I wrote this title without a translator, so I hope it's correct. French 102 better have been good for something. This first Paris post won't be very long, but I wanted to split the posts according to days not only to lighten the reading in one go, but also so I could whip this first one up quickly... (lots of homework this spring break, unfortunately). My family flew to visit me in Belgium during the first half of spring break and we had planned to drive to Paris from Leuven for the Easter weekend (March 26th and 27th). The trip overall went by far too quickly and I will definitely have to go back in my lifetime. I'll be experiencing Paris in a new way through these pictures, because I was frustratingly very sick during this trip. It was hard for me to concentrate on being in the beautiful city of Paris when my body was betraying me :(
Anyways, this post will cover our day 1 excursions to the Château de Versailles and Eiffel Tower with an evening illumination cruise along the Seine to top it all off.
Friendly warning: if you plan to see Versailles, then plan to wait in a standing line amongst a sea of people for 2+ hours. It was slightly brutal. But as a European Union student my admission was free, so that sort of made up for it. What totally made up for it, though, was the palace itself. As much as I'd love to give you the historical lowdown and fun facts for every photo, I just don't have the mental alertness or ability right now, so enjoy the visuals!
One of the areas blocked off from visitors - makes for a clean photo.
I wasn't going to leave this post totally blank; so I'll give the palace an introduction. It at least deserves that. What is now a grand château once began as Louis XIII’s hunting lodge. His son, Louis XIV, later completely transformed and expanded it, also moving the court and government of France here in 1682. Three French kings have since lived here leading up to the French Revolution and added improvements to make it more and more extravagant.
The Bust of King Louis XIV is completely made of marble and was sculpted by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1665. This sculptural portrait has even been considered by many experts as the baroque age's grandest piece of portraiture.
Louis XIV moved his chambers to this room so that he could wake up facing the rising sun. In 1715 he died in this room after reining for 72 years (democracy isn't perfect, but at least our leaders don't stick around for 72 years and spend the country's money on feathered bedposts).
The Hall of Mirrors, or The Grande Galerie (as it was called in the 17th ce.), acted as a day-to-day passageway and waiting/meeting place. It was frequently visited by both courtiers and the public. Can you imagine this being your "hallway"? Crazy. Every metre of this room was made to gloriously exhibit France's political, economic and artistic success. There are thirty paintings on the ceiling that illustrate Louis XIV's first eighteen years in government. Mirrors at the time were very luxurious objects and this room is absolutely covered in them. Louis XIV sure wasn't a humble guy when it came to interior design.
Versailles has so much more to offer than just the Palace itself, but if your time isn't endless then the Palace is definitely a worthwhile sight to choose. I would love to go back for a full day in the future to see the gardens, The Grand Trianon, and Marie-Antoinette's estate.
Next, we drove to Paris and found our hotel. We then navigated the city's metro system to get to Paris' main iconic attraction - The Eiffel Tower.
I remember telling my brother how I was oddly blown away by just how massive the Eiffel Tower is (984 feet, to be exact). I'm not sure why, but I was expecting to be slightly let down by the hype - but no, this landmark lives up to the fame and more. The tower was lit up with the colours of the Belgian flag as a sign of solidarity following the recent terror attacks in Brussels.
The day ended with a lovely night cruise on the Seine river. Again, I would've unfortunately enjoyed it much more if I wasn't sick (and I think the same goes for the people who sat near me). However, looking at these photos reminds me just how beautiful it was. I would definitely recommend a river cruise to see many points of interest without having to walk and navigate.
I hope you enjoyed this post all about my first day in Paris. Part 2 featuring the Louvre museum and Notre Dame Cathedral will be coming at some point, I promise. Thanks for reading :)
Anyways, this post will cover our day 1 excursions to the Château de Versailles and Eiffel Tower with an evening illumination cruise along the Seine to top it all off.
Friendly warning: if you plan to see Versailles, then plan to wait in a standing line amongst a sea of people for 2+ hours. It was slightly brutal. But as a European Union student my admission was free, so that sort of made up for it. What totally made up for it, though, was the palace itself. As much as I'd love to give you the historical lowdown and fun facts for every photo, I just don't have the mental alertness or ability right now, so enjoy the visuals!
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part un
One of the areas blocked off from visitors - makes for a clean photo.I wasn't going to leave this post totally blank; so I'll give the palace an introduction. It at least deserves that. What is now a grand château once began as Louis XIII’s hunting lodge. His son, Louis XIV, later completely transformed and expanded it, also moving the court and government of France here in 1682. Three French kings have since lived here leading up to the French Revolution and added improvements to make it more and more extravagant.
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part deux
Also, some beautiful doors of Versailles. This place is unreal.
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part trois
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part quatre
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part cinq
The Bust of King Louis XIV is completely made of marble and was sculpted by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1665. This sculptural portrait has even been considered by many experts as the baroque age's grandest piece of portraiture.
Louis XIV moved his chambers to this room so that he could wake up facing the rising sun. In 1715 he died in this room after reining for 72 years (democracy isn't perfect, but at least our leaders don't stick around for 72 years and spend the country's money on feathered bedposts).
The Hall of Mirrors, or The Grande Galerie (as it was called in the 17th ce.), acted as a day-to-day passageway and waiting/meeting place. It was frequently visited by both courtiers and the public. Can you imagine this being your "hallway"? Crazy. Every metre of this room was made to gloriously exhibit France's political, economic and artistic success. There are thirty paintings on the ceiling that illustrate Louis XIV's first eighteen years in government. Mirrors at the time were very luxurious objects and this room is absolutely covered in them. Louis XIV sure wasn't a humble guy when it came to interior design.
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part six
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part sept
The Galerie des Batailles (Gallery of Battles) is a 120 metre long gallery on the Palace's first floor.
As you probably guessed, it's a gallery full of paintings of battles.
Beautiful ceilings of Versailles part huit
Versailles has so much more to offer than just the Palace itself, but if your time isn't endless then the Palace is definitely a worthwhile sight to choose. I would love to go back for a full day in the future to see the gardens, The Grand Trianon, and Marie-Antoinette's estate.
Next, we drove to Paris and found our hotel. We then navigated the city's metro system to get to Paris' main iconic attraction - The Eiffel Tower.
I remember telling my brother how I was oddly blown away by just how massive the Eiffel Tower is (984 feet, to be exact). I'm not sure why, but I was expecting to be slightly let down by the hype - but no, this landmark lives up to the fame and more. The tower was lit up with the colours of the Belgian flag as a sign of solidarity following the recent terror attacks in Brussels.
Cheesin' with my parents in Paris.
The day ended with a lovely night cruise on the Seine river. Again, I would've unfortunately enjoyed it much more if I wasn't sick (and I think the same goes for the people who sat near me). However, looking at these photos reminds me just how beautiful it was. I would definitely recommend a river cruise to see many points of interest without having to walk and navigate.
The Orsay Museum
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
- Alexandra
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