Before I even get to my leisurely Sunday, here is the chronicle of my week with Mom & Mary. For the record, Mary has been a dear friend of my Mom's since their good old days at Haverhill High. Go Hillies! Okay, let's begin.
This week involved a lot of laughter, fun, and free meals for myself. I easily saved money on dinner, so points for me.
Sunday & Monday we had dinner; Monday I showed them the Latin Quarter, they met the ladies at the AIFS office plus a bunch of the other students. We had the BEST lunch at Le Soufflot Café, and my meal of a croque -madame was divine.
Tuesday was very special. My dear host family had the two of them over for drinks, and we had a ball. Before I showed the two the view of Paris from the park, and they fell in love with the house I'm living in! My host dad, my God he is a Renaissance man: He knows multiple languages, plays piano, is incredibly intelligent, descended from aristocracy and conductors. And this is all 1 person! We had a delicious bottle of wine and snacks, plus he let me play their piano and I gave a little concert for all. My song of choice? Someone To Watch Over Me. Gershwin never goes out of style folks. That evening remains as perhaps the best night I've had here.
Wednesday & Thursday we only chatted; those were my busiest days, so the two M's explored more of Paris. Friday night we met for dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant near their hotel. We had planned for Saturday, we would go to Versailles!! Again!
Now, what I loved was that we went this company that picks you up from your hotels; the driving fee plus tickets are included. This included a ticket for the Fountain Show; basically the Fountains of Versailles are turned out for 2.5 hours, and you listen to classical music as they go. Not bad.
Now, I had already seen the chateau; my goal was to visit Le Hameau de la Reine, The Queen's Hamlet. The queen in question? Miss Marie Antoinette herself. She had constructed a makeshift country village complete with farm animals. She and her ladies played dress-up while French people starved. Yes, not the most smart thing.
So, in order to get there, I *shudder* power-walked through the chateau. I can't believe it either. And then I power-walked to the grounds. First off, the grounds of Versailles are breathtaking, I think more impressive than the chateau.
As I was walking the driveway to the Petit Trianon (on the grounds), tall trees in shades of yellow lined the walkway. I somehow felt a peace and relaxation, I felt miles away from Versailles and the crowds. Soon I found myself getting into the psychology of Marie Antoinette. Once I got through the PT (for free with my student ID, YES!) I came upon these grounds of twisting paths and lovely plants.
And then, after some twists and turns, I came upon the Queen's Hamlet. And no wonder she had this built. It's one of the most adorable places I've ever seen. Little thatched cottages, vine covered archways, little vineyards. Plus, crows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, swans, all just having a blast. And I had a giant smile on my face the whole time. I was having so much fun, and you could imagine Marie Antoinette playing milkmaid on a sunny day, thrilled to be away from the intrigue of Versailles, along with the many people who really disliked her and borderline hated her. And that's just from the French aristocracy.
I felt so sorry for her. A bride before she was 16, motherhood soon after. And then, dead at 37. Yikes.
Saturday night we were looking for a special restaurant that does chicken apparently very well. But, due to the freak thunderstorm, we ate at Le Notre Dame. My roasted chicken was heavenly, and the crème brûlée was the perfect finish.
After a little shopping on the Champs-Élysées, we had to say our goodbyes. Those are never fun. But I'm just so happy they came. We were able to catch up, and I got share Paris with them! They had such fun; and why shouldn't they? How you not have fun with one of your best friends in Paris, France?
No comments:
Post a Comment