The Sun Tourists

Day 6 brought a road trip - really a train trip - out to Versailles (more pronunciation help here: vehr-'sigh'). After our full day yesterday, we enjoyed a more leisurely breakfast and start-up, so by the time we took our connector train from the Metro, it was noon when we rolled into Versailles.

I had done a good deal of reading on the Palace at Versailles, it's founder Louis XIV and the last French King/Queen to reside - Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (once they had their moment in the guillotine they no longer resided in the luxurious palace!). It is really very fascinating; I kept chasing David and Holly down to give them more facts and information about the palace, why it was built and how it evolved over the centuries.

The short story on Versailles is: Louis XIV was something of a poor little rich boy king. He was too young to rule when he first inherited the throne, so he and his mother were kept as virtual prisoners at the Louvre (this was the royal palace before his reign) by the French Parliament. Once Louis XIV ascended to power (and stayed there for 72 years), he took over. The original structure at Versailles was a summer home that he enjoyed in his early days. Over the course of his rule it grew in size and scope - as did his power - until it became the central government for France. Louis XIV's primary motive for entertaining the nobility with the many pleasures of life was to keep them distracted - and out of his governmental affairs.

Louis XIV did a lot for France, and didn't mind having it acknowledged or even acknowledging it himself. He dubbed himself the 'Sun King' because he lit up the whole world with his presence. He felt that he was aligned with Apollo, the Sun God, so there were plenty of carvings, paintings and icons throughout the palace to remind everyone of it. Admittedly, Louis brought a lot of culture, style and power to the French. He sparked an entire era of furniture and even the powdered wig began with him (he was a bit self-conscious when his hairline began to recede).

The castle and grounds were beautiful...you can check it out for yourself with the photos listed as Paris - Day 6...with exception of one really out of place and bothersome display. Throughout the castle were huge pieces of contemporary art by Jeff Koons. Now look, I've got nothing against modern art, but in a 17th century palace? No way. It was totally distracting and weird - I wonder if our friends at Versailles aren't running a little low on cash and need to supplement the admission charges to pay for the upkeep.

I got over the awkward modern art displays and really enjoyed the visual components of the palace, as well as the history. The gardens and fountains were dormant (we were feeling it too - it was something like 30 degrees!), but still stunning. There is so much detail and precision everywhere that even just as a skeleton of what the garden will be come spring, you can see the beauty.

The trek back to Paris was a bit crowded and we were hungry - after assessing the lines at the Starbucks and McDonald's across from the train station, we opted for the Kind bars that I had toted along in my bag. I have been taking a lot of grief for bringing that thing (I have to carry the tripod in something, don't I), but no one was complaining as our stomachs stopped growling!

We walked through the city upon our return from Versailles, just as the sun was setting. It was great to see Notre-Dame in this lighting, the Seine and watch everything light up. Walking along rue de Rosiers, it felt as if we were in a little French film, on our way to the market for some wine and a baguette. Opting for a more substantive meal, we went for falafels - this time from a tiny but tasty restaurant named Chez Hanna. Bonus dessert for David was an apple strudel from the bakery across the way - there was zero English spoken there, so it was all about the pointing and reading the register display (Holly was across the street at a vintage store).

Once again a very full day and once again, we brought it!