Chateau de Versailles + Our First Dinner Soirée

Last Saturday was a busy day! During a supermarket run that morning, the sky looked bright, yet partly cloudy, and a bit windier than normal. Then, an hour later, as soon as I set foot outside to pick up my friend from the train station... Torrential downpour! My shoes and pants got soaked, and my poor H&M umbrella got snapped in half! The insane storm lasted about 5 minutes, just long enough for me to hop on a bus instead. As soon as we were walking back from the station, the sky was once again clear and sunny! ... I'm not used to this weather.

We stopped for a few to browse through an antique market, grabbed a bite to eat at a boulangerie, then headed to the palace. Here were the things I noticed this time around:







Being winter and all, the gardens are quite bare, but I did take plenty of pictures of the gardens last last summer, in this post.


That evening, Erik and I had a couple friends over for a casual dinner party, we ate tiny french pickles, bread, cheese, wine, and I cooked up a little asian stir-fry and rice. There was also much wii-U playing, it was a lot of fun with fantastic company! I am very seldom a hostess, so I was a bit nervous our guests would be bored or wouldn't like the food, but we were having such a pleasant time that we almost lost track of the time and missed the trains! It all worked out in the end. I didn't take any pictures :)



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Palace de Versailles

One of the activities I accomplished with my mother was the enormous Palace/Chateau of Versailles. Think Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis the sometheenth. (Sorry guys, not so good with historical details!)

The interiors are ridiculously detailed and gaudy, it actually got rather sickening towards the end of the visit. But I'd say it's still worth a visit.

Aside from the main chateau, you can also explore the gardens, two smaller palaces, and the Queen's hamlet. We saw everything there was to see, and I have to say the smaller palaces and hamlet were much more enjoyable, simply because they were far less busy.

It's a super short train ride out to Versailles, followed by a ten minute walk to the palace. There is a lot of walking involved if you decide to explore the gardens, so wear comfortable shoes. Or you can rent a golf cart for around 35 Euro.

The gardens were gorgeous! I'll be posting pictures of the gardens in a separate post. :)


{I adore tiny decorative details!} {Such great colors and textures} {Everything is so...frilly} {I took about fifteen pictures of these details alone} {Formal bedroom of Marie Antoinette}


{If Marie A. had a helecopter, this is what it'd look like} {Hall of Mirrors} {Looking awkward in the Hall of Mirrors} {Crazy ceiling} {Another ridiculous ceiling} {LOVE doors}
{It's Marie} {Interior Courtyard} {Moi in front of the gate!}

Jardin du Luxembourg

My feet may be seriously injured, and I think my Achilles heel is bruised. I'm not sure how I'm going to get to class and work tomorrow! Let's just hope my feet heel tonight. I have never walked so much in my entire life, and it doesn't help that the majority of my shoes are new and require "breaking in." I'm hoping that my feet will transform into one, rock-hard callous that can withstand absolutely anything and that will be immune to any sort of pain. Here's to hoping!

On a very sunny, warm day, I hopped over to the Luxembourg garden, a very large green space complete with manicured lawns, overflowing lines of flowers, am impressive Baroque-style fountain, and shady areas with lots of benches. It reminded me of many Impressionist paintings of Parisians at leisure. Sunday Afternoon at the Grande Jatte and Luncheon on the Grass came to mind. I didn't spend as much time here as I'd like, but I have 4 months to return.

I'll be sad when winter comes and all the beautiful flowers go away!

{Palace of Luxembourg}







{Shadier Section of the Park} {Baroque-Style Fountain}

I also took a stroll through some side-streets and went to see St. Sulpice, a church near the gardens. I wasn't looking forward to seeing this church, as it is classical in style - which doesn't excite me as much as the Gothic style. However, the sheer size alone is enough to make the most disinterested person marvel a little.

The streets I love the most in Paris are those that are narrow. They're the most charming, with cafe tables and food vendors squeezed onto the tiny sidewalk. This street, directly behind the Luxembourg palace, had a doll shop! Or maybe it was a museum. It was closed so I couldn't go in, but it looked delightfully creepy and quirky.



{A Picturesque little cafe - couldn't resist taking a photo} {Interior of St. Sulpice}