Paris in Spring - Versailles

My last day in Paris was not actually spent in Paris but just outside in Versailles.  I had heard this was a "must see."  While the house was a little extravagant for my liking, I adored the gardens.  I did appreciate the history that comes with the house but somebody should have told King Louis that he could lay off some of the decorations and they'd still know he was king.  Since I grew up going to the Biltmore Estate fairly frequently, I had thought this would be like "the Biltmore of France."  Let's just say King Louis made the Vanderbilts look simple and casual.

When I arrived, the line was really long for the house so I went straight to the gardens - which was smart because I had them all to myself, sort of.  There was an exhibit going on that had classical music playing in each section and that was pretty cool.

 Orangerie.

 Bosquet de la Salle de Bal (Ballroom Grove).

 My only disappointment with the gardens was that the fountains were not turned on.  Apparently they are only turned on during the weekend.  It would have been amazing to see them all spouting.

 Bassin du Miroir (Mirror Fountain). This was the only fountain turned on and it was dancing to the music.

 Jardin du Roi (King's Garden).

 Bassin du Char d'Apollon (Fountain of Apollo's Chariot).

 Bosquet de la Colonnade (Colonnade Grove).

 Bosque de l'Encelade (Encelade Grove).

 Bosquet des Bains d'Apollon (Grove of Apollo's Bath).

 Bosquet des Trois Fontaines (Three Fountains Grove).

 One of the three fountains.  Don't you feel like Ariel should bust up singing, "look at this stuff, isn't it neat, wouldn't you think my collection's complete" from this place??

 Bassin de Neptune (Neptune Fountain).  Who doesn't love a narwhal?

 This picture isn't very good but I wanted to show how every.single.inch had decoration on it.

 Bust of King Louis XIV by Bernini.

 Hall of Mirrors.

 This was the king's bed.

 This isn't a very good picture either but I found it comical.  It's the dining room and the table is where the royal family ate.  The chairs were for people to watch them eat.  Based on the size of the room a lot of people could watch.  Do you think they ever had to tell their kids to "sit down and eat your vegetables" while the masses looked on?

 When I got back into Paris via train, I took a quick trip up to the top of Arc de Triomphe for some final views of the whole city.

That tall building on the right was our hotel.  Less than a 10 minute walk away.

Well, that concludes my Paris in Spring series for you.  It was such a fun trip and I'm already itching for another international adventure.  Anybody want to send me somewhere??  

Paris in Spring - Mona Lisa & Models

Monday was my day set aside for visiting the Louvre.  I didn't plan anything else since I knew it could easily take all day.  I rode the train there to save time but wanted to walk back so I could hit another museum if time permitted.  I bought my Paris Museum Pass from our hotel concierge so when I got to the Louvre I didn't have to wait in line (worth every penny!).  Also - a little tip while I have your attention - make sure you check out the open days of your museums you plan to visit while in Paris (or any destination).  A lot of museums have a day they are closed so you need to plan accordingly.  Since they are open on weekends, a bunch of them are closed on either Monday or Tuesday.

 I made it to the Louvre and bypassed the long line.  I picked up a map and then started my journey.  The OCD in me wanted to walk through each exhibit in an organized manner so that I could see everything.  After 2 hours of barely scratching the surface of the museum I began feeling a little overwhelmed.  Also, none of the exhibits had English translations so I couldn't tell what I was looking at.  Yes, I realize I was in France but a lot of places do cater to other languages.  I wish I would have known to spend the 5 euros on the Nintendo DS audio guide where you could type in the exhibit number and it would talk to you.  Lesson learned.  After my mini panic attack I realized I was going to need to speed things up and just see the pieces that were highlighted in my brochure.

 I found this little baby bassinet so adorable.  I wonder if the new royal baby has something like it.

 The recently renovated Winged Victory of Samothrace.

 I finally saw Mona and I was sort of like, "meh - she's cute and small."  While this picture doesn't show it, the people crowding her were CRAZY.  You would have thought they were getting Leonardo da Vinci's autograph from the grave.  I really just wanted to see the painting and didn't care much about getting a picture but I couldn't even get to it because of all the selfie taking that was going on.  At 5'2" I was getting pushed and prodded and my mini panic attack was about to turn for the worse.  I decided to step away and call it a day.  BTW - some people have said they weren't allowed taking pictures in the Louvre.  I believe this ban has been lifted because there were photographers everywhere and the guards didn't seem to care.  I don't use a flash in museums and cathedrals (reason for my grainy pics) but I don't really see a problem with snapping a pic here and there unless it's specifically prohibited.

 Cupid and Psyche

 Hello pretty, armless lady. Venus de Milo.

 Fresh air again.  When I decided I was done and wanted to leave I kept getting lost.  I would follow the "Sortie" signs and then end up back where I started.  I thought I'd never see daylight again.

 Walking away from Musee du Louvre through Jardin des Tuileries.

 l'Obelisque straight from the Luxor Temple in Egypt.

 Grand Palais.

 After the Louvre I had enough time to visit Cite de l'Architecture which is a museum dedicated to the architecture of the region.  It is located at Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower.  I loved all of the models and casts of famous buildings.

 These are actually casts of sculptures throughout the region.

 The upper floors were dedicated to modern and contemporary architecture.

 There was even a full scale replica of an apartment from Le Corbusier's Cite' radieuse in Marseille.  Apparently it was created by high school students throughout the region.  I'm not dissing on my high school education but I don't remember doing anything that cool.

 If I lived in Paris, I think I would spend way too much money on flowers.

I enjoyed a little cheese, bread and diet Coke in the hotel room while I waited for Jacob to take me out for sushi.