Day three saw us head 45 minutes out of Paris to the Sun King's opulent palace at Versailles. Walking up to the Palace from the train station you appreciate you are entering another world with the broad and dramatic incline leading you up to the Palace. Paul's advice to book our tickets online the night before paid off as we did not have to queue in the drizzle, instead heading for the entrance and waiting only a few minutes before being ushered through the security checkpoint and into the forecourt of the Palace. As with many of the monuments throughout Europe maintenance and refurbishment projects are continually taking place. And so it was here at Versailles where a replica inner wall and golden gate had been reinstalled since Mark's last visit. We entered into the wing of the Palace that houses the royal apartments and the Chapel. The glimpse through the Chapel door brings home the realisation that no cost had been spared in the construction of this space to align Louis XIV with the Almighty. Opposite the door to the Chapel we picked up our audio guides that did a great job of taking you back in time as an aristocrat who had come to the Palace to seek a glimpse of the Sun King.
We then joined the crowds and filtered through the apartments at times shoulder to shoulder to pass through the various rooms where noblemen and emissaries would seek audiences with the Sun King. Then it was into the famous Hall of Mirrors with its painted ceilings and views out the windows to the garden, canal and extensive estate that spreads out below the Chateau. Sarah was interested to see this space having studied the Treaty of Versailles in her History degree. It always brings a greater level of understanding to be able to walk in the place where these events of history have taken place and experience them first hand.
Off the Hall of Mirrors at the centre of the Palace and facing the rising sun we entered the King's bedroom that was furnished with gold everywhere. In here you really get the picture of how over the top it all is. We then circled round through the Hall of Mirrors again before entering the Queen's chambers that were lavishly adorned as well. At the end of this wing was a room with three massive paintings of Napoleon and marked the start of Museum to France's history which contained a hall of greater length to the Hall of Mirrors that had paintings of all France's great military battles through the centuries.
Following these epic pictures we headed outside to the gardens and wandered down to Mary Antionette's escapist Hamlet down at the bottom of the estate built in a medieval theme. It was great to get away from the crowds down here and spend some time wandering and imagining ourselves back in time.
Back in Paris we headed for Angelina's for one of their famous chocolat chaud only to find the queue cousin Jan had warned us of was halfway down the block. So we decided to hunt out something nearby. Landing on a Japanese joint just off Rue de Trivoli we were able to refuel our engines. Sarah opted for a donburi while Mark selected a ramen. Later that evening Mark was to regret that decision. Following the late lunch we took in another church, Saint Roch, which just happened to be nearby. Then it was time for some desert and what better to fill the gap than a chocolat crèpe, yum. We travelled on foot over to the Left Bank and passed Saint Germain des Pres in search of Saint Sulpice where we thought we might be able to make it in time for 7pm mass. We enjoyed the walk and stumbling upon a street of art galleries and funky design shops. We made it to Saint Sulpice in good time and loved the fountain lit beautiful in the square in front of the church. Despite the language barrier we were able to follow (Sarah better than Mark) the order of mass and the highlight for both of us was passing the peace where smiles bridged the language inadequacies. Sarah received Holy Communion and Mark received a blessing from a young priest. It was quite an experience attending mass with no more than forty people in a small chapel within a huge church. Certainly a mass to remember.
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