Versailles.. PaRis 6

I wegged school today (shh) to go to Versailles with Kat and Kemp. We left around 8 am from Gare du Nord and took the RER to the country. Halfway there our train stopped at a station where we apparently had to switch trains (we were unaware of that fact which left us momentarily lost). We were supposed to stay on the platform and wait for the next train but for some reason a random passenger told us otherwise and that we should go to a different track. We left through the "Sortie" and asked the ticket agent where we should go. She ended up pointing us right back in the direction we came. Well we couldn't get on the platform without feeding our ticket into a machine that released a turn style and a push door. We had already used up our tickets which meant we would have to purchase another one just to get back on our previous platform. Well I just wasn't going to have that. Dress and all I swung my leg up on the metal box, squeezed in between the long metal bars and jumped on the other side. The K's got quite a kick out of that and Kitty decided to climb over the turn style and under the door. Kemp couldn't make up his mind but finally got on his hands and knees and crawled under the door as well. It was quite a sight! We definitely had a good laugh.

Once we arrived we walked about 10 minutes and there it was. Grand, decadent, Baroque, elegant, beautiful and incredibly opulent.  There were already so many people for only being 10 am but after the 30 min wait in line the gobs of tourists evenly dispersed throughout the Château. Everything in the Palace was decked out in marble or gold. The Sun King was so self indulgent- In one of my art history classes I learned that before Versailles was built, King Louis's head of finance (I think), built Vaux le Vicomte. It was such a grand château that the King thought it was bad taste that someone beneath him should be living in such luxury. He imprisoned the man and then hired the entire team who built Vaux le Vicomte to build and design Versailles. The end result of 380 million francs, 36,000 laborers and enough paintings, if laid end to end, to equal 7 miles of canvas. The King then summoned thousands of grandees from their own far-flung châteaux to reside at his new seat of government. In doing so, however, he unwittingly triggered the downfall of the monarchy. Each day private invitations were sent out to each of the grandees inviting them to "Watch the King have his breakfast" or being permitted "to take a stroll in the gardens with his highness" I mean this guy was so full of himself! Anyway, a 2 century spree of indulgence in the finest bling-bling of the age by the consecutive reigns of 3 French Kings produced 2 of the world's most historic artifacts: gloriously, the Palace itself and, momentously, the French Revolution.- Ok sorry for the rambling.. I get carried away sometimes. Anyway, the Hall of Mirrors and the incredible art were my favorite things (besides the awesome wallpaper which I would LoVE to have). My absolute favorite part of the trip though was the outdoor gardens. I couldn't have dreamt of anything more picture perfect. The weather was slightly balmy with a cool refreshing breeze ever so often. The trees were trimmed in angles of perfection and the flowers were colorfully beaming everywhere you went. The grand canal was available for paddle boat rental which gave the grounds almost a Great Gatsby feeling. The K's and I began our long walk to the Grand Trianon. We thought we were going to the Queen's hamlet or Marie Antoinette's place but ended up on the other side of the grounds. The Trianon was outfitted in pink marble.. wow. It definitely looked like a woman's residence to me. Everything was floral and PINK!..We realized we didn't have the energy or the mobility to go back and see the Queens Hamlet (our feet were dying.. a days worth of cobblestone will do that to you) so we took the RER back into the city. We finally were on the metro and made a special stop to get our favorite crepes. :) Afterwards I bid farewell to the K's and we went separate ways. I'll miss them!! They've been soo much fun!!

On my walk home I was feeling incredibly self conscious of my awkward look. I felt so ragged next to the chic impossibly thin french women (I still had the fro). But just then a man on a scooter rode by, gave me a little beep and thumbs up. Then he muttered "très belle" and smiled. Ahh.. I felt much better. Even if he was being sarcastic. I love the French.