Exploring Versailles and Paris with the Godfreys

Versailles was near the top of my cousin Todd's list and I had not been in at least 6 years.  Last Tuesday had some rain in the forecast but we decided it looked like the best day of the next few days to go out there.  It is a bit more complicated to get to Versailles since the Seine is flooded.  The RER C line, which goes to the Versailles Rive Gauche train station about a 10 minute walk from Versailles, has been closed in the city of Paris between Gare Austerlitz on the east side and Javel on the west side.  We decided to take the métro to Javel and hoped the RER C would run from there.  Luckily it worked out as planned and we were off to see Louis XIV's château. 

Louis XIV
Le Roi du Soleil

Todd and Shauna in
front of the Palace



Gate to Versailles

Note Shauna has a Diet Coke from McDonald's in the picture.  When she bought a Diet Coke in Paris, and asked for ice, they told her they had none (even though we could see an ice machine).  But her Diet Coke from McDonald's in Versailles actually had a little ice in without Shauna having to ask.  The French don't usually put ice in their drinks-that's just how France rolls.
Louis XIV moved his residence from various châteaux in and around Paris out to Versailles in order to keep a close eye on the nobility and extend his absolute monarchy.  He chose the sun as his personal emblem, thus the Sun King, the center of the universe.  He kept his nobles busy with the routine of the court.  A select few would watch him rise in the morning and go to bed, just like the sun.  He was an absolute monarch who only answered to God.

Louis XIV

Louis XIV's Bedroom

The Hall of Mirrors was stunning.  It is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed officially ending World War I.  Louis XIV reigned for 72 years.  He outlived his son and grandson and after his death, his great-grandson, who was only five, inherited the throne.

Shauna in the Hall of Mirrors

Near the end of our tour of the château, we spotted this guy who was strutting and twirling around in the courtyard.  He wanted to be seen and photographed.  He was soaking up all the attention.  The next day in the Louvre we ran into him again.  Shauna didn't think his Louvre outfit (on the right) was as good as the one he wore to Versailles.  He was definitely looking for attention both days.

After we finished touring the château, we went to the gardens to catch the little train out to the Trianon Palaces and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet.  It saved us from a long walk in the rain.  The Grand Trianon was built by Louis XIV as a retreat where he could meet his mistress.  It was also a place where he and invited guests could have a light meal away from the strict etiquette of the court.  Napoleon also made it one of his residences.  It is still used to host foreign officials,

Gaming Room

Curtain Detail

Hallway between the Wings of
the Grand Trianon

Yellow Room with Empire Furniture

The Petit Trianon nearby was built during the reign of Louis XV, the great grandson of the Sun King.  It was built for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour.  She died before it was finished but no worries, Louis XV had another mistress to replace her, Madame du Barry, who lived there.  Louis XVI gave the Petit Trianon to his wife, Marie Antoinette.  She would come to escape the formality and pressures of the court.

Marie Antoinette's Bedroom at the
Petit Trianon

There was a small Angelina café at the Petit Trianon and we stopped for a baguette sandwich and later from some of the famous rich, thick Angelina hot cocoa.

Angelina

Warming up with Hot Cocoa

Marie Antoinette had a hamlet designed and built near the Petit Trianon.  She could meet privately here with her closest friends.  It contained meadowland, lakes and streams.  There were also rustic style buildings around the pond including a farmhouse (to produce milk and eggs for the queen), a dairy, a dovecote, a boudoir, a barn, a mill and a lighthouse tower.  The largest building was the Queen's House and Billiard Room that was rustic on the outside but very comfortable inside.

The Queen's House

 

Farmhouse

Cottage and Garden

There are farm animals at the hamlet and workers to take care of them.  We met the cow, Bravo, and two sheep, I think they were named Belle and Bouchon. 

Bravo

We were happy the rain had stopped for our walk around the hamlet.  We returned to the Versailles château on the little train.  It is all uphill to the château and by the end of the day we were happy for the ride.  The gardens at Versailles are huge and we didn't try to explore those with all the rain.
That evening back in Paris we went for a walk to buy crêpes for dinner (Todd's favorite was the jambon-fromage) and then over to Nôtre Dame to see it lit up.  It was quiet and peaceful by the cathedral without all the tourists around.

Crêpes

Meringues at the Boulangerie 



Kelly and Todd on the Bridge by Nôtre Dame

Façade of Nôtre Dame

Préfecture de Police Across from Nôtre Dame

The next day, Wednesday, we went to the marché at Place Monge in the morning for our produce.  We loved this display of different varieties of lettuce and all the shades of green.

Lettuce at the Monge Marché

Then we decided to tackle the Louvre for the rest of the day.  We went armed with baguette sandwiches for lunch and a pain au chocolat for each of us for a snack.  We were able to see just about everything on our list.  There was another Rembrandt painting of the Supper at Emmaus but we agreed we liked the one at the Jacquemart-André museum we had seen on Monday better.  We have loved how at every museum we have visited there are school groups learning about art or sketching the masters.  These students are so lucky to have these museums in their city.


Rembrandt's Supper at Emmaus

Students sketching at the Louvre

It was pouring rain the whole day while we were in the Louvre.  And the Seine was still rising.  We were glad to be inside, dry and warm, all day.