No Parles vous Frances-Our Trip to France part 2

France's Megalomaniac, Louis XIV

On our way to Versailles on Friday, we stopped at another café for lunch.  
This time we got baguette sandwiches for the first time.  I have never 
understood the appeal of hard French bread sandwiches.  I like my bread soft.  
Well, now I understand.  When they are made on fresh, hot baguettes they 
are the most wonderful tasting sandwiches ever! Crispy on the outside, soft 
and chewy bread on the inside.  Perfection! 

King Louis XIV's Palace at Versailles, also known as a Chateaux, is a giant of 
a building and grounds like nothing else we saw in France.  It was the biggest 
palace of its time.  Every other king was jealous, it was so big.  It was ridiculous, 
honestly.  The amount of wealthand power and land that it represented and 
took up was ludicrous.  I can't think of a better word for it.  It was a supreme 
example of the worship of man, of money, of power. It was magnificent, yes, 
but I can understand to some degree why the French Revolution happened 
as it did.  It was not until two kings later that it occurred, but what Louis XIV
put into place all over the country and here in Versailles was so monstrous, so 
opulent a show of wealth and power compared to the regular citizens of France, 
no wonder they were angry.  I am not condoning the Reign of Terror and that 
violence in bringing about change, but it is somewhat understandable how it
 happened. Now onto the pictures!

Front view panorama

This map gives you an idea how big Versailles is with the gardens.  

The Chateaux  itself is over 721,000 sq. ft. It has 67 staircases! So even 

if we didn't get to go see any other Chateaux in France, at least we got to see 

the biggest!

The gardens are two times the size of Central Park which is roughly 

843 acres.

Front Gate

Rock is there in the middle if you look close.

First Hallway off the entrance

How's this for a front entryway? Click play

Here's a video of the chapel Louis had built inside his palace.

 Here is the megalomaniac himself over one of many fireplaces 
taller than me and so big they used trees instead of small logs.

In some of the rooms, the transition between wall and ceiling is
 hard to tell because of the amazing 3D painting along the edges.

What appear to be marble statues are actually painting

Queens bedroom

And probably the most famous room from Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors

or all lit up

 The Gallery of Battles, a room full of paintings depicting French
battles in history.

 We even made it onto the wall thanks to Lafayette

And finally after 3 hours, we made it to the outside

The Latona Fountain, one of the thirty working fountains.  There were 
many more in Louis' time.

Fun trees

The Grand Canal and the Apollo Fountain

This pond/pool is so big that a rowing team was practicing on it 

the day we were there.

Another view

Amidst all the formal gardens Louis did include meadows like 

this one.

 The Pink Palace!  This is Marie Antoinette's palace separated 
from the main part by quite a long walk.  Apparently she just needed her 
own space.  Roll eyes.

It took us four hours to walk through the Chateaux and the little portion of 
the gardens that we saw.  Our feet were so tired after walking for four hours 
straight that we took a tram back to the chateaux.  Note to self.  Never take a 
tram on cobblestone roads. 

Dinner at the Cafe Petite Gendarmes

A chacuterie-meat plate.  Not a fan. 

After dinner we walked down the street to get a crepe.  Yes, 
another one. Caught this video on the way.  It gives you an idea of a 
Paris street at night.

This Creperie was more fancy than many we stopped at.  Sometimes 
the  best ones were from just a little portable cart on the road 
somewhere.

 And that ended our 2nd day in Paris.

No Parles vous Francais-Our Trip to France Part 1

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

We left a bright and cheery train station in London and arrived two hours later after a trip under the English Channel to a dark and stormy Paris.  As we got off the train to try and figure our way to the hotel we were met with French signs we couldn't read and a welcoming party of shady looking men and women prowling around the station waiting to pick our pockets. I felt like I was in Oliver Twist; French Style.  We stopped to get some euros from an atm before using the bathrooms because in France, as in England you often have to pay to use them. But our bills were too big for the attendant to break and they wouldn't let us in. Rock kept assuring me that most people in France speak English, but these ladies apparently didn't get the memo.  How do you say, "I really have to pee!!" in French?  We tried our credit card and after several malfunctions it finally let us in. Yes, you read correctly.  I said "pay for bathrooms, attendant and credit card" all in a sentence about using a bathroom. 

After successfully navigating the bathrooms, a feat unto itself, our next hurdle was to get a taxi to the hotel.  Well, really it was to get past the mangy pick pockets lurking at every exit of the station. Standing out in the pouring rain in the middle of Paris at night Rock did his best to communicate with a non-English speaking driver.  Because we were using Uber, a taxi type service where you call for a ride and someone comes to where you are, the process was a little tricky.  But we eventually found the driver and he drove us careening through the dark side streets of Paris to our hotel. Just as in New York, it is always better to close my eyes while in a taxi.  

Though our first impression of France was a little on the scary side, the rest of our trip has not been, thankfully.  It's been a wonderful and unique experience!  Even though floods and strikes have kept us on our toes, we have loved seeing Paris.  It is bigger than life.  We've actually seen more of it then we would have had our plans all worked out perfectly.  So, onto Paris, then.

Awe Inspiring

The next day we failed to set our alarm and for some crazy reason slept until 1:00 in the afternoon! Half of one precious day gone!  We got up and out as quickly as we could.  First stop: Notre Dame.

This building is SO immense.  You cannot possibly get an idea of its immensity from these pictures. But that is the way everything is in France.  BIG!  HUGE! On a scale you've never seen! In height it is really not that much taller than Westminster Abbey, which totally surprised me, but it is so much more imposing for some reason.  

Here is a video of the front up close.  It's so big you can't get it in a picture.

Here is the central doorway.  The detail is astounding.

We walked around the side and saw this beautiful door.  

While around the side, the bells started ringing, so I took this video so you could hear the amazing sound.  It just reverberates through your whole body.

There was a sign on the inside of the cathedral that said no pictures, but apparently nobody noticed the sign except me.  I did steal this one picture of the stained glass window, though.

Outside of stained glass window

Back Side of Cathedral

Next to the Seine side

Gargoyles!!

Wandering through Paris

After seeing Notre Dame we wandered for a while, heading towards the Champs-Elysees.  We found lots of good stuff on our way.

Quaint buildings and Cafe's like this

Yummy food along the streets like this:

These are Chocolate Meringues.  Not my favorite treat in Paris, but fun to try.

Lunch at a cafe.

Be careful. When you order "Toasted Ham and Cheese"in France, it's a bit inside out.

We made our way along the river watching it flood some more.

We eventually came to the Louvre.  It took an hour to walk around and past the outside.  It is so huge! I never imagined it would be the size of a small city.  My pictures will not do it justice, but since these are all I will get of the Louvre, they'll have to do.

Here's a video of the outside.  I learned (after I took this video) that it was originally the King's palace in Paris before Louis XIV moved to Versaille.  Makes more sense.  I was incredulous that they would make this building just for art.  And while we are on the subject of art, can I just say, why does ALL French art have to involve naked women?"  Sheesh!

Rock posted this one on facebook to everyone's confusion.

 
Here is the trick your eyes are playing.  The front of the Pyramid is covered (temporarily, it's not usually like this) with this cool black and white picture of what is being covered up by the pyramid so it looks like the pyramid is not there almost.  Crazy, hah?

Wandering through the Tuileries Gardens at the Louvre.

Like I said....

My best attempt to capture a panoramic of the whole front side of the Louvre.

Look what snuck up on us!

Our Triumph of the Arc de Triumphe

As it got dark we walked down the Champs Elysees to see the Arc de Triumphe.  We stopped at a street vendor's cart and bought what has become our very favorite treat here in Paris, Crepes!  They make crepes and fill them with yummy stuff like Nutella (my favorite) and then fold it up in a triangle, stick it in a bag and hand it to you. They are hot and yummy and warm you up on these cold wet days here in Paris.  We eat about 3 a day!!!  People often have either a baquette or a crepe in their hands as they walk around Paris. 

We finished the day at this amazing arch.  It too is so much bigger in real life than my pictures show.  It was a loooong walk from Notre Dame to the Arc, but it was well worth it.

We climbed to the top! It was a lot of stairs after a long day of walking.

 Triumph!  

Perfect way to end our first day in Paris.  

Stay tuned for part 2