| Day 1: London to Paris Day 2: Versailles Day 3: Tours Day 4: Chateaux Day 5: Bordeaux |
Day 2: Versailles Wednesday, 10 September, 2003 Wednesday morning we decide to run over to visit the Arc de Triomphe. I must say that, as triumphal archways go, this one probably reveals the most about its commissioner's insecurities. Like most things Napoleonic (aside from the man himself), the arc is severely supersized. This became all too painfully clear to me as I climbed the 274 stairs to the top with a fairly hefty load in my backpack. The reward for my efforts, however, was great. Not only did I get a fairly decent view of the Paris skyline (Ben says the one from Notre Dame is rather better), but I came across one of the truly most upsetting sculptures I've ever seen: Le Genie of la Patrie, I think it was called. An American woman also taken by the sculpture walked over to me and asked, "Do you read French? Because I know this thing isn't a genie." With the aid of a very mediocre dictionary we came to the conclusion that this is probably an allegorical figure depicting the spirit of country. Go France.  Le Genie located inside the gallery at the top of the Arc de Triomphe. You'd look this disgruntled if you had a dragon clinging to your head. *
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After leaving the Arc we caught an RER train to Versailles. The trains have two levels and are really quite comfortable. Only 5 euros round trip. We got lunch at a small bakery in a square close to the Chateau. I ate some sort of hotdog-pastry-cheese melt thing that seemed a bit vulgar for French food. As we sat at an outside table we caught sight of two cats who clearly called the patisserie home. One of the cats made a plea directly to us for food and attention:  The other looked like it was about to help itself while the shop attendant was busy elsewhere:  As for Versailles... the place is almost incomprehensibly large. Aside from the scale of the chateau, though, I really found the building a bit lacking when it came to style. There really isn't anything breathtaking about the design of the place (for an example of design that takes away my breath, see Chambord, day 4). The most impressive room I saw was the Hall of Mirrors, the famous location of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The grounds at Versailles are what really caught my attention. Like the chateau, they are truly enormous. Ben and I walked for what must have been almost half an hour only to cross a fraction of their length. Among the Gardens are two other palaces; a very large man-made lake in the form of a cross; a village once called 'Little Venice' because it housed the Venetian gondoliers for the lake; and countless fountains. It's really quite ridiculous. For a full screen (1024x768) photo of the gardens click here.  The rear facade of the Chateau. After a morning of overcast skies, the sun starting peaking out during the late afternoon as we walked towards the Grand Trianon, a smaller--all things are relative!--palace on the Versailles grounds. Along the one of the paths we came to a circular clearing called the 'Bosquet de la Colonnade.' With the sudden blue skies it was a beautiful sight. To see a panorama constructed from three smaller pictures click here. As we walked back to through the grounds towards the entrance we came across a rather strange statue. It depicts a man tying another man to a stone while two demonic looking beavers with large claws scramble out from beneath. Very strange--and somewhat upsetting, really. We couldn't think of any classical story that could possibly explain it. Anyone have any ideas? This is the statue:  After returning to Paris we had a very nice meal at French chain restaurant called Hippopotamus. The food is reliably good and where else can you dine under a pastel of a hippo in a tutu? We returned to 'Le Village' for a second night in the shadow of Sacre Coeur. |
 The view from beneath the Arc de Triomphe--looking up. With details like these it's no wonder the thing took 30 years to build...  The Eiffel Tower as seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. I tried to resist this shot--because, really, what's more cliched than photos of the Eiffel Tower? But, as the old saying goes, when in Paris, do as the other mindless tourists do....  The Chateau of Versailles from the front courtyard.  A chandelier inside the famous Hall of Mirrors.  A tree lined road going as far as the eye can see on the Versailles grounds.  The view from a breezeway in the Grand Trianon. |
