The Sisters in Paris

        If It's Wednesday, We Must Be In Versailles

  

Before we went to Versailles, we planned and super-planned. We checked the extended weather forecast, and chose Wednesday for the trip because it was supposed to be the nicest day of the week. The night before, we bought croissants for breakfast and bread and cheese for our lunch. I checked and re-checked the subway/train route. We consulted both Rick Steves, and the Lonely Planet guide for helpful tips. Rick Steves told us to leave early, and arrive early at Versailles to avoid the crowds. We went to bed early, and set the alarm to be sure to wake up in time. 

     Wednesday morning, we were out the door by 8AM. We descended into Les Halles subway station, and re-checked the route with the man in the information booth. When we arrived at the station where we were to change for the train to Versailles, we asked another official train person for advice. We were told to wait on the platform for the THIRD train. We did as we were told, and boarded the third train. The station we were headed for was Versailles Rive Gauche (left). We boarded the train on the rive gauche. After a few stops, the train crossed the river, which would put us on....rive droite. I thought that maybe the train would cross back over the river, but it didn't. I checked the map. We were on the wrong train. 

     

     So. We got off the train. Another couple got off the train. Coincidentally, they were from Halifax, also trying to get to Versailles.  We backtracked to where we had started going in the wrong direction. I spent some time examining the train schedule board on the platform, and figured out how to tell if we were getting on the right train (the strange acronyms on the front of the train). I told my sisters and the other couple my conclusions. My sisters figured I knew what I was doing, and the Halifax couple were probably hoping I knew what I was doing.
     The correct train came along at 9AM. It was very full, so we ended up with seats scattered around the car. But we made it. When we arrived at Versailles RIVE GAUCHE, we disembarked with half the population of the world. We made our way out of the station into biting cold. One of us (the one in the pretty pink coat), didn't have a matching scarf and gloves, so she froze. We examined another map, and made our way AGAINST THE WIND to the palace of Versailles. 

     With our handy museum passes, we skipped the worst of the lines, but we still had to line up to go through security (all of Paris' museums and attraction were on high alert throughout our stay). 

I made an executive decision to take my sisters into the door above, hoping to avoid the huge line at another door. We wandered through some rooms, seeming to be going against the crowds. When we came to an exit, very soon, we asked a female guard with an incredibly smoky voice how to get to the rest of the palace. After some back and forthing in two languages, we discovered that I had taken my sisters into the exit. We had to join the big line anyway. 

The palace of Versailles is beautiful. It is also a very important piece of French history. It was the home Louise XIV, XV, and XVI (and Marie Antoinette). It was the seat of France's government before the revolution. 

 However, visitors are hemmed in by horrible crowds. I'm a tiny bit claustrophic, and I found it difficult to really focus on the beautiful objects I was looking at. 

The Hall of Mirrors

The Royal Chapel

random hallway

Details of the Hercules Drawing Room

A detail from Paolo Veronese's "The Feast in the House of Simon the Pharisee."

So many people. I was longing to get outside.

Finally, we emerged into the fresh (cold) air. We were met by two pieces of 21st century Art, by Anish Kapoor. 

random paving stones

We made our way to a bench, and huddled together for warmth while we ate our cheese sandwiches. 

and then moved off to explore the glorious gardens. 

Another work by Anish Kapoor

The gardens of the Grand Trianon, the summer getaway that was built for Louis XIV's mistress.

The Grand Trianon

The French Pavilion, a place for Marie Antoinette to hang out.  

The Petit Trianon, originally built for Madame de Pompadour, later Marie Antoinette's little escape. 

The Temple of Love

Marie Antoinette had a working hamlet constructed, so she could pretend to be a simple farm girl. 

The Sisters in Paris

A Few Hiccups (Tuesday)

We are sisters. We love each other. We would jump in front of a train or into the mouth of an angry tiger for each other. But we are sisters. Sometimes.... Tuesday was one of those times. Many of our conversations went something like this: "How much further is it?" "Are you sure you know where you're going?" "Don't you trust me?" "I have to eat!" "Not here!" "Fine, we'll stop right here!" All with a less than loving tone. 

That morning we decided to go in a different direction (north) for our breakfast. We wandered, and zigzagged (and actually ran from one side of the street to another looking in shop windows.) Many of the restaurants we passed weren't serving breakfast (or we didn't ask the right question).

 

Finally we found a restaurant that served breakfast. 

Unfortunately, we must have come to the restaurant on the waitress' bad day. It wasn't the greatest meal any of us have had. 

After breakfast, we made our slow, meandering way back towards the river. We wanted to book a river boat cruise. 

A lamp I want. If I was a millionaire.

Believe it or not, this shop sells lipstick. 

One of the beautiful shopping 'galleries' you find throughout Paris.

Posing at the Louvre.

We bought tickets for a boat cruise, made our way to the boarding point, and discovered that one of their boats was out of service, so they were running at a different schedule. 

So we decided to save the boat cruise for another day. We were near Sainte Chapelle, a gothic wonderland of stained glass, so we walked over there. The line was too long, so we made ANOTHER decision, and decided to slowly make our way to the Rodin Museum. 

When ONE of ous wouldn't stop complaining about her aching feet, we stopped at a cool little neighbourhood bar for some very expensive fries and coffee, tea and croissant. We huddled together at a tiny table, under the cocky gaze of a very young Mick Jagger and watched the bar's supplies being delivered, and listened to a group of American exchange students (girls) quietly appreciating the good-looking young waiter. 

Rested and fortified, we continued on the trek to the Rodin Museum. 

Upon arrival at the Rodin Museum (I have to admit I was starting to doubt my navigational skills at one point, but I couldn't let on), the first thing we saw was a giant earth-mover thing in the garden! Then we discovered that the main building, with all of the incredible artwork, was closed for renovations! Argh. We wandered through the temporary exhibit, and through the gardens. 

many many studies that Rodin made for the statue of Balzac. I'm going to show these pictures to my students, so that they understand that great Art is the product of A LOT of experimentation, failure, and re-grouping. 

We left the Rodin museum, and began the long trek back to our apartment. On the way, we passed through the Tuileries gardens.

The part of the Louvre where I interned for four glorious months eleven years ago.

One last shot before we made it to our neighbourhood, where we bought pizza and took it home. Also not the best meal any of us had ever had...