I can’t believe it took until my third visit to France to finally visit Versailles which is where I’m spending today. It is so very large with many, many wonderful paintings and statutes. The intricate detail in most of the works is spectacular. During the morning we viewed the majority of the palace including the state apartments, chapel and the Dauphin’s Apartments. My favourite rooms were the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen’s Bedroom. They were both beautiful and magnificent. Coincidently the tickets you are given each have a picture of one of the rooms in the palace. Asha’s ticket had the Queen’s Bedroom and my ticket had the Hall of Mirrors! Amazing!!
After several hours, we ventured outdoors to find somewhere to have lunch and it’s still really cold! It must be about 10 degrees or lower. We are also looking for the toilets which of course you have to queue for. The first ones we found had a monster queue, so we went looking for some others. And it was a Paris Miracle!! We found some which had just opened for the day and we were the first two visitors so no queuing at all! We then walked around the corner to find yet another set of toilets with the longest queue. We just laughed! So funny!!
We had lunch at the Grand Café d’Orléans and despite the very slow service it was lovely. I enjoyed a steaming hot caramel chocolate and an Italian prawn fettuccini. Yum!!
Following lunch we made our way down to the Grand Trianon. Evidently Louis XIV had the town of Trianon levelled so he could extend his palace to look the way he wanted regardless of what stood in his way. However he did name the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon as a dedication to the now extinct town. They were built in 1687 for Louis XIV and his family as a place of escape from the rigid etiquette of the court. They were lovely but not as exciting as I had expected. On the way back we walked through some of the gardens – in particular the Kings Garden and the Mirror Fountain. Sadly none of the fountains were operating today. But it still looked very beautiful. So after 7+ hours at Versailles it was time to head home for a brief rest before heading out to see the Sully Wing of the Louvre.
On my way to buy my ticket for entry into the Louvre from one of the ticket machines I was stopped by a man who felt compelled to comment on the red coat I was wearing and my smile. It was really sweet. And then he saw me using the machine and rushed over to stop me. Evidently he’s the manager for the Café’s at the Louvre and said that it would be his pleasure to take me in. I told him I was going to the Sully wing so he took me to the point where you show your ticket and then he left me be. Wow – how cool is that!! He said that he’d be at the Louvre Café if I wanted to say hello to him later.
In the Sully Wing I discovered the medieval remains of the Louvre and I learnt about the history of the Louvre, including the 12th century medieval building remains I’d just seen. It was amazing to see the beginnings of the Louvre and just how much it has changed over the centuries.
I then wandered around the section displaying French paintings from the 14th Century right through to the 19th Century. I discovered some amazing artists including Boilly and Lagrenee and Jean-Marc Nattier whose work is quickly becoming one of my favourite artists.
I’m always astounded by the intricate detail of the art I see here and how much realism is painted into the painting. They are such masterpieces. To me they also epitomise great passion, for without passion I doubt that such a masterpiece can be created. I just love the wonderfully spectacular artwork on offer for viewing over here.
After a couple of hours, I decided to meet Adam again. I like the opportunity to converse with French locals and this was a perfect opportunity. He shared a beer with me at his café/bar and we chatted for about an hour. I then bid him ‘bon soir’ and made my way home. On the way I bumped into Lyn and Paul who I’d met on the Monet Bike Ride a few days earlier and who are also from Canberra – what are the chances!! With a quick stop for an ice cream on the way home and at our local café/bar to say hello to Xavier it had a been a great day!
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