Epic Honeymoon - Day 38 - Paris

Sunday, 22^nd October, had been set aside for a trip out of the city to see the infamous Chateau Versailles. If you’re planning a trip to Paris, you’re undoubtedly aware of tourist hotspot which housed the royal court in the late 1600s through until the French Revolution. Foreboding in size, this modern-day museum to French royal history is certainly not to be missed.

We got started early, before the sun had truly risen, as we wanted to beat the majority of the crowds upon arrival. The lady in the booth at our local metro station sent us on a bit of a wild goose chase to begin with, advising we needed to take the metro to Javel and then change to Line C. However, on arrival at Line C, we were advised that the line was closed for major works, and they advised us of an alternate route (which involved going back the way we came). You’d have thought the metro lady would be aware of major works on a neighbouring train line, wouldn’t you?

A splendid autumnal stroll.

Nevertheless, we arrived to Gare de Versailles Chantiers station shortly before 10am. From there, it’s an easy 15 minute stroll to the Chateau – if you don’t know the way, you’ll undoubtedly be able to just follow everyone else.

Yeah. It's pretty big... I guess.

"Pearly gates? Pfft. Mine are made of gold!"

We were somewhat dismayed to learn that our Paris Museum Pass, while covering the entry fee, would not allow us express entry into the Chateau. There are various cards and memberships that will, but they are mostly for Euro residents. The line to go in is almost permanently 100s of people long, so arrive early! But it does seem to move through the entrance reasonably smoothly, so don’t be too concerned.

In a world before TVs and cellphones, people just stared at the ceiling.

Following the general route through the Chateau, we marvelled at the ostentatiously ornate style in which French royalty surrounded themselves: paintings on every wall and ceiling; gold-coated furniture; sitting room after sitting room after sitting room. The tour route takes you through the various bedrooms and congregation halls of the Chateau, including the Hall of Mirrors which extends along the rear section on the upper level, offering fantastic views over the gardens.

The King's chambers.

The Queen’s Apartments were closed off for restoration during our visit, which was a bit sad – Avy was very interested in seeing Marie Antoinette’s living quarters. We, instead, took a tour through the Galerie des Batailles which depicts famous French battles over the centuries through amazingly detailed painting.

Galerie des Batailles

Before emerging to the courtyard, we stopped in at Ladurée to buy some macarons; this particular brand is quite famous, with many shops scattered around Paris. We made a point of sampling various macarons through our time in north-western Europe, and these were probably the best.

Macarons are a food group.

We found our way to the back of the Chateau with plans of wandering through the gardens to get to the houses of Trianon, a satellite estate to the north-west of the main Chateau. However, the gardens were closed to general ticket holders this day due to there being a fountain show later in the afternoon; we’d have had to buy a separate ticket to proceed through. Instead, we were advised of the long way around through the town streets, and proceeded to go for a delightful stroll through the leafy avenues of Versailles.

The gardens, which were closed on the day of our visit.

Another delightful stroll the long way around to Trianon.

Le Petit Trianon was originally purposed as a place for Louis XV’s mistress, presumably to be kept out of sight of the Queen. That there were mistresses seems to not have been unknown to the Queen, she was just in a better mood if she didn’t see them around the place! As it happened, the original mistress for whom it was built died before it was completed, thus being passed to the next mistress. When Louis XVI took the throne, he gave Le Petit Trianon to Marie Antoinette for her personal use. The house itself is fairly unimpressive, but the gardens around a quite lovely.

People liked to gather in parlours.

When they weren't gathering, they were sleeping. Or having affairs.

Le Petit Trianon.

From Le Petit, you can take a quick walk, through said gardens, to reach Le Grand Trianon. This one was built earlier, by Louis XIV, as a retreat for him and HIS mistress; randy bunch, these French kings. Now, a small selection of the rooms is on display to demonstrate how they would have looked during the period of main use.

Looks like a good spot for some backyard cricket!

Le Grand Trianon.

A field of azure... or some other synonym for "blue".

Oh, the horror of having to wake up in such meagre surroundings...

"Yes, decorate this room like someone was slinging mustard around."

As we made our way back from the Trianons, via the Chateau, the heavens opened and a whole lot of people were caught waiting in a light rain. We’d luckily prepared for this, and had an easy stroll back to the train station with our umbrellas; Avy lost hers in a gust of wind at one point, and being the wonderful husband I am, gave her mine and chased her umbrella into the street. As a reward, she then let me keep her pink umbrella for the rest of the walk…!

Arriving back to Paris, the skies were clear and we made a trip into the dead centre of this massive city’s origins. As I mentioned in my post about Barcino and Barcelona’s origins, Paris used to be infinitely smaller than it stands today. The original “Paris” was confined to the island in the middle of the Seine on which stands our next destination: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

An icon of Paris.

Just as impressive on the inside.

The iconic façade of this impressive Gothic-style cathedral was developed over the years of its construction. It’s free to enter and admire the equally impressive interior of the Cathedral, but as an active place of worship, you need to be respectful while doing so. The high ceilings, sculptured artworks and naves are really fantastic to behold. For a fee, you can also go up to the top of the towers at the front. By the time we arrived, it was too late to add this to our day, but made plans to come back for it the following day.

Get a gargoyles-eye view on Day 39!