Versailles, I'd only been once when I was in my twenties. I breezed through and vaguely remember having done a quick tour of the gardens. Whatever, it was hot and crowded and I was far too hip to be a mouton and hang out with the rest of the students. I think I spent most of my time in town in a café with a friend who smoked and told me about her boyfriend. What an idiot I was (and in many other ways too...).
Life must have taken pity on me and so yesterday I got a second chance to see Versailles and I appreciated it SO much more. Not only am I smarter, I've read more books and know more about furniture now. I love gardening and history and France so much more now too. And I really want a crystal chandelier for my dining room, bathroom or bedroom (all three actually), so I was completely mesmerised the entire day because I was in an antique crystal lover's paradise.
It's nearly impossible to visit Versailles with kids under three because you can't bring a stroller in the site. You have to leave it at the coat check for the entire visit so it really only serves the purpose of helping you get through the parking lot. We didn't know this and ended up having to carry Charlotte the entire time. She's really heavy! Little S enjoyed parts of the visit, not all of them. He lasted a good four hours though and we played lots of games with him getting him to find invisible doors and telling him the king was still in his bed in his pyjamas "oops we just missed him!" He was really intrigued that the king might be living there and asked lots of questions about where he ate and what he did all day.
Seb sat down whenever there was a chance to and let me tour the room at my leisure while he played with Charlotte. The kids got their pictures taken a lot by asian tourists, and Seb got mobbed by hords of grandmothers and pretty girls all day. He didn't suffer all that much and a few people actually asked to hold her like the lady in this picture in the Hall of Mirrors.
At one point Charlotte freaked and I had to feed her in the corner of the billard room. It is the strangest place I've ever breastfed my kids. That would have been an odd moment to have a wrinkle in time.
6 comments:
Oh oh I love Versailles! I went a few times, once in my teens and twice in my twenties. I'd love to go back though.
That's too bad about the stroller!
I love Versailles, too. The photo collage you did is good!
Thanks!
I love Versailles. Were the fountains on? In the summer they have water and music festivals where you can wander the gardens listening to classical music and watching the fountains -- it's really great.
Funny, the last time we went with Sophia we were allowed to have the stroller. I think we were just doing the gardens that day, but maybe they've changed the rules.
I love it that you fed Charlotte in the billiard room. Wrinkle in time, indeed. That's fodder for a short story right there.
P.S., I finally found your blog again, and I'm really excited. I used to read it regularly, but I got a new computer a while back and lost the bookmark. I've thought of it in the ensuing months but either I couldn't remember the name while I was sitting at the computer or the name came to me when I wasn't near a computer and by the time I got to one again, I forgot to look it up.
Anyway, I was nursing my daughter down for her nap this afternoon and suddenly the name of your blog popped into my head, and I googled, and voila, here I am. You are in my bookmarks once again. Yay!
Kathleen - I'm pleased you came back. I love time travel novels and French history so that would be a great story.
Post a Comment