And I am continuing revising and updating some of my older posts. It has been a pleasure indeed and especially coming around to see my posts on my old home of Versailles. Sublime!!! Thank for reading me and following me over the years, really appreciated. Let me give you an update on Versailles, in my black and white series, no pictures. It is more than just a castle, it’s a Royal city of France, and perpetual seat of the French constitution if ever needs changes adjustments to it, a de facto capital city of France. Therefore, let me tell you about this is Versailles !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
I lived my first 9+ years in France, and love it every minute of it. For info , Versailles is the capital city of the Yvelines dept 78 in the Île de France region of my belle France. Still springs nostalgia out of it, left for job duties but the heart still here. Just arriving on the N12 by the D91 into avenue du Maréchal Joffre was an incredible feeling, passing by the less known park of parc Balbi, very historical indeed just after the potager du roi and the Cathedral of Saint Louis. I know, yes, most of you come here for the castle palace, a museum for the greatness of France since 1837. However, there is more than the castle and historic buildings to tell history of many countries including my former USA.
I lived in the Notre Dame quartier or neighborhood behind the Collegiale Church of Notre Dame, grand!! awesome unforgetable. Here were registered at birth and baptized (and later kings even of other countries) the royal family of France. The one that was not taken for Cathedral because the French revolution did not want it to make a Royal shrine more powerful, so they chose another for the cathedral in the Saint Louis quartier. However, Notre Dame is the oldest and most prestigious historically.
Coming deeper into the city with memories flashing back was very nice indeed and sharing it with the family was sublime beyond words. Cruising into avenue du Général Leclerc and into ave du Général de Gaulle into the visiting parking at Sceaux was great easy and now even better modernize with credit cards automatic paying machines, no longer searching for those coins lol!
We parked our car at Sceaux and set out on foot to see the city and our memorable places that are seen different than the visitor , of course. For us, passing by our Phebus network bus A stop at avenue de l’Europe and seeing the bus 19 of the Yvelines going to Parly II shopping center, shopping again at the Monoprix store and getting to the Préfecture or immigration building for my parents carte de séjour visiteur as American retirees brought many memories of doing the paperwork here, nice require nothing to it. Right here you see the rive gauche-château RER C train station that millions take to see the castle from Paris and is a handy train ride into many places inside Paris, and the bus terminal in front and of course that wonderful vibrant ambiance at Rue Satory off avenue de Sceaux with its many restos, bars etc.
Right around the corner of Avenue de l’Europe and Avenue de Saint Cloud you have the wonderful flower market of Versailles! The marché des fleurs is a historical spot and we came here many times with my dear late wife Martine who loved flowers and plants. Further away you come to my favorite of all markets the Marché Notre Dame at the Place Notre Dame. Plenty of underground parking too, even if very tight for my car. We went over the kids bus stops along avenue Saint Cloud and Europe, now we found the parking there has been change from entering from the ave de l’Europe now you entered by the Avenue de Paris..
The Château de Versailles is a huge place as it is today with 37 hectares on the palace ground along but it was 807 hectares at its heyday in royalty. The different gates or doors of old can be found in maps but there is one back all the way back of the Grand Canal by St Cyr l’école, dates from 1741. It is one of the best example of power and beauty a fairy tail story only broken by a revolution which the holder now has the same absolute powers and lives in a palace Elysées… and where we saw again quickly the gardens, the Royal Chapel , the grand and petit apartments, the different rooms, gallery of glass and the gallery of battles with Yorktown , all wonderful, it seems the now visiting was more beautiful than when visit as a resident. We wondered the gardens of the Château de Versailles, where we roam many times for walks and lunch to missed our loving Café Angelina in the Petit Trianon outside with a terrace lovely after a long day jogging or walking in the gardens.
Bien sûr, of course, seeing the usual grandness of the place such as it’s magnificent castle that brings about memories of playing around the gardens even beyond the Grand Canal with my boys ; after crossing the property by the Porte Saint Antoine memories that will never go away. In all we got into the palace/museum property to get into our old porte Saint Antoine and past the Hameau de la reine Marie-Antoinette, and into the Petit Trianon and Grand Trianon, taking the petit train to come back to the castle. We saw again the Grand Canal and the boats.
The great stables with the Petite ecurie of many arts renovations and work, and the Grande ecurie du roi with the great horse show of Bàrtabas and the carriage museum! The great silhouette of the castle with its Opéra and Chapel sprouting out , both went or going thru wonderful renovations, and the Grand Commun building on the left home of the servants of the castle since built in 1682-84.
Could not afford not to see the Hôtel de Ville (old castle of the prince de Conti) where our civic duties were held for many years; a beautiful city/town hall indeed. And course, a sentimental walk to the Notre Dame district, could not manage to see our home so much many memories… right around the mythical wonderful Church of Notre Dame, the Royal one, as the baptisms and births of the prince of Versailles were done there, including that of Philippe or Felipe , grandson of Louis XIV and himself king of Spain under Felipe V Bourbon dynasty that still rule in Spain today. He build the La Granja de San Ildelfonso a small replica of Versailles not far from Segovia (see post).
The rue Hoche and the Place Hoche with a nice straight view to the castle or to the Church Notre Dame is marvelous as well as the great shopping street of rue de la Paroisse that passes by the Church. Our home we just took a peek right around the Church into rue Sainte Geneviéve into the square behind the Church and into Rue Saint Lazare…!
Then visit the Hôtel des Menus Plaisir du Roi; at no 22 avenue de Paris ; right hand side from chateau .This is where the toys and amusement of the king’s children were kept, then it serve to host the Etats Généraux in 1789. Where the deputies voted a National Assembly and abolished all priviledges and rights of the nobles creating the declaration of the rights of men and citizens. Today, it is the musical baroque center of Versailles with baroque music plays or the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. we past by the wonderful museum Lambinet with all the history of Versailles in it. It is in my old quartier Notre Dame at boulevard de la Reine.
We went up where most do not go when visiting Versailles, a pity. Its more than a castle;; up in the Montreuil quartier going away from the chateau on avenue de Paris you reach No 73 on your left hand side, see the Domaine Madame Elizabeth (house of sister of Louix XVI, also guillotine for defending her brother). Now a cultural center on temporary exhibits and events. If you go thru the gardens in the side back ,get out on the back door to your left trails, and go out in ave Champ Lagane, take left and go straight to find the the Maisons des musiciens Italiens at No 15. These were the musicians that king Louis XIV brought from Italy to sing and play at his court. Then it house the Madame de Marsans that care for the children of Louis XV. Now, it is the museum of the Compagnons du tour de France, that have their hq here too.
We visit wonderful history in the old Lycée Hoche, one of the highest learning secondary or high school in France in the scientific field. It is at 73 ave Saint Cloud, and were before the convent of the queen, that were given to the school after the French revolution. Built between 1767 and 1772,and became an Imperial college in 1806, by 1888 it was rename Hoche in honor of local native General Lazare Hoche. We visit our Hôtel de Ville, our former city/town hall, and went all the way up visiting the different departments as if were still here,and the people were nice enough to let us roam thru the hallways (hospitality Versaillaise).
Of course, we ate, not willing to try the same like our all time favorite Le Boeuf à la Mode at the rue au pain in the place Notre Dames we try one we have in other areas of France and always past in front of it never tried it so we did this unique time, the Buffalo Grill steakhouse (now closed) chain with the American Indian motifs. Here the service by Teddy was excellent never needed to ask for anything, and the food was good with my burger bacon some typical French beer ,the 1664, and coffee expresso as well as many others combination for the rest of the family all for 23€ per person, about right for Versailles!
As we had plans to continue visiting Paris, we found a place to stay. We had rented from Appart-City aparthotels before and had an up and down experience, we tried them for the clincher and the verdict is never again. We complaint that the rooms had holes in the wall, the bathtub was detached from the wood, the chairs looks used and already the white of the foam seeing thru them, after all the reception was nice and we got the parking for free, and the TV , kitchen works. 89,90€ per night for 5 persons is not bad but we will prefer to pay higher next time for a better deal. The apart-city was in the Bois d’Arcy city limits very close to the limits of Versailles.
The tourist office of Versailles: https://www.versailles-tourisme.com/
The city of Versailles and its heritage in English! https://www.versailles.fr/ma-ville/decouvrir/patrimoine-et-monuments/
There you go folks, Versailles will always remain close to our hearts, who needs Paris when you had Versailles ! Really ! The hotel rental was in no way diminish our beloved visit to Versailles as anyway was not in the city. It was a great experience to be back, always wonderful uplifting and with great memories of family times. Again, hope you have enjoy the post on this is Versailles !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 