Paris ~ Versailles
Family time
We were all looking forward to being local for a week after our busy couple of weeks of travel.
Aisling practicing a few of her dance moves in the living room and Charles working on a new Lego mindstorms racing car.
Out and around the town, the spring weather was alternating between sun and drizzle.
Trusty Harry Potter wand in hand in case of any trouble.
Aisling and Simon’s latest game was finger sculpture imitation.
First person makes a sculpture with their fingers, other person has to copy it exactly. Surprisingly hard!
Aisling delighted with her creations…
And sometimes the most fun is just staying home, playing dress-ups and building cubby houses in the bedroom.
Monge, Boules, Contrescarpe
This week, we headed off to check out the flea markets at Place Monge.
For the vegetarian in your life, this may be the perfect place to find that special gift!
Perhaps a custom pair of salad tongs?
Charles and Aisling checking out the wares…
You name it, we have it:
After checking out the markets we wandered up to the picturesque Place de la Contrescarpe.
Lovely little square popular with tourists for interesting shops and markets nearby.
Nice choice for a spot of lunch 🙂
After lunch, we stopped by les arènes de Lutèce, the old Roman amphitheatre.
Not quite the gladiatorial contests of old; nowadays once or twice a week it becomes the centre of the boules scene in paris, with a boulapalooza from end to end on the sand.
Seems boules is still very much a man’s game, not a woman in sight…
Foire de Paris
This week was also the Foire de Paris. For those not already in the know, the Foire de Paris is the biggest fair event in Europe, with more than 3,500 exhibitors on everything from food to design. It has been on the go for more than 110 years…
Niamh ventured out to check it out! Vast hectares of design displays, interspersed with most things you can imagine.
Want a frolic in an adult-sized foam ball pit?
No problem
Niamh in parmesan and cured meat heaven…
And of course what would any fair anywhere in the world be without a good gadget hawker?
Been a bit disappointed with how your toilet brush is working?
You’re in luck. Finally a miracle of science has come to the rescue with “Le frottoir WC magique”!
Playdate
Simon and Aisling meanwhile headed out for a playdate in the champ de mars.
Beautiful day, but we still had the place largely to ourselves.
Exploring with Maggie
Big news of the week was that Niamh’s sister Maggie had come to visit from Ireland for 4 days.
Kids delighted to have some time with their auntie.
Weather was looking good, so Niamh, Maggie and kids fired out into Paris for some exploration.
First stop Luxembourg gardens. Strolling around the gardens, ponds and fountains in the sun…
Versailles
Saturday was another beautiful day, and in a move that was either brave or reckless, we decided to head out to Versailles…
…along with a few hundred thousand of our closest friends!
Impressive lines snaking up and down the massive cobblestoned square in front of the palace already by early morning.
Aisling was taking everything in an impressively meditative stride.
And in fact it was Aisling who came to our rescue. Simon and Aisling went for a play on the side of the chateau while the lines continued to snake.
And up at the top of a little outdoor staircase with no one going up or down, we found a little nondescript door with no one going in or out and a small sign that wasn’t legible until you we right in front of it.
It announced that inside was where to sign up for guided tours.
We pushed the door and went inside, where two friendly ladies were delighted to see us and said that for €10 per adult we could join the tour starting in 10 minutes, skip ahead of the 2000 people in the queue ahead of us, and see the various parts of Versailles closed to the public.
We said … yes!
Off we went with our tour guide prattling rapidly in French as we all tried our best to keep up.
Beautiful day for touring around a royal palace with our auntie…
…Niamh considering adding her profile to the royal collection, as we all explored the twists and turns of the palace.
Kids throwing some shapes in the famous hall of mirrors, and Ailing considering some redecoration ideas for her bedroom.
Styling!
One benefit of the private tour was a chance to visit the royal opera, which isn’t otherwise open.
Built in the 1700s with extraordinary wooden carvings throughout painted to look like marble and an ingenious movable stage that can accommodate extra seating or larger performance space, complete with trompe l’oeil chandeliers all around the gallery.
Niamh and Simon decided to try to find a time to return and see a performance before the end of our stay.
Then it was out into the sprawling gardens in the sun, imagining we’re Marie Antoinette…
The gardens are beautiful and interspersed with fountains of every description, playing to the piped music:
Kids eagerly exploring every secret passageway they could find.
Nice palace and all, but we decided to stick with our little apartment. Too much upkeep, visitors and all, you understand.
Aussie promenading
On the way home got off the metro at Bir Hakeim under the Tour Eiffel to walk the past part home on the Champ de Mars.
Where else does that put you out but on the Promenade d’Australie.
Fine choice of promenade!
Paused for a quick snapshot opposite the Aussie embassy just so we can say we did, followed by some fun on the pelouse beside M. la Perouse.