#LoveWithoutLocks: Au Revoir to the Love Locks, Pont des Arts
Chateau de Versailles France: French Glamour and Revolution
On my last full day in Paris, I decided to hop on a RER C train en route to Versailles Chateau/ Rive Gauch and see why this palace is part of the 'must see attractions' in and around Paris.
The main tip I got to prepare for this trip was to arrive early because the line can be very crazy'.
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Walking toward Chateau de Versailles from RER C Train[/caption][caption id="attachment_2640" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
My first full view of the Chateau de Versailles[/caption][caption id="attachment_2641" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Tourist flocking early in the morning with groups of tour buses starting to line up[/caption][caption id="attachment_2642" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Lined for 3 hours just to get in[/caption]Finding my way to Versailles using the RER C train was easy. I arrived around 8am and the line looks like a scene from snakes and ladders. I spent almost 3 hours queuing just to get it. Although i know that 3 hours was a lot, I really enjoyed it because I met my first Travel Family, The Berangers.
They were French locals visiting Versailles for the first time. Such a charming family. They became my family for the whole day and until now I am friends and still in contact with all of them.
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My lovely French Family[/caption][caption id="attachment_2644" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Me me and me[/caption][caption id="attachment_2645" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
A must during your visit! Of course a real (person) tour guide is still the best[/caption]I must admit, I don't have any concrete clue about the French History (aside from a brief intro I got from the Louvre and a few references from Les Miserables :P ).Thank God for audio tours!
The moment you entered, lavish decorations and rich collections of masterpieces will welcome you. Rooms after rooms will transport you to the life of the rich and famous where mansions along Beverly Hills will look like a maid's quarter.
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En route to discover the French History[/caption][caption id="attachment_2648" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
French History overdose![/caption][caption id="attachment_2649" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
French History overdose[/caption][caption id="attachment_2651" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
With my French sibs! Jean Francoise and Laurent[/caption][caption id="attachment_2663" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
The Hall of Mirrors Grand Ceiling[/caption]One of the highlights of my visit was walking along the Hall of Mirrors.The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the palace connecting the private apartments to the royal chapel. A grand hall with a stretch of mirror clad arches reflecting the window overlooking the luscious garden. Imagine this place fully lighted with all the golden ornaments shining brightly and you are watching the King of France with the royal family walking along the corridor. Whew, that would have been a scene. Apparently that was an everyday case during the time of King Louis XIV (correct me if I am wrong here :P).
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The Hall of Mirrors[/caption][caption id="attachment_2653" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
More of French History[/caption]Walls covered with artworks depicting part of the French History. Compared to the Louvre, the galleries in Versailles are concentrated more on French History. You'll feel overwhelmed being surrounded with these large paintings. Each relating to an important part of history.
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Hall of paintings?[/caption]Like every museum tour, a break is a must! We had a quick bite of house sandwiches and --------> a french macaron. yheap---MACARON!
It was also an opportunity for me to know my new family. It is amazing how this trip became own of the best because of the people I met.
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Time for a break![/caption][caption id="attachment_2656" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Oh yeah!! FOOOOOOOD![/caption][caption id="attachment_2657" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Lyes, me and Jean Francoise[/caption]After our tour inside the palace, we did a quick tour of the garden. The garden itself will require a full day of walking around. Because it was getting a bit late and we need to catch the train back, we decided to just tour around the fountain area and a bit of the sculpted box woods.
Take note, you'll have to pay separately to enter the garden.
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The view of the garden from one of the palace's windows[/caption][caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Latona Fountain: Illustrating Apollo's mother and Diana protecting her children against the insults of the peasants of Lycia and calling on Jupiter to avenge them.[/caption][caption id="attachment_2662" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Minding his own business: Apparently this statue symbolizes one of the rivers of France.[/caption]Aside from arriving early, my only tip when you are planning a visit is to read on the French History (youtube and history channel will help as well) as I can imagine how overwhelming to see the rooms and gardens where Marie Antoinette walked feels like. After my trip, believe me, I read read (and watched) everything about the royal family and the French Revolution.
To know more while you plan your trip to Versailles, check out the links below.
Visit Chateau de Versailles:
All Day Lazy Breakfast at Madeleine Café & Boulangerie
There is something about the French cuisine that seems so simple yet very sophisticated. Not too flavorful, yet not too bland and still will hit you directly to the heart.
As for breakfast, Filipinos are heavy breakfast eater. I never skipped breakfast as I feel that this is the most important meal of the day (some new studies will disagree with this). I love smelling the aroma of freshly toasted bread and newly brewed coffee in the morning.
So, When I received an invitation to try the All Day Lazy Breakfast Promotion in Madeliene Café & Boulangerie, I didn’t even have any second thought--- I said YES!
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The Lazy Breakfast Menu[/caption]I remember when I was in France a few years back , early morning for breakfast, we went to the nearest boulangerie and bought a freshly baked baguette and croissant. I really love that experience..oh simple joys (#takemeback).
Check out my previous posts below:
The City of Food Lovers
Boulangerie at Saint Andres de Sangonis
I Left My Heart In Paris
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LAZY BREAKFAST SPECIALTIES[/caption]Madeleine Café and Boulangerie is a traditional and hip French restaurant located in Dubai Mall over looking the famous Dubai Fountain. The interior of the restaurant mimic a traditional French brasserie. With reddish stained wooden furniture, french windows and doors, the mood of the place will surely transport you to the streets of Paris.
We were welcomed very warmly and ushered to our table. We sat near the window to have a view of the outdoor. We didn’t dine outside as it is still summer here in Dubai (summer for me means ‘ONLY INDOOR OPTION’). Although, I can imagine how beautiful dining outside will be on a much cooler season (I will try that for sure).
As I said earlier, we were invited to try their All Day Lazy Breakfast offer. I must say, it was already passed lunch time..but I will not even argue to get a French breakfast any time of the day.
All Day Lazy Breakfast:
" An à la carte lazy breakfast... for those who enjoy in a charming brasserie-style setting with a choice of excellent breakfast items prepared à la minute." (Madeleine Cafe & Boulangerie website)
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CHEESE PLATTER = AED 45[/caption]I think we ordered almost everything from the menu. Well, you gotta taste everything right? (with a grin smile haha)
Selections
French Toast - Brioche dipped in egg & milk batter pan fried, served with raisins, caramelized banana and honey (YUM!!!)
Croque Madame - Gratinated ham & gruyere cheese sandwich with fried egg, roasted tomatoes, potato and mushroom. (I first tried a Croque Madame in Paris and I must say, this is delish!)
Egg Benedict - Poached eggs on brioche with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. (We didn't order this)
Scrambled Egg Croissant - Croissant filled with scrambled egg and served with tomato and potato and mushroom. (We didn't order this also)
Smoked Salmon Scrambled Egg Croissant - Croissant filled with scrambled egg, salmon and served with tomato, potato and mushroom. ( I like the French toast more but my friend preferred this one)
Assorted Cheese Platter (THE BEST!!)
I am a big fan of everything cheese, walnut and jam, so needless to say that the cheese platter alone won my heart already.
Among all the ones we ordered, my favorite was the French toast. It was very tasty and soft (I love the caramelized banana flavor). My friend’s preference was the Salmon Croissant. It was a rich dish and very heavy.
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FRENCH TOAST = AED 55[/caption][caption id="attachment_812" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
SMOKED SALMON SCRAMBLED EGG CROISSANT = AED 55[/caption][caption id="attachment_814" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
CROQUE MADAME = AED 55[/caption]The croquet madame, another specialty and a best seller during the lazy breakfast comes with a serving of fries. It is a full meal itself.
To complement our meal, we also had coffee and an orange juice. I can actually stay all day and enjoy their breakfast offerings. I love idea of serving breakfast till 5pm on a weekend when everyone is too lazy to wake up early.
If you are looking for a place to enjoy a tasty French breakfast, I recommend Madeleine Café and Boulougerie. Aside from their lazy breakfast, they have pastries if you want to satisfy your sweet weekend cravings instead.
Check out other photos in the gallery below:
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Madeliene Cafe & Boulangerie
Located at: Ground Level, Fashion
Avenue, The Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE
Website: www.madeleinecafe.com
All Day Lazy Breakfast
Available every Fridays & Saturdays
from 10am - 5pm
Travel Blog: The Louvre and all the Jazz
A trip to Paris will not be complete (artist or not) if you will not visit The Louvre. The Musée du Louvre housed the most treasured art pieces from all over the world and it took me the whole day to conquer (not really) this place.
As an architect, to see the metal-glass pyramid structure along the main courtyard was a sight already which I will be treasuring for the rest of my life.
Aside from paintings by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, famous sculptural pieces in bronze and marble also paraded the halls of the museum.
I really love the marble sculpture of Cupid and Psyche by Antonio Canova (upper left).
And of course the famous Monalisa. She was the superstar of the Louvre.
Here are some tips which I got from www.venere.com if you are planning to visit The Louvre.
1. Getting into the building
The long queues at the Pyramid entrance in the centre of the Louvre are almost as famous as the museum itself. Getting in line for an entrance ticket at the Pyramid can sometimes take as long as an hour. That’s hardly surprising when 15,000 people a day visit the building. But did you know that there are four other entrances?
If you want to avoid the queues then try using the entrance at the Porte des Lions just east of the Pont Royal; at number 99 the Rue du Rivoli; at the Arc du Carousel or directly from the Metro station Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre (platform on line 1).
You can escape the queues completely by purchasing your ticket in advance at FNAC or other department stores. There’s usually a small fee of a couple of euros per ticket for this service.
2. Good value tickets
Entrance to the Louvre is €9. If you head there after 6pm on a Wednesday or Friday, entrance is reduced to just €6 and the museum is open until 9.45pm. Entrance is free for under 26s on Friday evenings. On Bastille Day (14 July) and the first Sunday of each month entrance is free for everyone, all day. Be warned though, the galleries get even more busy at these times.
3. Get the view of an expert
The Louvre is massive. There are 35,000 works of art and 380,000 museum objects to see. It’s so huge that it would take you a whole day just to walk through all the galleries, never mind seeing any of the art.
In fact, a good way to get an overview of this enormous museum is to take one of the excellent guided tours, which depart from under the Pyramide throughout the day.
Tours are available in a variety of languages and are aimed at different levels, from first-time visitors to art experts. Tour times vary daily, so check the board when you arrive to see what’s on offer that day.
4. Check in advance
Of course, no trip to the Louvre is complete without seeing the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The Louvre have a habit of moving these masterpieces around the building at short notice, so if you want to avoid wandering endless galleries needlessly, then take a quick look at their website before you visit www.louvre.fr.
5. Stop and recharge
With so many galleries, you’ll be in need of refreshment. There are good places to eat and drink in the Louvre, but be warned that the Café Denon and Café Richlieu are rather expensive. Better value can be had at the Café Mollien (on the first floor) which also has a summer terrace.
But if you want to escape the building, you can get good snacks and light lunches in the many cafés in the beautiful Jardins des Tuileries. Also look out for the mobile snack stands which serve good quality coffee at half the price of the museum cafés.
Travel Blog: The Louvre and all the Jazz
The Louvre Museum
One Day Guide To The Louvre Museum Paris France
Travel and Food Blog: The City of Love--FOOD LOVERS that is!
The movie Ratatouille made a clear depiction that the city of LOVE also means the city for FOOD LOVERS. Paris is a big gastronomic city. The artistry in creating food masterpieces sometimes feels intimidating (from an Asian point of view) but I gobble on them with enough grace and sophistication—hahaha (are you kidding me), I ate them depending on my hunger..
A classy dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower!.. My first foie grass!
Early morning walk with an early morning croissant and capuccino.
After a very long day strolling around museums and monuments, nothing like a quick crepe au sucre and a sandwich to revive you back to your “A” game.
I know I know ..there are a lot of things that you will say “you are not in Paris if you haven’t tried this..and that”..but this is surely part of that long list! Laduree macaron….nuf said.
I had my taste of croque monsieur along with Mickey.
..and caramelized apple with Snow White.
Homemade chicken quiche baked by a new friend (whom I met in the train).
ok ok ok…so everywhere we go there is always a Selecta.
This should always be in everyone’s bag. There is no Masafi in this part of the world.
