I am feeling a pinch guilty, since it has been weeks since we have returned to Ontario from Paris, France.  The guilt isn’t overwhelming me, so don’t feel tooooo sorry for me.  I will be ok.

Better than that.  I am still grinnin’.

 

 

I have heaps, maybe even mountains of funky spaces, places and memories, and I can’t wait to share the journey with you.  We are, of course, on a chemotherapy journey at this moment too…. so watch for my next blog entry which will give you Michael highlights.

I wish I was the one getting the highlights, because my grey roots are talkin’ to me…and I don’t like what they are saying.

Wayward buggers.

CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES

I am quite certain that when others go to such historical, monumental landmarks ~ they don’t do things like this.

 

I would never ever do such a thing.  Would you? (please say YES)

 

The Château de Versailles is by far, hands down, the best Château eye candy I have ever seen in my lifetime.  The first time we drove by it, I literally dropped my chin (yes, the visual of that, is as stunning as how I looked doing it).  It is really OVER THE TOP opulence.

Oh, the parties you could have in that place.  Not that I would ever THINK of having a party in such a historical stunner of a MANSION~VILLE.  The movie, Marie Antoinette will prove my point on that one.

 

Is everyone trying to muster up a party plan as I speak? I did.  My only worry was the hall of mirrors.  It’s unavoidable.  You are going to see yourself.  That is not a good scene at a party, if you are already seeing double.  Or if you are dancing like a wild one….from Flash Dance..only to spot yourself in the mirror and discover that you do, in fact, look like an idiot.

 

Our home in Paris was only 15 minutes from the Chateau de Versailles.  We took advantage of those times, since, hello…when will we get a chance to just go ‘drive by’ such gorgeous-ness?   Never mind the car, I would have ridden a donkey, a bicycle, a tricycle…if it meant I had a shot at seeing this eye stunner.

That was a pretty sweet hop skip and jump to be so near such a remarkable Château.  And we did.  Because.  We could.   I was speechless to even be near it.  Yes, that almost never happens.

Well, if I was near Brad Pitt I would probably be speechless.

 

We also burst at the seams laughing at our own private garden tour.  A self guided garden tour.   I promise you, you can walk those gardens until you are old and need a cane, and you still won’t see it all.  Promise you. These moments were fun until a fellow tourist came along and said ….” Excuse me,  did you know that you are not allowed to dress the trees”.

Oh….. R-E-A-L-L-Y ?!…..

Shame.

Imagine my shock.  Those wee bushes seemed pretty happy to us.  I didn’t see them complaining.  Tourist schmourist.  How did he know if there was a rule on tree dressing?  He was not the King of England.

 

My travel advice to you, would be to see the grounds on off-peak hours.  It is actually free to walk the grounds.  You also have an option to rent a golf cart to tour the grounds.  I seriously gave this some careful consideration, until I saw the price.   Then, I quickly decided that an investment in chocolates, bakery sweets and a nice bottle of Frenchie wine …were a much wiser choice.

 

My friend Norma, from My Beautiful Paris explains it much better than I.  And a wee bit more professional too.  She is the only person in the world who has made me oooogle over historical fiction books such as Sandra Gulland’s The many lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine and to actually learn a bit about French history.

Like Marie Antoinette.

She was one interesting lady.

I love history when it is wrapped up in a good love story, a good book, a good read in general.

Otherwise, YAWN.

 

We often just stopped and took in the moments, and really just sat to breathe in the essence of the Château and its details, in every corner .  I had this overwhelming urge to scream, “all contractors take heed ~ look what they did way back when !!! ~ with a horse, and some hand carved wooden stick tool to make a Château”.  Ok, Ok, I exaggerate, but hellllooooo, they didn’t have a whole heck of a lot to work with…with the exception of some really fantastic wine and bread.

 

I must reiterate though, kids…go on off-peak hours.  Don’t be like me, arms flailing, having a temper tantrum in large crowds, wanting to trip tourists and scream FIRE…so everyone would clear out and give me bit of elbow space.

 

 I am a Canadian after all, we like our wide open spaces.