Château de Versailles

Bonjour!

Today my 5 roommates and I woke up early and set off for our first out-of-paris adventure: Versailles. I have learned about the palace in numerous history and art classes, but never imagined I would ever get the chance to walk past the golden gates and through the hall of mirrors. We have definitely become metro-pros and were able to stare at our living room wall map for a few minutes last night to determine the right lines and stops to take to make it to Versailles. Leaving the city and taking the RER today gave us the opportunity to see suburban life, which is very different from the city. It is interesting how NYC and  Paris are so different in that aspect. In New York the migration away from the city into larger homes was reserved for the upper classes, but for the French, to live in the heart of Paris (despite the tiny tiny apartments) is preferred, and living in the suburbs is more for the lower classes. We got off the train and followed the crowd down a beautiful street until we saw the grand palace. It is grand to say the least. Of course now there is a town built up around the main grounds, but it is crazy to think that where there are now stores and shops and yes, even a Starbucks, it used to be entirely the royal family's domain. Thanks to our CEA "art student ID" we were all able to get in for free, and we got free audio head sets which was great because each room had a number you could enter into the guide and then hear about the various paintings, furniture, and room uses. I was asked by an American tourist in very poor french to take a picture of her and her husband- I love being mistaken for something other than American! After exploring all the rooms we went to a pretty restaurant located in the palace that was decorated in an odd modern design that definitely did not go with the palace's interior. I bought a couple postcards to add to my future scrapbook and then we walked back to the RER, cold and tired, but certainly happy we had made the trip. We all decided that since Versaille is so close we would plan on a trip again in the spring when the gardens are full of flowers and we can spend more time outside. That's all for now- just going to relax, maybe do some reading for class, and then cook dinner before going out at night. 

Bisou,

Lauren Jill