August Travels: Part 2

Once we made it back to Paris, we stayed in an apartment for a few days just outside of the city and then headed back into the center for the last couple of days. While we were staying in the apartment, we took advantage of being within easy driving distance of many beautiful sights to see. We split it into two days: Chartres & Giverny and Versailles got it's own day.

Day One: Chartres & Giverny
The Cathédrale de Chartres is an absolutely stunning piece of architecture. With one tower built in the Romanesque style and another Gothic (built at different times), its flying buttresses (who doesn't like saying that?) and beautiful stained glass so unique that one of the blues cannot even be replicated today because no one knows how they made it, it is an incredible sight to see. We walked around inside, I lit a candle for my friends and family as I like to do when I visit churches on my travels, and then we climbed the belltower to admire the view and check out the gargoyles. There was no sign at the bottom warning the elderly and unfit against the climb so we set out eagerly to get to the top and then at some point I started feeling like the child I could hear below me screaming, combien de temps?! combien de teeemmpppps?! I feel you, child. I really do. We're almost there.

Looking into the tower on our climb up to the top

It was worth the ~300 steps (I counted on the way down). The views were spectacular and I felt a bit like Quasimodo climbing around up there. It was a little freaky looking down to the street and realizing how far up we'd gone, but it was such a freeing feeling at the same time. We even got to hear the bells ring at noon while we were up there. A bit scary at first, but beautiful.

Looking out over the city

After a long and dizzying climb back down, we made our way back to the car to head to our next location: Giverny. We picnicked in the car with baguettes, brie, some other fancy cheese, and a few different tapenades and hummus as we wound our way through little French villages.

Looking down towards Monet's house in the center of the main gardens

Unfortunately, Giverny was absolutely mobbed. There were a few tourists at Chartres, but it wasn't so bad that you wanted to run out of there screaming. At Giverny, I was a little overwhelmed to say the least. I also wonder how many of those people genuinely care about Monet's history and work or if they're just there because it's "famous" and a "must-see." Oh well. We really enjoyed our walk through the gardens, visiting the lily pond, walking through his rooms and art collections, and our brief visit to the impressionism museum nearby. Hopefully I'll find a time to go back and visit when it's more quiet.

Les Nymphéas

Day Two: Versailles
Talk about a tourist attraction. Those rooms were like a Japanese subway train. I spent the whole day challenging myself with strategic photography to make it look like nobody else was there. This involved many pictures of the ceiling and carefully timed photographs or the use of reflective surfaces. Speaking of reflective surfaces... The Hall of Mirrors is not that nice. I'm sorry, but it's not. Not in comparison to the rest of the palace anyways. I have no idea why everyone insists on cramming in there. The Gallery of Battles was much more beautiful in my opinion (as were many other rooms) and it was nearly empty in comparison because, my guess, nobody actually cares about history. They just want to look at pretty things, or even worse things that other people tell them are pretty. Sorry, this is turning into 20 reasons I hate blind tourists. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at all of these locations. I just don't do well in crowds. Clearly.

An Intimate Gathering

My reaction to crowds...

Ah, much better.

Above is an example of my strategic ceiling photography. I also figured out there there was one corner of the Hall of Mirrors that emptied out every 2-3 minutes as tour groups came and went...

All alone in the Hall of Mirrors ;)

When I wasn't being weird and having panic attacks or losing my family as I ran through the crowds, I was in awe at the beauty and history surrounding me. The gold. The colors. The magnificence of it all. I wandered through the palace trying to imagine what it would have been like to be a member of the Court of Versailles. I imagined the wedding between the Dauphine of France and Louis-Auguste (to become Louis XVI) as we walked through the Royal Chapel. I tried to comprehend that, as I stood in the King's Bedchamber, I was standing in the very room where Louis XV died. I tried to picture Louis XVI sitting at his desk and locking his secrets in its safe when he left for hunting trips. What an incredible story this place has. Yes, I ignored the whole revolution piece while I was there.

The King's Bedchamber

Gold leaf on the ceiling

Louis XVI's "Secrets" Desk

And that's just a tiny piece of it. The gardens are spectacular. Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet are incredible. The farm is still running and it was entertaining to think of Marie Antoinette playing milkmaid in her little village, especially after visiting her extravagant "little" houses which, I'll admit, did seem rather dull compared to the main Château.

L'orangerie

My cousin, me, and my mother at the Queen's Hamlet!

All in all, it was an incredible day. We spent eight hours wandering the palace grounds and we didn't even get to see everything! I want to go back and visit the Grand Trianon and maybe visit some other parts of the palace I didn't get to see. Oh, and you can take a rowboat out on the Grand Canal? Talk about the best date ever. *cough* future suitors, take note *cough*

I will definitely be returning. Just not anytime soon. I'm thinking October/November when the tourists are no longer in full force...

It was a lot of fun having my parents here for a couple of weeks and being able to visit all these cool places. And my cousin joined us for a full week! I think that's the most time we've ever spent together... seriously... anyways, it was so great exploring France and seeing as much as we did! I needed a few day's rest when it was all over, but it was worth it. Now for a little normalcy. I think I have to go to school soon or something...?

xo A