually made our way to the front of the velvet ropes, or, as close as I felt the need to get, anyway, and...

...I can say that I saw The Mona Lisa in The Louvre in Paris.

Happily, I can also say that I saw a number of other stunning works of art, including paintings, sculptures, pottery, crystal, the French Crown Jewels, and tapestries, galore. My favorite wing of the museum was the Sully Wing, which is the oldest part of the museum, dating back to when the Louvre was still used as a royal residence.

The intricate paintings on the ceiling and artwork on the ceiling moldings were phenomenal; I especially liked the artwork depicting the months of the year, as related to astrology. Not because I am a nut about horoscopes or anything but, because they were unique and beautiful. Also, slightly terrifying; some of those cherubs look like the predecessor to the Chucky doll.

 

Come play with meeee...

We didn't have nearly enough time to fully explore the museum-that would have taken days-but I did get to see the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, the Borghese Gladiator, and, this guy...

 I'm not sure what it's called; I would have gotten a closer look at the placard had Midge not taken it upon herself to molest the poor thing. As it was, I quickly retreated in shame lest someone label me a tacky American.

Redneck, yes. Tacky, no.

Not long after that picture was snapped, we left the museum to catch a ride in an open-air taxi, during which we were treated to such scintillating sights as the hotel where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed spent their last night on earth. Earlier in the week, a cab driver had pointed out the tunnel in which the accident that claimed their lives occurred. Apparently, Parisians are still haunted by the tragedy.

Speaking of accidents, it was on this day in Paris that the taxi we were riding in was rear-ended when it pulled out of traffic to illegally discharge us. I shared that picture once before, but, some things are just to good not to share, so here it is again.

I'm thinking of having it framed. Maybe, someday, it too, can hang in a famous museum. After all, Mona Lisa was once just some homely girl who sat for a painting.

Next time: the story behind the Lover's Bridge.

Seriously, I can't take them anywhere.