Tag: day trips from Paris
A Man’s Home May Not Be His Chateau: From Versailles to Vincennes
Château can be lazily translated as castle, but a traveler in France soon learns that there are many types of chateaux and not all are castles.
Jealousy and the Thrones at Versailles
My friend Henri was so jealous that I’d seen the excellent exhibition of thrones in the royal apartments of the Palace of Versailles before...
The Gardens of Versailles in Winter
I’ve been to the palace and gardens of Versailles dozens of times but never on such a quiet, empty afternoon as this.
It was a...
Dayt Trip from Paris: The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Laon
Eighty-five miles northeast of Paris there stands on the plateau of the old town of Laon one of the great, undervisited Gothic cathedrals of...
Patricia’s Casual Cooking Class in the Town of Versailles
The Town of Versailles is often ignored by those visiting the Palace of Versailles. That’s understandable in that the palace, the gardens, and the...
Advice and Itineraries for Visiting the D-Day Landing Zone of Normandy
Reaping the personal rewards of visiting the D-Day Landing Zone and surrounding area of Normandy, whether on a guided D-Day tour or on your...
Versailles, an alternate approach
To get a sense of tourist hell in France in summer, go inside the Palace of Versailles sometime between 11am and 4pm. While your...
Part III: The American Versailles. Not Impressed Yet? Try This!
Versailles, for all its reflection of historical French grandeur, authority, nobility, art, craftsmanship, and etiquette, is also a reflection of American power. Versailles may well be the French monument that most symbolizes American power, after the Statue of Liberty that is.
Part II: Louis XIV’s Versailles. Purgatory and Heaven, War and Peace, Mirrors and Fountains
I’m not sure when my transformation from dread of Versailles to curiosity occurred—while listening to our guide, while visiting the Little Theater, while strolling...