Day 2, Part 1: Paris- Versailles

I went to sleep at 3:30 am, but somehow I managed to get up at 7 am... European Jackie is really motivated, I guess. I wanted to get to Versailles by 8:30, a half hour before it opened, because I heard the lines can get pretty long and unbearable. The Paris train system threw a wrench in my plans and re-routed me, costing me a half an hour, but I still got to Versailles at about 9. Yay! Short lines! And it was amazing, totally worth it. I spent most of the day there and I still can't get over how beautiful it was. First, the palace. I especially liked the rooms where the walls and curtains were the exact same color and pattern of velvet damask. Oh Louis XIV, what fashion sense you had. PS I might have a little crush on Louis now, he sounds like a stud. Anyway, the Hall of Mirrors was obviously amazing but my favorite part of the palace was the Queen's wing. I really dug Marie Antoinette's flowery bedroom. Also, I want a chandelier (or seven).


























































































Whew! Lots of gold and crystals. Stark contrast to the gardens that followed, but I loved them both!


































                    



















































It was about 11:30 by the time I got through the gardens and to the Grand Trianon, where you can explore Marie Antoinette's estate when it opens at noon. So I bought a sandwich with fromage (cheese), a coca cola light, and parked on a bench for a little while. I didn't know this in advance, but there was a special exhibit on 18th century French fashion as interpreted by modern designers. This made my day... My week... My year... A.MAZ.ING.

First, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN!!! I've been a fan for awhile but became diehard last weekend when I saw his exhibit at the Met in NYC. Here's a piece he did when he was with Givenchy:








Vivienne Westwood:





Chanel:






Christian Dior:





Jean Paul Gaultier:






Christian Lacroix:





So pretty. I was a pretty happy camper by that point, but Marie Antoinette had even more in store for me. The Petit Trianon was where she spent a lot of her time, which was a smaller version of the Grand Trianon, which was a smaller version of the main Chateau. Apparently, the Chateau at Versailles was developed as an escape from Paris, then the Grand Trianon was an escape from the Chateau. So the Petit was another escape, and even included a private theater where Marie and her friends would act out plays...























































...but then eventually that wasn't "escapey" enough for Marie Antoinette so she had a little village built for herself. And I'm not judging, because I am uber jealous. Look at this thing! I could have stayed all day. A farm, a hamlet, a mill, lilypads, gardens... What else do you need?














































































































After a long walk back to the main palace, I caught the train back to Paris in hopes that I could make it back in time to see the Orsay museum... But it wasn't meant to be. More on that in the next post!

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