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Day 11/Post Trip - Palace of Versailles

While planning our trip, we had talked to a number of friends who had visited France and many said their favorite experience was visiting Versailles.  So we decided to stay an extra day so we could see it for ourselves.  I purchased tickets several months in advance with a specific entry time window, to help us avoid waiting in lines.  Once we saw the lines at Versailles, we were happy we did that.  Rick Steves recommends you go first thing, or later in the day.  We went early to help beat the crowds and the summer heat. (Versailles is not air-conditioned.)

I also used the French metro transit system app (available free on the App Store) to plan our route and connections, so we didn't have to get up any earlier than we needed to, but made sure we didn't miss our desired train. 

The train ride itself was interesting.  At one point, a man came through the car playing an accordion, while singing songs and looking for spare change.  He was entertaining to watch and listen to, but more interesting was the Parisian's reaction to it.  Let's just say we all were happy when he moved on. 

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Once we arrived in Versailles, I used my Google offline map on my phone to navigate to the palace.  There are lots of signs pointing the way.  Soon we could see the Palace of Versailles down the street in the distance.  It is breathtaking in size and splendor.  We made our way to our specific line, and we were in the first timed entry group.  We only had to wait a few minutes since we arrived early (before Versailles opened). 

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Once through security, I wanted to take pictures of the marble court, and then noticed one of the center doors was open, so instinctively I jumped at the chance to go straight to the Hall of Mirrors before all of the other tourists got there.  It seemed like a good plan at the time. 

I had read on the official website that "The Hall of Mirrors is located on the first floor of the Palace and is part of the self-guided tour of the Grand Apartments. After entering, cross the Royal Courtyard and follow the signs to the Grand Apartments."  

 

Given that, I assumed the grand marble court entryway led to the Hall of Mirrors.   

In France, as well as many parts of the world, the first floor is not the ground floor, it is actually the second floor.  In America, we think of the most important public areas being on the ground floor (garden level at Versailles) with the servants and less important bedrooms located upstairs.  That was not the perspective or architecture of royalty in that time period.  So my short-cut led us directly underneath the Hall of Mirrors, with no stairs in sight.

My shortcut had also meant we did not follow the line to where they hand out the audio guides and more importantly maps. 

We had downloaded the official Château de Versailles app to our phones, thinking we would use that for our visit instead of the audio guide.  I had listened to the app before we left, and the content is quite good.  However, it didn't work so well for us on the ground level.  C'est la Vie.  We ended up backtracking a bit to pick up the included audio guide sets, as well as a map, which ironically was right next to the grand staircase. 

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Versailles was built to impress by excess, which it did and still does today.  It is hard to describe the scale and opulence of the place.  Versailles has been described as being more of a city than a palace, since it served not only as the residence for the king, but for his court, government ministers and officers too.  Versailles could reportedly lodge 20,000 people, although there were normally only 3,000 to 10,000 people there on a daily basis.

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The main palace at Versailles has some 700 rooms, more than 2,000 windows, 1,250 chimneys, and 67 staircases.

The actual cost to build Versailles, its extensive gardens and pricey fountains is subject to debate.  In 1994, PBS calculated the cost somewhere between 2 and 300 billion dollars.  I'm beginning to think they did not know what the word "calculated" means.  But I digress.

     

There were a number of things undergoing restoration both inside and out while we were there, including the Royal Chapel.  C'est la vie.

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Versailles - 101 photos

Gardens/Trianons - 101 photos

PAris Street Art - 43 photos

Galleries

There are so many things to look at in any given room, especially in the royal apartments, that it is easy to overlook the extraordinary.  So much of the furniture is exquisite in its design and craftsmanship. The paintings, tapestries and decorative arts and objects found throughout are impressive.  To get a better idea, explore the collections of Versailles.

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I was particularly thrilled to enter the Coronation Room where I saw a full-size copy of the "Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804." 

The first version of the painting, commissioned by Napoleon himself, was painted by Jacques-Louis David (and Georges Rouget). That painting originally hung at Versailles, but was moved to the Louvre in 1889, although it was not on display when we were there. C'est la vie.

The second version of the painting exists thanks to some enterprising Americans who commissioned the artist to paint another one so they could put it on display in the U.S. (and charge people to see it).  The painting changed hands several times as various owners tried to resell it, which was not easy given its size. 

 

Paris Singer, son of American sewing machine inventor, Isaac Singer, bought the painting for their family estate (Oldway Mansion), in Paignton, England.  Paris had recently re-built the mansion in the style of Versailles.  I suspect they bought the painting because they were tired of looking at tapestries and anything woven or sewn.  The painting made its way to Versailles after being was purchased from the Singer heirs for $60,000 in 1948. 

While a copy normally is not as good or as valuable as the original, Versailles believes their version, painted by the original artists (reportedly from memory) is better than the original one.   

One of the interesting things accurately depicted in this painting is that while Napoleon was consecrated as Emperor by the Pope in Notre Dame, Napoleon himself crowned Josephine, and then with his back still turned towards the Pope and the altar, Napoleon crowned himself as Emperor.  

The artist took liberty in adding Napoleon's mother and his brother Joseph, who were not invited to, nor attended the coronation ceremony.  Not only was his mother added to the painting, but she was given a place of prominence, standing in the lime-light in the center of the painting, just above Josephine and the crown bearer.

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It is easy to lose a lot of time wandering through the groves of trees that line the garden paths, and there are no real shortcuts.  I would suggest using Google Earth to view the layout, as well as look at pictures of the fountains, and then decide which ones you want to visit.  Unfortunately, almost none of the fountains were running on the Friday we were there.  C'est la vie.

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We grabbed a quick sandwich, chips and a drink at a garden kiosk, before heading off to the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon, where the Louis XIV and Louis XV would retreat with their mistresses away from court life. 

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The Grand Trianon, is an architectural gem, where Louis XIV lived and held council. It was originally built as a retreat home for his family.  Louis XV's wife, Marie Leszczynska, lived here, as did Napoleon and his wife Josephine.  Most of the furnishings date from Napoleon's time, (notice his gold leaf bed) since much of the prior furnishings were lost during The Revolution.

While Louis XV built the Petit Trianon for his mistress, Louis XVI gave it to Marie Antoinette so she could get away from court life and the 3,000-10,000 people at the main palace. 

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You can see Marie Antoinette's actual furniture and matching bedroom set in the Petit Trianon.  Marie Antoinette had extensive private gardens built surrounding her residence.  She also directed the creation of a tiny working village nearby, called the "Queen's Hamlet," which she had built to depict rural life in Normandy.  The hamlet was the antithesis of the excesses of Versailles, a private place where she could escape, relax and play, as well as teach her children about what normal life was like outside the palace complex. 

We experienced that relative peacefulness since most of the hoards of tourists at the main palace never venture out that far.  The Trianons are a little over a mile away from the palace, or about a 20 minute walk each way.  I thought they were worth the steps, although I was a bit envious of people riding around the grounds in golf carts and bicycles.

Located near the Petit Trainon is a snack bar and café run by Angelina's, who are world famous for their hot chocolate.. Their chocolate chocolate eclairs are exceptional as well.  

At this point we were pretty wore out.  Rick Steves states that they pace their tours so you need a couple of days of rest when you get home.  We had been on our feet and walked a lot this entire trip, but nowhere near as much as we walked at Versailles.  Plus we were there during the record 2019 heat wave.  So we decided to call it a day.

Back in Paris, we walked up to Starbucks to get a Paris mug and get a frappuccino.  We walked over to A La Petite Marquise (3 Place Victor Hugo, 75116 Paris, France)  which is an award-winning bakery.  Prize winning bakeries get to display a big gold leaf design in their windows with the year of their award, in the case, the best traditional baguette in Paris in 2012.  We bought another chocolate chocolate eclair, that equaled the best we had on the trip, but this one was decorated with real gold.  We also bought some chocolate truffle pieces (also decorated with gold) to take home to our family. 

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While my wife rested, I headed over towards to the century-old Pont de Bir-Hakeim Bridge.  The picturesque bridge crosses the Seine and serves as a walkway, a roadway, and above it all is an elevated metro (line 6) that goes past the Eiffel Tower.  The bridge is a great spot for people watching since brides and grooms, mostly from Asia, come to have their photos taken by professional photographers.  The location is also frequently pictured in movies and fashion shoots.

We went towards the Trocadero for dinner, and ended up eating delicious pizza at Mokus l'Écureuil, (116 Avenue Kléber, 75016 Paris, France).  After dinner, we took a quick walk down to the Trocadero, where we watched a dozen or more couples dancing the Tango.  We took a final look across to the Eiffel Tower and said goodbye, before walking back to our hotel.

I had wanted to go to Paris and France for a long time, and it did not disappoint.  We had an absolutely wonderful experience and would highly recommend Rick Steves tours and of course this trip.  I can't wait to go back to France.

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