Before arrival, we bought tickets for Versailles, but the queue for those with tickets still took half an hour. It was a very cold day, but we had layers of clothes and gloves. Opulance and extravagance are the words of today, along with kilometres of parklands, fountains and statuary. An amazing place, huge paintings, ceiling murals, gold leaf and decoration everywhere, marble floors, columns and fire pl
aces, exqusite furniture etc. We left home at 8.30 am and returned at 6.30 pm _ a looooong day. Delicious fettucine and prawns in tomato sauce with a nice vin blanc for lunch - very posh and a bit extravagent. Crepe and tea in the afternoon. Egg on toast for tea.
aces, exqusite furniture etc. We left home at 8.30 am and returned at 6.30 pm _ a looooong day. Delicious fettucine and prawns in tomato sauce with a nice vin blanc for lunch - very posh and a bit extravagent. Crepe and tea in the afternoon. Egg on toast for tea.5th May Another Chateau 
Thinking we had plenty of time to get to Asterlitz station, we found we had to run for our train! An hour and a half later we just caught a shuttle bus from Blois station to the fairy tale Chateau Chambord. The roofscape is unbelievable, with many, many spires, turrets and roofs. The king kept changing his mind about what he wanted. The architects and builders must have torn out their hair with frustration. But this is a beautiful place - between Versailles and Chambord, I think we have seen the most opulant interior and the most inticate exterior possible.
Thinking we had plenty of time to get to Asterlitz station, we found we had to run for our train! An hour and a half later we just caught a shuttle bus from Blois station to the fairy tale Chateau Chambord. The roofscape is unbelievable, with many, many spires, turrets and roofs. The king kept changing his mind about what he wanted. The architects and builders must have torn out their hair with frustration. But this is a beautiful place - between Versailles and Chambord, I think we have seen the most opulant interior and the most inticate exterior possible.
6th May Notre Dame
The cathedral is on the main island in the Seine, the centre of the old city and it is a most beautiful setting. Walking to the rear, we approached from its garden where there is a lovely old tamarisk. I keep seeing them in France having found them in the Sahara, planted to slow the encroaching sands. Alison had one at Ratho in Flinders and now I am sure I would like one. Notre Dame was busy but not unmanageable and from there we walked to The Louvre. I had seen an ad for a Russian exhibition which turned out to be excellent. The icons were numerous and varied, there were jewelled chalices, jewelled embroideries, models of chapels and other buildings, and other fabulous items. After lunch I focussed on paintings - Italian first
- wonderful. Then I went on to French, Dutch and Flemish masters. It was wonderful to see so many works and artists that I recognised - Leonardo, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velasquez, Goya, El Greco, Gainsborough, Van Dyck ......
Giverny tomorrow - I am in my element!
It has been awful not having access to internet for so long. It is actually 12th May today and I am only up to 7th - it will have to wait.
Cheers all, Sue
The cathedral is on the main island in the Seine, the centre of the old city and it is a most beautiful setting. Walking to the rear, we approached from its garden where there is a lovely old tamarisk. I keep seeing them in France having found them in the Sahara, planted to slow the encroaching sands. Alison had one at Ratho in Flinders and now I am sure I would like one. Notre Dame was busy but not unmanageable and from there we walked to The Louvre. I had seen an ad for a Russian exhibition which turned out to be excellent. The icons were numerous and varied, there were jewelled chalices, jewelled embroideries, models of chapels and other buildings, and other fabulous items. After lunch I focussed on paintings - Italian first
- wonderful. Then I went on to French, Dutch and Flemish masters. It was wonderful to see so many works and artists that I recognised - Leonardo, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velasquez, Goya, El Greco, Gainsborough, Van Dyck ......Giverny tomorrow - I am in my element!
It has been awful not having access to internet for so long. It is actually 12th May today and I am only up to 7th - it will have to wait.
Cheers all, Sue
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