Sunday, October 31, 2010

"Can you die of happiness?" - Jane Bennet

My class went to Versailles Friday and we had a tour of the Chateau de Versailles. The initial view of the palace is shocking. I have seen a ton of pictures and drawings, but nothing prepares someone for seeing this massive building in person. I have mixed emotions about it because the building is so beautiful, but at the same time it is such an obscene display of wealth that the king didn't really have at his disposal. Many people suffered for the luxury of that palace. But despite my mixed emotions, it cannot be denied that the palace is a work of art. Literally. The rooms contain several paintings, whether they be on the ceiling or the wall. notion of leaving something blank must have been ridiculous to the wealthy. But it wasn't just paintings, there was amazing molding and the marble work as well. Of course there were a ton of monograms for "Louis", the names of the four kings who resided in Versailles. My favorite room was the hall of mirrors. I loved the hall of mirrors because it was like a dream. There were (obviously) mirrors along the walls, making the statues and chandeliers look even more plentiful. But aside from the hall of mirrors, it was really amazing to see where the kings and queens resided, and to be in rooms where such rich and fantastic history took place.

However, there were three things that I was disappointed about on this trip. The first was that there was Japanese art work by Takashi Murakami throughout the palace. This artwork was cartoonish and contrasted sharply with the grace and elegance of Versailles. The reason that people gave for Murakami's allowance in the palace was that Versailles was a place for innovation, so the artwork fit in with the theme of the palace. While that may have credence, the art work blocked some paintings, and detracted from the rooms. I don't want to be walking through the hall of mirrors and have to look at these modern, and in my view, horrid works of art. The second thing I was disappointed about was that we didn't get to see the gardens. This is in combination with the third thing that disappointed me, our time constraint. We were only allowed to be there for over an hour and a half, which is an injustice. Thus, because of our short time allotted, we weren't able to view the magnificent gardens. So, I am taking Ashlee there for a day when she comes.

That night we went out to an absinthe bar. It was a cool bar that had a grunge or rock feel to it. I had a Van Gogh drink. I only know that absinthe was in it, I couldn't tell you anything else about it. It was good, but it was too strong so I didn't have a shot of absinthe. Jessen, Deepa and I were the only ones who liked it so we will have to go back sometime so I can do the shot. Jessen did one, and it was this intense, complicated process that looked fun. After that bar, we went to this Irish pub, which was tiny and overcrowded, making for a very fun time. I had an Irish Car Bomb, which was delicious. We hung out there for a while and then we went for (of course) crepes and french fries. We found this place in the Bastille area where they make the crepes fresh at the stand and then inside they have really good fries. We all got one or the other (I got a crepe), and then after that some people went back out and some people headed back. I went out to the other bar with people. But after that bar I headed back because I was exhausted, and I had to get up early the next day for...MONET'S GARDEN!

Monet's garden was breathtaking. I went with Lauren, Grace, and Dasha. We had a short train ride to Vernon, and then in Vernon we had to take a bus to Giverny. It was a dream come true to see the place where such amazing works were compiled and composed. The gardens were mostly dead because it's autumn, but they were still nice to look at. His house was fantastic. We weren't supposed to take pictures, but they weren't really enforcing that rule so I have pictures of his living room and bedroom. In his living room there are copies of his paintings, so me and some people are going to go this week to the Monet exhibit to see his works. After walking through the living room, we went to his bedroom. There was a window open in his room, that overlooked the gardens. I could imagine Monet sitting at this window in the spring looking at his gardens in full bloom and just being overcome with the desire to paint. My favorite room was the kitchen. It was covered in blue and white tiles, which copper pots and pans. I felt like I was in Greece. Throughout his house there were Japanese pictures. I understand that the Japanese had an influence with impressionism, but it was still shocking to me to see them in such abundance in Monet's house.

After the house we went to the water lily pond. Again, breathtaking. We stood on the iconic Japanese bridge, and walked around the pond. The four of us sat on a bench for a little while and just took it all in. If I owned this land I would rarely leave it. Being surrounded by countryside, this little oasis takes you away to another realm. Its beauty is organic. After taking about fifty pictures, we went to the impressionism museum. It was a nice, quaint museum. When we were done there we walked the town of Giverny. We saw Monet's tomb, and the few restaurants and coffee shops. I understand that the season is ending soon, but I really liked that we didn't feel like tourists. I think all there is to do in Giverny is Monet's garden, but there weren't little tourist shops lining the streets. Rather, the town had retained its historic charm. I also really liked having the contrast to Paris. One does a 360 turn and all they see are trees and hills. Additionally, it is so silent and tranquil. For a day, it was nice to be in this environment and realize that there really is more to France than Paris.

When we got back, Jessen joined us and we went to Chinatown for dinner. The restaurant we went to can safely be described as a Chinese discotech. There were cases of fine alcohol and giant bottles of champagne, not to mention the waterfall that led to a tank filled with lobsters. It was nice to have some Chinese food after our day of sparse food. I didn't go out last night because honestly, that day of walking and travel wore me out. Instead I came back, climbed into bed and just relaxed. In less than an hour we will be leaving for the Catacomb's and the Pere Lachaise cemetery, and tonight we are going out for halloween. I hope everyone has a great day!


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