I knew last night that I needed to get an early start today so that I could give the maximum amount of time for my day trip to Versailles while also getting my work done. I only set my alarm for eight hours last night. When my alarm went off this morning I actually stayed in bed with my eyes closed until it went off. I don't think I've ever done that before. When I finally rolled over I was so tired that my eyes were blurry. I had to waste some time on the internet just waiting to wake up. I finally decided that I might as well get my day started. I did my makeup, made a cup of coffee, grabbed some cookies for breakfast and started doing my histories reading. The reading was actually fascinating today. It talked about empathy and how we can't use to when making moral decisions. We should make calculated decisions based on reason so that we can improve long term circumstances. I totally nerded out over it.
After my reading I checked the weather report. I saw a report that called for rain, so I took my umbrella with me just in case. I googled how to get to Versailles and it kept telling me to take a cab after taking two metros. Lauren had told me that there was a train that went straight there. I consulted the Versailles website and figured out that I could take the RER C to Versailles. I would sadly have to walk to Gare d'Austerlitz to take the train from there. I threw on a hat and some jeans, packed some snacks, and went out the door. Considering that I had a long day of walking ahead of me, and my pathetic breakfast, I went out the back gate so that I could pick up a baguette. I ate the part of the baguette that stuck out of the sleeve and shoved the rest of it in my purse for later.
I walked to the gare and found my way to the ticket machine. I figured out how to get tickets from Paris to Versailles for a whopping 6,90. I tried to insert a 10 into the machine only to realize that it didn't take bills. Damn Parisian ticket machines and their hatred of paper money! I grabbed a huge handful of coins out of my purse and started to feed them into the machine in a frenzy. I didn't want it to cancel my purchase because I was being slow. I thankfully had enough in coins to buy my two tickets.
I wound my way through the gare and down the platform A. I hate the RER. The RER section of gares always freaks me out, and the train system is super complicated. You have to figure out when exactly the train is coming for your destination. It freaks me out that different trains use the same track. There also aren't screens posted everywhere so you have to stand in one stop with a huge crowd. It's just lame. My train finally came and I settled in for the journey.
The trip to Versailles was actually really nice. The train goes through small towns that are totally European; stone buildings and lace curtains and all. The trip took less than an hour. After a few minutes of being on the train, an accordion player got on. How kitschy could it get? After saw the sing for Versailles Rive Gauche I got myself off the train, after being asked by a young German man in broken French if I speak English, and followed the people pointing the way to the chateau. I walked past the huge equestrian statue of one of the Louis's and walked up to the entrance to the chateau. I read online that I didn't have to buy a ticket because I'm awesome and European now. I went to the entrance and told the man that I'm a student. He asked where and how old I was. After answering he let me in. The woman inside was a different story. She asked for my passport. I showed her the copy and was let into the chateau.
The outside of the chateau
I was mostly at Versailles to see the gardens, but I knew that I had to see the chateau just to say that I've seen it. I decided to do a quick walking tour before heading the the garden. I started off with someone's bedrooms. Next up was the main event. I really wanted to see the hall of mirrors. I quickly passed by all of the boring royal and military paintings (they're not really my style) and speed through some other uninteresting rooms. The chateau was filled with tourists, including the usual Chinese tourists and hoards of children, so I really couldn't stop to admire anything. My favorite room was the hall of mirrors by a landslide. The decoration was typical of the other chateaux that I've seen; flower print for girls and lots of ceiling paintings set in the sky. I did really like the chapels (is that what they were? What other kind of room has a huge organ in it?) and the war room. On a whole, Versailles is the best chateau that I've seen in France though the Vatican had a better selection of paintings. Ohmygod I'm such a snob. I can't believe I can say something like that. What a life.
I can say that I felt some weird feelings of national pride while walking through the chateau. I feel like I've become part of France while living here and that I was in some kind of French hollowed ground. I've learned so much about Versailles, and it was really powerful for me to finally be there in person.
After my speedy tour of the chateau I went straight for the garden. I must say that I was really disappointed about the garden. Number one, gardens are supposed to have flowers. I've seen enough of these "gardens" that are totally composed of overly manicured topiaries. Stop the madness, France. I went walking on a statue finding mission. After reading such an interesting article on the Versailles statues and garden for my histories class, I was really excited to find them all. I started walking away from the chateau and found myself at an exit gate. I assumed that it led to another garden. I ended up walking past fields with goats and sheep in them. I knew that I wasn't supposed to be there so I turned back. I then went through a gate that said something about the queen. It ended up being a hotel with a nice English garden around it. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there either so I left and went back through the gate that I originally went through.
I walked along and saw nothing but a strip of grass between lines of trees. Not fascinating. I finally wound my way to the central pool after finding the backside of the giants fountain that I was looking for. I walked along the central pool taking pictures of the boats and obligatory swans. School children were screaming and having lunch on the lawn closest to the chateau so I kept walking. I was interested to see where the pool went. I think the pool goes on forever. I kept walking and walking but it led to nowhere. I sat on the banks of the pool for a few minutes and then headed back. I also tried to find something that I think said trident that was 10 meters away. I walked for a bit, saw nothing, and went back to the pool. My legs and feet were already killing me and I still had tons to explore.
A fountain facing the chateau
The endless pool
I think went to find the front of the giants sculpture. The sculpture is about a myth. There was a race of giants on earth that decided to hurl rocks up into the heavens to kill the gods. The gods outsmarted the giants and threw the stones back down at them, crushing them under their weight. The sculpture shows a giant, with a pained expression on his face, that is halfway buried under an uprising of dirt. He is still clutching a large clod of dirt that he is attempting to throw back into the heavens. I loved it.
The giants sculpture
I walked back up towards the chateau and then went down the other side. I found some uninteresting statues and then stumbled on the real gem of the gardens: the jardin du roi. I saw a huge depression that had manciured grass growing up its sides with a glistening pool in the center. To my right was the most perfectly little garden that I'd ever seen. The jardin du roi is a perfectly manicured English garden with a pink column in it. I took some beautiful pictures of the perfectly mowed lawn, some flowers, and the orange fall trees before heading back up to the pool. I then went to the queen's garden. I went through to the other side and found myself at the base of the chateau. I walked through the orangerie and then up a huge flight of stairs that led back to the front of the chateau. I literally hobbled to the exit and agonized over my aching body as I walked to the train station.
The jardin du roi
the orangerie and the chateau
I got to the gare, put my ticket into the gate, and went to the screen in front of the platforms. I was looking for my train only to find a notice that said that trains from Paris were delayed for 45 more minutes. I was going to be trapped on the platform for 45 minutes?! I grabbed a metro news and tried to make the best of it. After awhile a train pulled up and seemed in no rush to leave. I continued to read before going to to check the screen again. The screen said that there was still half an hour before a train to Paris would arrive. I sat back down to read. I then noticed that everyone else was on the train but that it wasn't going anywhere and no one was telling them to get off. I got on the train and found a seat in the corner where I thought no one would bother me. The train was decorated to look like different rooms in Versailles. Cheesy but cute. Just as I thought I would ride to Paris in peace, a Chinese couple and their child squeezed in next to me. Train ride ruined. The man tried to ask me something in English but I told him in French that I don't speak English. I've become a terrible person.
I got back to Gare d'Austerlitz and hobbled home. I didn't think that I'd be home until at least five, but it was only 3:45. I ate a piece of See's candy and then studied for French. While studying, I put on a pot of water to boil for some Kraft mac n cheese. I put the pasta on to cook before turning to my monument analysis. It was done cooking before I was done writing. I ended up eating a bowl of mac n cheese at my desk. After I finished writing, I got into bed to watch some people's court and continue my dinner.
After my break I turned my attention to fixing my pop paper. I must say that it's actually coming along. Freak out over. By the time I finished it was 7:30. I was supposed to wash my hair tonight so I knew that I needed to hop on that before it got too late. I've never actually washed my own hair before and I wasn't looking forward to it. I followed my mom's instructions exactly. I split my hair into four sections and then washed them in the sink. I was dripping everywhere. I finished washing and then started to blow dry the buns. I put the blow dryer on high and started working. I left it on one bun for a little too long and a patch of my hair turned brown! Did I melt my hair like I melted my makeup brush?! I'm never taking my hairdresser for granted ever again. He's a miracle worker. I finished drying my hair and then took a shower.
I opened my See's candy box to reward myself and ended up eating two pieces of candy. I should have learned by now that I can't stop eating candy after I've started. I then grabbed a chewy caramel and got into bed to edit my histories paper. I'm starting to think that it sucks. Me and my emotional roller coaster that is paper writing! I finished that after half an hour and then watched an episode of people's court. I didn't feel tired when I started, but now I can't keep my eyes open. It's definitely time for bed. Its been a long day.
No comments:
Post a Comment