Jessica Writes

Yesterday, we hopped on a 3 hour train to Paris and it went under the English Channel - now that is a major engineering feat! We got to the hotel and Carrie was already there! She flew in from Orlando on Wednesday night. We went down to the city, to an area called Pont De L’alma. We sat in a cafe and had a really good meal while we waited til it got closer to sunset so we could take cruise on the Seine River. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, and we got on the cruise in time to see the half moon shining with the sunset over the city. We went by many sights including Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. The tower was lit up in the 2007 rugby cup colors of green and white. Later, after it got dark, the lights began to sparke - its really indescribable. It literally looks like a sparkling gem lighting up the night. It was breathtaking, and obvious when you see it, why its so famous. Afterwards we saw the Arch D’Triumphe, and had a bite to eat before we passed out in our beds.
This morning, we headed out to Versailles. The day was perfect- blue skies and mild temperatures. A beautifuld day and a lovely experience. I had no idea how massive the grounds were, how regal the palaces would be and how immaculate the gardens were. I just knew that Marie Antoinette spent time there! There was so much more too it, it was just so grand and outrageous. She had a small home, called petit trianon, which was quiant, but when you stepped beyond the house and walked through her gardens you got the whole picture. She had her own chapel and her own theatre, where she performed for her friends - it had a fancy stage and sets, as well as seating for up to 200. We then walked out across the grounds and found “the rock” with a waterfall that made a rainbow. We kept going and saw the grotto, which made me wonder how Marie spent her time there. We kept walking and saw Marie’s great vision — she had her little town from her childhood in Austria recreated. Then we saw the Temple of Love. I forgot to mention we went through the grounds on the golf carts — there was no way to see all that we saw if we would have just walked. It was like a huge town yet in the countrside. Then there were the gardens and the grand canal — it just went on and on and on. After four hours of nonstop touring, we had yet to see the main palace — made of pink and white marble. It was grandiose to say the least — it was like pure indulgence. Everything was so big, so golden, so rare and expensive. And to imagine people ate and slept and went about their daily lives in such rich elegance. It was hard to imagine. We went inside there and saw the king and queen’s beds, and the hall of mirrors. There was so much more to see, but we had spent three hours there, and Chris was ready to drop dead.

Update: Pictures from Versailles

A little area with a pond, sculptures and grotto.

The theatre outside the Petite Trianon, where Marie Antoinette put on sophisticated performances

The hamlet is in the background, it was where Marie Antoinette recreated the town of her childhood.

The Temple of Love, which can be seen from Marie Antoinette’s residence.

This is only a small part of the palace …

The view from the palace. The large canal in the background used to have ships cruising on it

One of the many rooms full of massive paintings in the palace.

The infamous hall of mirrors in the palace.

Tags: paris, Travel, versailles

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 3:02 pm and is filed under Travel.
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