Au Revoir - One Baguette For The Road
Well, our last full day in Paris was finally here and as promised, we indulged in our favourite crepes for breakfast again. Today we’d decided to take Keryn’s advice and take a trip out to the Palace of Versailles.
It was only a short half hour trip on the train and with the Maestro leading the way it was a piece of cake! We noticed that each of the Paris trains had a name across its front. Ours was Nick but we only missed Nora by a couple of minutes. We also saw Sara and Natalie! We wondered did they ever get to hang out with their mates across the Channel, Thomas and Percy?
Arriving at the Versailles train station we were unsure of which way to go – that is until we rounded the corner and laid our peepers on the biggest, most palatial building we’d ever seen! You couldn’t miss it! Monstrous golden gates marked the entry at the end of a wide, exceedingly long driveway up a gentle slope. Now there would definitely have been fights over who’d have to put the bins out or who’d collect the mail! You’d need a hurricane lamp and a packed lunch just to get to the end of the driveway!
The thing that immediately struck us as we ventured into the gated courtyard was the extravagance and opulence that abounded here. Built originally by Louis XIV, in 1664 but renovated by every other Louis that moved in subsequently (there were just so many Louis’ – they weren’t very creative in the naming department. “Hi, I’m Louis, this is my brother Louis and my other brother Louis”). The scale of the place was overwhelming!
After spending so long at the Louvre yesterday Toby was a little “galleried out” so the thought of weaving our way through another myriad of high-ceilinged, gold-frame laden rooms with marble everywhere didn’t excite him too much. Ross and I understood so we did a bit of a fast-tracked tour of the interiors of the Chateau, taking lots of pictures so that one day Tobes will appreciate where he was! It was fantastic to be in the actual room where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919!
We found it incredible to think that all of this was built for the sheer indulgence of one family! Having learnt of the struggles of the French peasants and the common people at this time in history at school we could see why – checking out this extravagant Palace in all its glory – why they held such frustration at the decadence and greed of all the Louis’! No wonder they revolted!! There was marble and gold everywhere and talk about going overboard with the chandeliers! There were also plenty of portraits of themselves (none of them overly flattering) adorning the walls.
Marie Antoinette, while she was decreeing “let them eat cake!” was also the biggest spender of them all! Money definitely seemed no object to her and she did some pretty extensive renos, having her own English Hamlet built especially for her own enjoyment. We actually fell in love with this place, with its quaint little thatched rooved buildings, streams, willow trees and rustic little bridges. The buildings, most of which were constructed in the early 1780s (wow, that is pretty rustic!) were so perfect they almost looked contrived. Ross said it was like she’d built her own little theme park and that’s exactly what it was like! We saw a couple of fat water rats under the willow tree by the side of the stream and there were white swans and ducks sailing across the mirrored surfaces of the meandering streams. It was so tranquil and beautiful, just like something out of “Wind In The Willows”!
Standing at the backdoor of the Palace and looking ahead, your eyes are drawn forwards to the perfectly symmetrical Grand Canal and the biggest cricket pitch any kid could ever hope for! To say these gardens are vast is a huge understatement! We walked for a couple of hours and still didn’t see them all! Rows and rows of perfectly trimmed trees, fountains, pools, statues, hedged mazes, topiary and exotic plants – all in their autumn splendour – ready to explore. What a backyard! Louis XIV had 17 kids himself (not all his wife’s unfortunately) and they would’ve adored running around and playing in such an expansive and spectacular garden! We were wondering though, how would the royal parents have gone trying to call them all in for dinner?
Louis XIV and Louis XV both built themselves “man caves” which were sheds to shadow all others! They were called “Petite” palaces but there was nothing petite about them! While Louis was in his shed and Marie was down at the Hamlet (she also had her own petite palace by the way) and the kids were running amok around the ”yard”, I suspect they may not have laid eyes on each other for months at a time! This was another slice of French history that was well worth the visit. Thanks Keryn!
Before we leave France, I have to quickly mention French tv. We must have about 30 channels, one of which is in English and the rest of which (the other 29) are obviously in French. It has been so hilarious to watch our favourite sitcoms and movies with French words dubbed over the top! Sometimes they pick a voice that is really similar to the original character’s but sometimes they don’t! One of the funniest things Toby and I saw was the Care Bears in French! All of these cute little cuddly Care Bears speaking with pristine French accents. I don’t know why but it just cracked us up! One of them was particularly funny with a really deep voice that just didn’t match his character!
Another thing we’ve noticed in Paris is the glamorous grandmas! The over 70s are dressed so immaculately with coiffured hairstyles, not a whisp out of place and full faces of Hollywood style make up! Most of them get around in stilletos, long fur coats and extremely fancy hats. You don’t see a lot of Hush Puppy-wearing, Woolies bag-toting octogenarians in these parts that’s for sure!
I had planned to visit the Musée d’Orsay this afternoon and was so excited about seeing all the Impressionists’ works up close and in the “flesh” but when I arrived they’d shut the doors an hour earlier than advertised with no explanation! That was a bit disappointing!
Instead this afternoon we took a leisurely stroll along the Seine and watched the sun set over the Champs-Élysées for the last time. We came across a great little area for kids, with painted hopscotches, mazes and other games all set out along the bank of the river. Sunday nights seemed a lot less crowded in the city and there weren’t too many people around. Now it’s time to pack and set the alarm for the early train back to London in the morning. Au revoir France!
