Today was a nice contrast to yesterday. Instead of jumping from place-to-place, we took our time and moseyed along the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. All I can say is...Wow! I completely understand why the people of Paris stormed the Bastille and imprisoned the monarchy and aristocracy. Lavish and extravagant. Definitely over-the-top. I wonder if King Ludwig of Bavaria took his eccentricities from King Louis XIV?
Getting there was very easy. One train transfer and we were on our way. The Palace was only 1/2 mile from the train station. Plus all you had to do was follow the crowd of tourists. A massive restoration project is taking place at the palace right now and someone had a crazy idea to put some modern artwork in front of the palace and along the grounds. It clashed with the Baroque architecture and I avoided it all costs in my pictures.
The palace was packed with tourists. It was hard to get good shots or really linger too long in one place. The "chateau shuffle" kept us moving. The Hall of Mirrors was incredible. But my favorite part, as always, was the grounds. I love gardens! Robin and I decided that we needed to save our poor feet and we rented a golf cart for an hour. My parents, Kathrine, Robin, and I toured most of the grounds in the cart. It was so nice! Easy to see more things. We dropped my parents off at the Grand and Petite Trianon, returned the cart, then walked the mile back to the homes.
The Grand and Petite Trianon were setup for Louis XIV, Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette to escape palace life. Considering the gluttony, lewdness, and debauchery going on at the palace, I'm not surprised. Of course, what happened at the Trianon estates wasn't that much better. I loved Marie-Antoinette's peasant hamlet. She set up this peasant farm for the poor and would go out among the locals and "assist" them in their efforts. Basically she put on a common outfit and hat, and handed out instructions. At least she tried. Even with the Revolution, the locals maintained the area and farm. Everything is still intact and the locals continue maintaining the farm.
We decided that all our walking and learning deserved a treat. What better way to relax than with a Nutella smothered waffle while sitting by the Grand Canal. Food. Scenery. Beautiful sky. Europe. Life was good. Only one thing could have made it better. The tour guide book told us to plan about eight hours for the entire trip. We spent ten. It was nice to have a relaxed pace and enjoy the area.
We got back in time to visit Saint-Chapelle, a 13th century chapel and the only surviving building of the Capetian royal palace. The stained glass was beautiful! The pictures don't even begin to capture the simple beauty in the chapel. It was a nice mental cleansing after the opulence of Versailles.
Next we headed to the Arc de Triomphe to re-attempt last night's endeavor. This time we ate at an eatery type restaurant which gave us plenty of time to make it to the top the Arc. We really had great timing, making it up before the sun set. We enjoyed the panoramic view, then sat around telling stories until darkness fell. Have I ever told you I love the ambiance of night? I find something magical about the night lights illuminating the city. Once again we were able to capture beautiful shots of the Eiffel Tower and the city of Paris.
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