Forget Paris Says John...(as for the Billy Crystal movie, I have no review)

Why the title?  I mean we love Paris, right?  Read on…

 

     Versailles, is the granddaddy of all palaces, nothing else compares to its grandeur and over-the-top opulence…SERIOUSLY!  

     It was the residence of the French king and the cultural heartbeat of Europe for about 100 years — until the Revolution of 1789 ended the notion that God deputized some people to rule for him on Earth.

     Louis XIV (the self proclaimed “sun king”) spent half a year's income of Europe's richest country turning his dad's hunting lodge into a palace fit for a divine monarch.   

The French crown jewels on display.

     This room, called the Hall of Mirrors is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919 to end World War I.

     He expertly used the palace to “entertain” the nobles by distracting them with opulent parties and endless activities so he could rule unchallenged by ANYONE.  He lived for 76 years, very old in the 17-18^th century.      

Louis XVI's bed chamber.

Marie Antoinette's bed chamber.

     Louis XV and Louis XVI (married to Marie Antoinette, and sent to the guillotine with her in 1793) spent much of the 18th century gilding it.  In 1837, about 50 years after the royal family was evicted, King Louis Philippe opened the palace as a museum. Europe's next-best palaces are just Versailles wannabes - truly!

     The gardens at Versailles are exquisite!  The Mall in Washington DC is patterned after the design of the pond and gardens here.  Look closely at the top picture and you will see the similarities.  An entire day or more should be spent in the gardens alone.  

Goodbye Versailles!

John:        "Paris was an enigma for me. It had beautiful museums and churches and palaces to visit, but the city itself was crowded, dirty, and just a bit on the sketchy side. I really enjoyed seeing the Louvre and all of its beautiful masterpieces. My favorites were the Wedding at Cannae and the painting of Napoleon’s Coronation. I also enjoyed seeing Roman and Greek statues I had previously only seen in history books.

     Versailles was lovely and it was interesting to see the power and opulence the Bourbon dynasty had at their fingers. The food was lovely of course, except for the mussels in cream, which I did not prefer. The pastries were far and away the best food there!

John meets his meat match, and loses.

       Shakespeare and Company bookstore was a fun eclectic romp through the Lost Generation’s old stomping grounds and beautiful old books. I bought a copy of The Great Gatsby there, with the coveted Shakespeare and Company stamp!

I also loved Notre Dame and Saint Chappelle, two of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. And I also basked in Napoleon’s self-importance and arrogance at his Arc de Triomphe, enjoying the beautiful view. And the Eiffel Tower was bigger than I thought, but I still was underwhelmed. It is just a giant steel pillar, after all.

Finally, on the way to the train station leaving Paris, I was pickpocketed and lost my iPod. Yeah, pretty sketchy place. And don’t even get me started on the pushy African trinket salesmen. But overall, Paris was a pretty interesting place."