Day 7: A Sunday with the Sun King
Day seven began pretty much in the same way as every other day; by eating bagels. After consuming these sophisticated delicacies, we were adequately prepared for the days' expedition. After a severe warning from Amy about being late, we quickly gathered our belongings and ran down the three flights of stairs from our AirBNB. We took a short stroll to the metro which we rode until transferring to a pretty fantastic double-decker train (also known as the RER). This wondrous piece of machinery whisked us off about ten miles southwest of Paris to the Chateau de Versailles for the day. Upon arrival, it was quite evident that many other people had ventured out to this lovely palace. Needless to say, the estate was crawling with countless other basic tourists. After taking one glance at the seemingly endless line to get in, our fearless leader Amy decided to "merge" into the middle of it. Just as we believed we were in the clear, we heard a chorus of angry voices shouting "lou Lou LOu LOUUUUUUUU!!!!! We slowly turned in horror and discovered a group of short, irritated, but very powerful Chinese tourists. Assuming "lou" means "no" they were not very happy about us creatively skipping the expansive line. Let it also be known that they were holding each others' shoulders in somewhat of a congo line fashion, which made them all the more intimidating. So, we budged behind them rather than in front of them to avoid further chaos. After this small escapade we continued on to security without further conflict. We spent two hours inside the Chateau exploring the ornate rooms and furnishings. We got the chance to view the Hall of Mirrors, as well as the Chapel and King's Chambers. We had a quick snack before Amy gave us what seemed like a blessing at the time: freedom to explore the gardens. While Janie, Amy, and Jon went on their own journey, Vincenzo, Nicole, Kristiana, and I (Hope) set off on a thrilling adventure.
Begins the tale of four wandering amigos:
Four of us (Hope, Vincenzo, Nicole, and Kristiana) decided to venture to the Grand Trianon, a separate estate from the main palace. After eating our lunch, someone conceived the brilliant idea to walk down some random path we came across. We went on a jaunt down multiple trails, having a jolly good time until we made the realization that we had absolutely no idea where we were. Unfortunately, our paper map did not have the capabilities of putting a small red dot on the map saying "you are here." This led to the beginning of our "navigation" of the property, (also known as Vincenzo saying "this is the right way FOR SURE"). During this escapade we came upon some cows grazing, found some lovely gardens, and I found myself almost getting shoved into a fountain by Vincenzo because he believed it would be "funny." Just when all hope seemed lost, we met a very nice British gentleman who just happened to be going to the location where we needed to be. We followed our heroic savior until we were returned to civilization after such an extended amount of time wandering.
A Note from the Other Side.
By Amy
While some wandered the forests of Versailles, Amy, Jon, & Janie traversed unerringly (okay, we took the wrong path once!) through the main gardens of Versailles to the Queen's Hamlet. Unsure what we would find each was enchanted by the pastoral scene that met us. Quaint buildings, lovely glades, pavilions, lakes, and a white muskrat drew us into the whole charming experience. Janie would like to move there.
Once recovered from our harrowing ordeal, we sat near a fountain and awaited the beginning of a water show that occurs every few hours or so. However, many of us made the very foolish choice of not putting on sunscreen. By the time the water show began, I can easily speak for the entire group in saying that we were ready to jump into the water and cool off rather than watch it. It turned out that our time at Versailles was extended later than originally thought, which was thrilling besides the fact that many of us were burnt to a crisp. It was indeed quite ironic considering that Louis XIV was compared to Apollo, and is remembered as the sun king. His emblem of the sun can be seen throughout Versailles, along with much gold embellishment, and the fountain of Apollo. All this goes to say that the sun seems to be a common theme at Versailles, which we all experienced first hand. Overall, the day was a monumental success filled with many adventures, pictures, much learning, and lots of memories.
Sincerely,
A very tired and sunburned Hope
while we
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| A Slightly Blurry Hall of Mirrors Selfie |
Begins the tale of four wandering amigos:
Four of us (Hope, Vincenzo, Nicole, and Kristiana) decided to venture to the Grand Trianon, a separate estate from the main palace. After eating our lunch, someone conceived the brilliant idea to walk down some random path we came across. We went on a jaunt down multiple trails, having a jolly good time until we made the realization that we had absolutely no idea where we were. Unfortunately, our paper map did not have the capabilities of putting a small red dot on the map saying "you are here." This led to the beginning of our "navigation" of the property, (also known as Vincenzo saying "this is the right way FOR SURE"). During this escapade we came upon some cows grazing, found some lovely gardens, and I found myself almost getting shoved into a fountain by Vincenzo because he believed it would be "funny." Just when all hope seemed lost, we met a very nice British gentleman who just happened to be going to the location where we needed to be. We followed our heroic savior until we were returned to civilization after such an extended amount of time wandering.
 |
| The Wanderers in the Woods |
A Note from the Other Side.
By Amy
While some wandered the forests of Versailles, Amy, Jon, & Janie traversed unerringly (okay, we took the wrong path once!) through the main gardens of Versailles to the Queen's Hamlet. Unsure what we would find each was enchanted by the pastoral scene that met us. Quaint buildings, lovely glades, pavilions, lakes, and a white muskrat drew us into the whole charming experience. Janie would like to move there.
 |
| The Queen's Hamlet might just get a new queen soon! |
Once recovered from our harrowing ordeal, we sat near a fountain and awaited the beginning of a water show that occurs every few hours or so. However, many of us made the very foolish choice of not putting on sunscreen. By the time the water show began, I can easily speak for the entire group in saying that we were ready to jump into the water and cool off rather than watch it. It turned out that our time at Versailles was extended later than originally thought, which was thrilling besides the fact that many of us were burnt to a crisp. It was indeed quite ironic considering that Louis XIV was compared to Apollo, and is remembered as the sun king. His emblem of the sun can be seen throughout Versailles, along with much gold embellishment, and the fountain of Apollo. All this goes to say that the sun seems to be a common theme at Versailles, which we all experienced first hand. Overall, the day was a monumental success filled with many adventures, pictures, much learning, and lots of memories.
Sincerely,
A very tired and sunburned Hope
 |
| At the Chateau |
while we
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