Where’s Waldo . . . Er . . . Sharon and Suzanne, Day 5, Paris, France, Thursday, October 10, 2013
Today was . . . Interesting. We started out for Chantilly this morning. After taking two metro trains to the train station (and I did not get us lost!), we located the train to Chantilly (with help from an attendant, who neglected to tell us that the train she directed us to was not a through train!). Apparently there is work on the tracks, and you need to transfer. So we ended up a stop short of Chantilly out in the middle of the country where the cleaning crew kicked us off.
The station was a quaint wide spot on the tracks with nobody around but an attendant who spoke no English. By the time we figured out the train to get on, it had just gone by. At that point, we figured we could get to Chantilly, and probably find a bus to the chateaux, but we were not real sure about getting home! At this point we were singing the song about riding the MTA around Boston forever, only inserting Paris instead of Boston. We got on a train back to Paris instead. And
that took our morning.
We also discovered that gortex is our friend, as the weather changed from sunny to drenching downpour dependent on where we were.
We ended up at the d’orsay museum for the afternoon. It was incredible. (Barb, they did still have the miniature Paris street scene under the floor!)
Great day, (even if we didn’t make it to the horse museum) and we’re both tired.
The d’Osay is a truly incredible place, not the least for the building it is housed in. It is an old train station, complete with the giant clocks. Taking pictures through the
upper clock face is amazing. One of the best pictures I have gotten is Sharon in silhouette, taking a picture through the clock face. And through it, you can see the Louvre and Sacre Coeure. The picture is posted in the blog entry titled ‘The Beginning’.
They had a special exhibit going called ‘Masculine’, which studied the portrayal of the masculine form through the ages. In addition, the museum specializes in more ‘modern’ art, that dating from 1848. The collection is spectacular, and even included ‘Whistler’s Mother’, as well as a stunning collection of miniatures from the building of the Garnier Opera House. There is also a scale version of the streets and buildings of the Opera House set under the floor. You can walk on the glass, and study the miniature buildings beneath your feet. Barb, a coworker, had told me about it, but couldn’t remember where it was, so I was thrilled to find it at the d’Orsay!
It seems that most buildings were built as a scale model before construction actually started. In the Museum of Architecture (seen in a later visit to Paris), and in most of the famous buildings, you can see many of these models. I would assume that it’s a way of working out the engineering in days gone by. Whatever the reason, look for these miniatures. They are fascinating, and usually accessible.
Today . . . Day 6, Paris, France, Friday, October 11, 2013
. . . We experience French Shopping. Amount other things. We headed for the Galleries Layayette first thing this morning. However, the metro stop let us off at the Paris Opera House [also called the Garnier Opera House, or Palais Garnier,] (right across the street from the Galleries Layfette). So after taking pictures from the outside, we discovered we could tour it. So we side tracked and did so. It was incredible!
We hummed ‘Masquarade’ from Phantom of the Opera as we climbed the grand
staircase, and hoped to see the phantom flitting about, however he wasn’t showing. We tried to go in box five, but the closest we got was box 10. The building was nothing short of spectacular.
The Galleries Layfaette was an experience. It has a central dome of stained glass that looks big enough to be over a cathedral, and a view from the roof that showed the whole of Paris. The store itself was full of lovely things we could never afford!
Then we found a small needlework shop called Les Bonheurs des Dames, where I was in heaven. Father that, we headed to the Bon Marche, which is credited with being the first department store, after which all others are modeled.
Following that, we went home. We got off the metro, stopped at the grocery store we liked, then promptly turned the wrong way and got lost. After nothing looked familiar, we got out the map. Maps help.
Tomorrow we take a tour to a couple of Chateaux. It will be nice not to have to think about how we are going to get there!
Now off to watch Dr. Who, which is the only thing we can get on our rather eccentric tv system.
The above pictures are of the music library at the Paris Opera House, the Grand Staircase, the infamous chandelier, and the boxes of the theater proper.
What I neglected to point out in my original missive, is that one can go out on the roof of the Galleries Layfette and see the rooftops of Paris. The view is incredible, with the Eiffel Tower out in the distance, Sacre-Coeur up on the hill behind, and the Opera House roof in your face next door, and at eye level!. I took several pictures there, and since it was drizzling, we ate at the restaurant inside instead of the cafe on the rooftop. Sharon said it was the best meal that she’d had so far. That’s Paris for you, even the department stores have excellent food!
The Galleries Layfette interior and exterior above. Who knew there was a dome up there? No wonder we had a hard time finding it (or maybe it was just us).
Day 7, Paris, France, Saturday, October 12, 2013
We went to two Chateaux via a tour company today. Basically, they drove us out there, let us off and picked us up at an appointed time.
The first, Vaux le Vicomte, was built by the same trio of architect, landscape designer and interior designer who later built Versailles. You can certainly see the similarities. It was absolutely beautiful and out in the middle of the country. It’s still privately owned and they do a great job.
As we walked in, we saw a small sign marked ‘equippage’ and as one, turned in. It only figures that Sharon and I would head straight for the stable block! The exhibit was an excellent presentation of restored carriages and harness, as well as bits and work wagons. It was fascinating.
The chateaux and gardens were beautifully kept up, and the audio tour was
fascinating. At one point, they talked about an extravagant party celebrating the completion of construction in which the king attended. The list of the things they did went on and on, and concluded with a whale blowing in the grand canal. Sharon and I both want to know how they got it in there, and how they made it blow on cue!
The next chateaux was Fountainbleau. The exterior with it’s grand staircase was instantly recognizable from hundreds of pictures. However, although incredibly grand, the interior disappointed. It was badly maintained, the whole place was disorganized and needed attention. The staff was lackluster and disinterested – so completely unlike anything we’ve experienced to this point. We did discover that Vaux au Vicomte is still privately owned, and with the current Vicomte still living on the premises, but Fountainbleau is a historic national landmark and maintained by the state. It certainly shows what a personal touch will do.
Going via a tour company went well, and it was nice not to have to think about how to get there, and the bus was big and comfortable. Unfortunately we happed to be with a large, older group of Germans who were loud and obnoxious. And people think Americans are bad! But the flip side was that we also met other great people on the bus, so overall, it worked out.
And now . . . I’m tired!
Looking back on this entry, nearly five years after the original time of writing, I still have to say that Vaux le Vicomte is still one of my favorite places, even with all that I’ve seen over the years. Small (for a chateau) and intimate, it is a welcoming place. And knowing the history, and having been to Versailles, you can see the seeds of ideas that would later germinate into that huge palace. I purchased a beautiful poster of the architectural elevation of Vaux le Vicomte, and still love to study it. Definitely a place to go if you find yourself in France.
The two pictures below are details of Fountainbleau ceilings. As I said, always look up!
Suzanne’s Travels 