August 2022 – A Traveling Fool

August 29, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Versailles

I had been to Versailles before (back in 2000). But it is huge, overwhelming, and usually terribly crowded. Also, on this trip in 2021, we would be able to see the private apartments as well as the Opera. Those areas had not been available to Mom and me before. I felt it was worth going a second time.

I had read that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors had dropped from eight million in 2019 to two million in 2020. It seemed to me that either visitorship was up in 2021 or everybody decided to show up the same day we were there. Versailles had the most visitors of any of the places we had been to on our entire Grand France River Cruise.

Since I had been having difficulty with my back (having had surgery just two months earlier for cancer next to my spine), I was using my cane and trying to sit down whenever we needed to stand for any length of time. It wasn’t the walking that was a problem, but the standing still.

At most places we had visited, either there were empty spots to sit or people would rise and make room for me. Not at Versailles. All benches and other seating were full of mostly younger people with no visible signs of a disability. Not a soul was going to get up and allow me to sit. Most looked away and pointedly ignored me. Interesting. This was in the State Rooms. In the Private Apartments, there were much fewer people, but no spaces provided to sit down.

We began our tour with the Private Apartments, entering through the private entrance. The Private Apartments were in the original red brick chateau that Louis XIII built to replace the 1623 hunting lodge in 1631-34. Louis XIV expanded the chateau into a palace and moved the seat of his court and government there in 1682.

The oldest part of the building, with the Private Apartments, had what they called an Enveloppe built around the outside of it starting in the 1660s. This mainly contained the State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors. Both the South and North wings were also added. All of this was mostly completed by the time of Louis XIV’s death in 1715.

From the Private Entrance, we passed through the Room of the King’s Guard before climbing the King’s Staircase. Once we were upstairs in the Private Apartments, the first room we entered was the Antichambre des Chiens. This was where the King’s dogs would sleep at night. The first interior photo with this post shows the entrance to the Clock Room as seen from the Dog’s Room.

The Clock Room has an amazing astronomical clock. The small equestrian statue in the middle of the room is of Louis XV.

The next room we entered was the King’s Private Chamber. This room had a very beautiful and ornate desk (quite different from the one at which I am currently seated). It was the first desk of its type, allowing the King to leave his papers on his desk but keep them away from prying eyes. It was from the balcony of this room where Louis XV (with tears in his eyes) watched Madame de Pompadour’s funeral procession depart from Versailles in 1764.

We passed through a few more rooms and took a look inside of the Bathchamber before entering Louis XVI’s private library. Although these rooms are considered to be small and intimate compared to the State Rooms, this library is still much larger and more ornate than the libraries of most people other than the very wealthy.

The last rooms we visited before heading back downstairs were the Porcelain Dining Room and the Buffet Room. These rooms were for more intimate suppers than the formal dining room. If there were more people than the Porcelain Dining Room could comfortably hold, the men would retreat to the Buffet Room.

Once back downstairs (down the Ambassador’s Staircase), we crossed over to where the Opera was located in the North Wing, passing through the Vestibule of the Chapel (closed for restoration) and the Stone Gallery. Built for the celebration of the 1770 marriage of the future Louis XVI to Marie Antoinette, the Opera had been built almost entirely out of wood (which has better acoustics than other materials) and painted to look like marble. This was the first time I had been able to see it. I thought it was quite beautiful. We were able to sit in the seats while we looked around and listened to our guide.

After our nice leisurely visit to the Opera, we climbed the stairs to the State Apartments. The first one we entered was the Salon of Hercules, followed by the Salon of Abundance, the Salons of Venus, Diana, Mars, Mercury, and Apollo.

At the time, I figured that they just liked naming very large, ornate rooms after Roman gods as I didn’t notice anything in particular in most of these rooms to connect with the particular deity after it was named. But I was also beginning to realize that I wasn’t going to be able to sit down again until I reached the gardens and I was getting a little testy.

The Salon of Hercules had originally been a chapel. It did have a painting involving Hercules on the ceiling, so it was appropriately named. So too was the Salon of Abundance. It had a painting with the title Abundance and Liberality. This room had once been the antechamber for the Cabinet of Curios next door. That room later became a Games Room for Louis XVI.

Actually it turned out that they all had something that did showcase the name of the room. I had to look at the photos later, when I wasn’t so cranky, to see them. The Salon of Venus, which was used for light meals during evening receptions, had a painting with Venus in it.

The main thing that I had noticed in the Salon of Diana, was a bust of Louis XIV by the great Italian sculptor Bernini. I guess I had been blind to the paintings as there were several on the walls and ceiling from the life of the Roman goddess Diana. This room had been used as a billiards room.

The Salon of Mars had a military theme and had been used mainly by the Royal Guards until it was turned into a concert room with platforms on either side of the fireplace for the musicians. The platforms are no longer there.

The Salon of Mercury was the original State Bedchamber of Louis XIV and has a replica of the original bed in it now. The ceiling paintings depict the god Mercury. The original throne room under Louis XIV was the Salon of Apollo with a painting of the Sun Chariot of Apollo in the center of the ceiling.

It is interesting to note that the apartments of Madame de Pompadour (in her days as Louis XV’s mistress) were directly above this line of salons. The King had a private staircase from his private apartments that he could take to reach her rooms. Later in life, when she was no longer the official Chief Royal Mistress, she was still a court favorite and occupied rooms on the ground floor that I believe were in the south wing.

The Salon of War is the last room before the Hall of Mirrors. It celebrates the French victories in the Franco-Dutch War during the time of Louis XIV.

The previous time I had been to Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors had been wall-to-wall people. This time it was possible to see the actual room. It was great to be able to take it all in slowly. On the right were the windows to the gardens, to the left were hidden doors to the King’s Apartments.

Built between 1678 and 1681 on the site of a terrace between the King and Queen’s apartments, the Hall of Mirrors was built to impress. Weddings, balls and diplomatic receptions took place here. This was the room where, during a masked ball, Louis XV met Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson d’Étiolles (who later became Madame de Pompadour). Both the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution, and the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I, were signed in the Hall of Mirrors.

At the other end of the Hall of Mirrors is the Salon of Peace. After zipping through that room as quickly as one could zip while navigating their way around other tourists, we entered Marie Antoinette’s State Bedchamber. This was followed by the Salon des Nobles, the Antechamber of the Grand Couvert (which had a lovely portrait of the Queen and her children), and the Guard Room.

From there we took the Queen’s Staircase down to the ground floor and exited the chateau to visit the gardens. On our previous visit, Mom and I had a fair amount of free time to spend exploring. Instead of the gardens, we walked down to the Grand Trianon, the Petite Trianon, and the Hamlet, spending our time touring all of them. This time with a much shorter period of free time and an included ticket to the gardens, I did that.

Looking at the ground and first floor plans of Versailles, I realize that there is still so much that I haven’t seen. There are the Dauphin (Crown Prince) and Dauphine (Crown Princess) apartments as well as the Queen’s Private Apartments, the Hall of Battles, the 1792 Room, the Old Wing, the Gilded Cabinet, apartments of various courtiers and the Captain of the Guard, plus numerous other chambers and salons. I wonder how much of that could be seen with the right tour or pass.

Next time — Paris

August 14, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Josephine’s Malmaison

Our morning excursion choices were to visit either Auvers-sur-Oise or Malmaison. I had been to Auvers-sur-Oise on an earlier trip to France. This was where Vincent van Gogh had lived out the last couple of months of his life. He painted several paintings while there. Placards showing the paintings stand near the locations where van Gogh painted them.

It is believed that van Gogh died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest nearly 30 hours after the shot was fired. He walked back to his room at the Auberge Ravoux where he died. When we were there, Mom and I walked from the field where he had supposedly shot himself to the Auberge Ravoux and climbed the stairs to his room. It seemed a long walk to us, especially for someone who was dying.

The Auberge Ravoux is now a restaurant. Although no furniture remains in van Gogh’s room, it has been preserved as it was when he died and is worth a visit. The church that Vincent painted is also where he and his brother Theo are buried. Theo died only six months after his brother. Vincent was only 37 when he died.

Malmaison was purchased by Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife, Josephine, in 1799. At the time, it was rather run down, needing extensive renovations. It is said that Napoleon was not happy at the large amount of money spent on buying and fixing up the place. But they lived there together until their separation in 1803 and Josephine remained for the rest of her life.

The chateau was famed for its gardens. Josephine’s real name was Rose. So she had numerous types of roses – roughly 250 varieties. The Dahlia flower was actually developed there.

Josephine also had kangaroos, emus, black swans, zebras, sheep, gazelles, ostriches, antelopes, lllamas, and a seal roaming the grounds. Josephine loved her home. I felt that it was fairly cozy and could see why she felt the way she did about it.

After Josephine’s death in 1814, Napoleon did return in 1815 after his defeat at Waterloo and stayed until his exile to Saint Helena.

At the end of a long, garden-lined drive we entered the home and began to explore. The entrance had a exhibition in it, which made it difficult to see the room. But it was easy to tell right away that this was a smaller, more intimate chateau than most I had already seen.

Off to the right was the billiard room, followed by a little antechamber and then the Salon Dore, which was a small state room. The music room, with midnight blue walls and red furniture was next.

To reach the rest of the rooms on this floor, it was necessary to retrace our steps back through the rooms and the entrance hall. The first room we came to on the other side of the entrance hall was the dining room. I loved the salmon-colored walls.

My only photo of the Council Chamber is a bit fuzzy so I didn’t include it here. The room was made to look like a tent. Beyond this room is the library. It is the room that needed the least amount of restoration and is closest to what it originally looked like when Napoleon and Josephine lived there. One of Napoleon’s hats could even be seen in a glass case.

We viewed a bust of Napoleon inside of a side entrance, which was for family and friends. Then we saw Napoleon’s formal bedroom and salon plus a room with the famous “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” painting. Although he really used a donkey, the painting depicted a beautiful horse. Image was all. His formal bedroom also resembled a tent. I managed a good photo of that room.

Josephine’s formal bedroom also looked like a tent and was very grand. We also saw her informal bedroom, her dressing room, and her salon. After this, we went outside to view the beautiful gardens with their Dahlias, roses and other flowers.

There were not a lot of other people at Malmaison with us. That was nice. We were able to have an intimate visit in what had been an intimate home.

Our afternoon visit was where we found the huge crowds, even during the pandemic – Versailles.

August 1, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Joan of Arc & Rouen

The symbolic figure of Rouen, Joan of Arc, is present everywhere in the streets, squares and monuments in the former capital of Normandy. I have always been fascinated by Joan – her visions, her courage, her faith. Other locations associated with Joan – Paris, Orleans, and Reims – had drawn my interest in past trips.

Jeanne d’Arc (“The Maid of Orleans”) was born roughly 1412 in Domremy. She came from a peasant family. She began to have visions of the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret of Antioch, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria telling her to help Charles VII to recover the throne of France from English domination. She gained prominence after her quick victory at Orleans. Several more swift victories later led to Charles’ consecration as King of France at Reims.

She was captured in May of 1430 at Compiegne by some French nobles who were allied with the English. She was handed over to the English and put on trial for heresy. She was convicted and burned at the stake in May of 1431. Her imprisonment, trial and execution all took place in Rouen. She was only nineteen when she died.

The main charge in her conviction seemed to be her dressing as a man. Women’s clothing would have been terribly impractical for leading an army. She also found that it was much more difficult for men to try to sexually assault her when she was dressed as a man. Women’s clothing offered no such protection. While imprisoned, it is said that she was repeatedly raped by her captures until she put men’s clothing back on. That was the final evidence (the donning of men’s clothing while imprisoned) that was used to convict her.

The only remaining part of Rouen Castle is the keep or donjon, which is now known as the Tour Jeanne d’Arc. This was where a portion of her trial took place and where she was threatened with torture. Some people believe this was where she was imprisoned, but she was actually held in the Tour de la Pucelle, which no longer exists. There is a building at 102 Rue Jeanne d’Arc where the foundations of that tower may be seen.

It was the Archbishop’s Palace, just behind the Cathedral, where Joan was condemned. A retrial also took place there in 1456, which nullified the first trial. A little too late for Joan. The Historical Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc Museum) is now housed in the Archbishop’s palace. They use multimedia to present the story. I really like it when the actual locations of history are used to tell history.

The cathedral has a small chapel dedicated to Joan near the choir and a more modern statue in the choir area. When I was sitting and listening to the local guide tell us about the cathedral, I could see the modern statue and was wondering if it was Joan. When we had our own time, I walked straight to it.

At the main market square (the Place du Vieux Marche), I was feeling a little impatient while we were led through the market itself and told about its history. I wanted to get over to the garden area by the modern church of Joan of Arc (L’eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc). This time, fruits, vegetables, pastries, and other edibles weren’t interesting to me.

When we got to the garden, I was looking for the little sign that used to be there, but couldn’t find it. Then the local guide (Evangeline) said that the tall, modern cross now marked the spot where Joan had been burned at the stake. A statue of Joan being executed stands near the entrance to the church, facing the cross.

We finished our tour inside of the church dedicated to Joan. It was built in 1979 with sweeping curves to represent the flames as well as an overturned longship. Many early churches, especially those of wood, were designed to represent an overturned boat.

The stained glass windows came from a 16^th century church whose ruins are a short distance away. The windows had been removed from the church during World War II. When the church was destroyed by bombs, the decision was made to incorporate them into the new church to Saint Joan.

Also inside the church is a bust that may or may not accurately portray Joan. I don’t think she was ever drawn, painted or sculpted in her lifetime. The signature etched beneath the bust is believed to have been her actual signature.

When the fire was still smoldering, Joan’s ashes were collected. Her enemies didn’t want anyone collecting any potential relics.

It is said that her heart did not burn. Her heart and the collected ashes were thrown into the Seine near the cathedral. This would have been roughly where our ship was docked. When the ship pulled out from this location, I took the included photo of that area of the Seine.

Next time –Josephine’s Malmaison