More Visitors & Fontainebleau

So much has happened in the past two weeks! Two Sundays ago, I ventured out to the market at Porte de Clignancourt, which is really cool when you venture deep into it. At the front there are lots of stands selling pretty generic stuff, but once you venture in there are some pretty classy (& pricey) antique shops.

You can buy a carousel here!

& of course the classiest store on the block had the classiest name on the block

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of more visitors! This round it was my mom and Greg. With no classes on Wednesday, we headed over to Versailles. Now I must say to anyone who has visited Versailles in tourist season: you are basically a saint to me. It was worth it to see the gardens bloomed, but i'm not exactly a fan of long lines (seriously worst than disney somehow) & tops of strangers' heads in all of your pictures. When we first arrived (& I'm sure those of you who have spoken to my mom have already heard this story) I got into my first tête à tête with a french cashier when she decided to question my visa/student status. So we may have ended up waiting a little longer than necessary when I refused to buy it from her, but it was worth it cause I am now officially sassy in two languages. The Palace was amazing, but I would have to say my favourite part was without a doubt Marie Antoinette's Hameau. The Queen built her own adorable little country village after Rousseau's belief that getting back to nature was good for the soul. It was by far the most impressive part of Versailles; complete with its own windmill, dairy farm, & buildings with tulips on the roofs!  

(Post Mom's Visit: An Attempt to Dry Laundry)

I am not quite sure how this picture was managed with no one else in the background!

Royal Chapel

I'll be honest, this reminded me of Reese...

Thrones

Hall of Mirrors

King's Bedchambers

Elephant Saddle in the Hall of Mirrors

Queen's Bedchambers (i want/need to move here)

In case you need a throne on the go, Versailles has them

Huge Paintings & Large Crowds: Versailles has 'em

Mom & Greg

Grand Trinon

Grand Trinon

Grand Trinon

Grand Trinon

Grand Trinon

Temple of Love

Temple of Love

Temple of Love

Temple of Love

Marie Antoinette's Hameau 

Marie Antoinette's Hameau 

Marie Antoinette's Hameau 

Marie Antoinette's Hameau 

Marie Antoinette's Hameau 

Marie Antoinette's Hameau 

Tulips on the roof!

Pretending to live there

Marie Antoinette's Ferme @ her Hameau 

So many hidden discoveries at Versailles!

Grand Trinon

Colonnade Grove

Ballroom

The next day, I woke up early to meet at 10 for the opening of the Catacombs to beat the lines. Unfortunately, it seems other people know about these lines, but being there on time reduced our wait to only an hour and a half (my patience was tested much this week). Anyways, afterwards we picnicked in the Luxembourg Gardens, before I had to run off to class.

On Friday, we once again started the day with the dead, and went to the Pantheon. We went to the top for an awesome view before heading down to see the crypts. Afterwards, we went to St. Etienne du Mont, whose rood screen I wrote about before, and was in use for Good Friday. (not to mention every cross in the whole church was covered) Then we walked over to Notre Dame where literally hundreds of people were lining up to kiss the cross of thorns. Considering we were on a roll with churches, I then took the fam to see my personal favourite church in Paris: the Sainte Chapelle. Which was great to see again, and made me have an even greater appreciation for Paris in the winter time (aka tourist free). In the afternoon, we took a boat tour on the Seine before finishing the day up with a trip to the Louvre.

Climbing up the Pantheon!

View from the top!

Voltaire's Grave

Marie Curie's Grave

Louis Braille's Grave

Victor Hugo's Grave

Rood Screen in use at St. Etienne du Mont

Kinda Creepy..

Crown of Thorns

St. Chapelle

St. Chapelle

St. Chapelle

Boat Tour: Mom & Greg

On Mom & Greg's last full day here, we decide to spend it in my favourite neighborhood: Montmartre! Again, it was way more crowded than I am used to, but it was so nice to share my favourite neighborhood in Paris with the fam. Plus! I got my portrait done  in the little square behind Sacre Couer.

My new favourite French drink: a Monaco

Portrait Drawin'

Photography by Mom

Still goin' strong 30 minutes into a portrait that was sold at 10 minutes

No sign of stopping soon

Only way to survive 

20 minutes later

Probably another 20 minutes later

almooooooooost thereeeeeeeeee

Fin!

Sunday the fam was gone, but I had a perfect easter with mimosas and a beautiful array of pastries on the Champs de Mars with some friends. Then yesterday we went exploring Chateau de Fontainebleau, which has been around for 8 centuriesof French Kings! It was used as a hunting chateau and was where Napolean signed over his empire and bid "adieu" to his troops.

Easter Picnic!

Foret de Fontainebleau

Foret de Fontainebleau

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Grands Appartements

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Grands Appartements

Grands Apparements

Trinity Chapel

Galerie de Francois I

Francois's salamander emblem

Perhaps the Most Beautiful French Wood Beamed Ceilings

More Awesome Ceilings

Dome

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Gallery of Diana (this holds 16,000 volumes from Napoleon's original library)

Napolean's Throne Room (only one left in France that still has its original furnishings!)

Chateau de Fontainebleau

Trinity Chapel

Another good couple of weeks, it's so hard to believe I have less than a month here. Expect lots of updates as I will be trying to cram so much stuff that I have left to do in the last month!