Tuesday, March 17th, 2015
Versailles is my favorite place in the world. I could have spent the entire day (or week, or month for that matter) exploring it. I particularly love the grounds, gardens and smaller castles/ the mill. I love seeing sites like Versailles because it helps me to understand the context of certain historical situations when I can physically see where they occurred. Seeing the beautiful, gaudy opulence of the castles of Versailles puts me in the shoes of Marie Antoinette and the isolation of the monarchy. I can see how it might be difficult to empathize with the people of France when living in such wealth. This also helps me to understand the outrage French commoners felt that led to the Revolution. The Hall of Mirrors and main chateau put me in the setting of the Treaty of Versailles.
The range of reactions I noticed was incredibly vast, from tourist groups taking pictures of every inch of the castles and selfies with every member of their group to local people running around on the grounds of Versailles like they were at just any park. I wonder how long it takes for the palace to seem like just a normal part of life, because for me, it is unforgettable and awe-inspiring at every turn. Speaking of unforgettable, our next stop was the Eiffel Tower. For some reason, the image I had in my head of the Eiffel Tower had the tower painted black or gray. I was shocked to realize that the Tower is actually brown. Once I got over the color of the tower, I started to take in just how immense it is. I don’t think its possible to grasp what an architectural feat it is until you are standing underneath it. I marveled at how it was ever supposed to be a temporary structure erected for the World’s Fair. Going up the tower showed us the most complete view of the beautiful city. However, few people around us seemed to be speaking French, as it is such a large international tourist site. Next was the bateau mouche. This was incredible. I was very impressed by the guide, who confidently spoke a multitude of languages. This speaking of multiple languages seems to be much more common than in America. It was fascinating to see how Parisians think others view them, and how they view themselves. I loved going under the bridges we had learned about. I felt like a part of history. I also loved how many of the facts were things I had never heard, or about buildings I never would have noticed. Dinner at l’hippopotum was very fun. This, though the quirky, reminded me more of an American restaurant than anything we had experienced so far. After dinner, we went to a pub to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Coming from a from a very Irish family (My mom’s maiden name is McCarthy and my brother’s name is Patrick J ), I expected somewhat more of a celebration throughout the city. We had to look to find something still open, as most stores tend to close much earlier in Paris than America. However, as a previous Irish dancer, I made sure we found somewhere to celebrate the holiday.
The range of reactions I noticed was incredibly vast, from tourist groups taking pictures of every inch of the castles and selfies with every member of their group to local people running around on the grounds of Versailles like they were at just any park. I wonder how long it takes for the palace to seem like just a normal part of life, because for me, it is unforgettable and awe-inspiring at every turn. Speaking of unforgettable, our next stop was the Eiffel Tower. For some reason, the image I had in my head of the Eiffel Tower had the tower painted black or gray. I was shocked to realize that the Tower is actually brown. Once I got over the color of the tower, I started to take in just how immense it is. I don’t think its possible to grasp what an architectural feat it is until you are standing underneath it. I marveled at how it was ever supposed to be a temporary structure erected for the World’s Fair. Going up the tower showed us the most complete view of the beautiful city. However, few people around us seemed to be speaking French, as it is such a large international tourist site. Next was the bateau mouche. This was incredible. I was very impressed by the guide, who confidently spoke a multitude of languages. This speaking of multiple languages seems to be much more common than in America. It was fascinating to see how Parisians think others view them, and how they view themselves. I loved going under the bridges we had learned about. I felt like a part of history. I also loved how many of the facts were things I had never heard, or about buildings I never would have noticed. Dinner at l’hippopotum was very fun. This, though the quirky, reminded me more of an American restaurant than anything we had experienced so far. After dinner, we went to a pub to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Coming from a from a very Irish family (My mom’s maiden name is McCarthy and my brother’s name is Patrick J ), I expected somewhat more of a celebration throughout the city. We had to look to find something still open, as most stores tend to close much earlier in Paris than America. However, as a previous Irish dancer, I made sure we found somewhere to celebrate the holiday.