Oh la la-let them eat and drink Chocolate!

Excess. Americans are known for it, but HeLLooooo French!  As a culture, you have excess...in excess! Today, we traversed out of gay Paris into Versailles to see the Château. (For all my mid-western friends, this is NOT pronounced VER-sales.)

As you will likely recall from history class, many a war ending treaty has been signed here and it is amazingly gorgeous.  Excessively gorgeous.  In fact, it started out as a mere hunting lodge for the King and the noblemen, but over time  King Louis XIV expanded the Château by adding wings so that it has it's current U shaped structure. Essentially, the entire Château was expanded and decorated to pay homage to King Louis the XIV who was, by all measure, quite enthralled with himself, but apparently was also a well respected and well liked King.

The French monarchy was Catholic and had this Chapel in the Château. The entire Royal family and all of the court would attend mass daily at 10 am.  While the King was a devoted Catholic, he also was a philanderer and had many mistresses, some living in the Château. The Chapel is the last of anything Christian in the building as the rest is most evidently devoted to the great and powerful Oz_I mean Louis XIV.

At this time, France was the center of European strength, culture, and intellect. The excess of the Château dribbles down to even the color choices of the fabrics. 

The famous hall of mirrors is large but not so overwhelming as one might expect.  The mirror was new technology at the time and opposite each mirror is a matching floor to ceiling west facing window. The Château has more chandeliers than Dave the Lamp maker with the majority of them in this narrow and long room. I am somewhat thankful we were here on a cloudy day; I fear that it may have been a  psychedelic trip to experience in the glaring sunlight.  

Louis XIV had 10 children; two sons and eight daughters.  All lived in the Château-until four were sent away to boarding school for "economy." Only one daughter married because it was difficult to find suitable Catholic nobility of high enough stature as most of the Royalty of the time was Protestant. 

Two of his daughters had adjoining state apartments when they moved back into the Château at 38 and remained good friends.  They were good enough friends to share this commode-where, you ask?  Why,  in that very lovely piece of furniture masquerading as a chest of drawers.  Apparently, it has doors that come open, but there was no indoor plumbing at the time so good luck figuring out which servant had that undesirable job. 

The Sun King's (as he was called)  great grandson, Louis XVI married the lovely Marie Antoinette of Austria nearly 70 years later.  The two of them essentially hid in the splendor of the Château and the immense gardens while France sunk into poverty beyond compare.

 At the French Revolution, the citizenry stormed Versailles, drug the king and queen back to Paris and subjected them to the Guillotine. 

We, however, stopped to have a small respite of Angelina's hot chocolate and dessert. 

It was chocolate in excess.  In fact, it was liquified milked chocolate.  As it cooled, it actually coated the pitcher and the cup.  The whipped fresh cream was absolutely needed to cut the chocolate.  It. Was. Incredible.

I also had a lovely decadent chocolate pastry that I can't even recall the name of because I am hung over from the chocolate-seriously. Inside was a candied pear surrounded by chocolate cake and ganache. 

Even the garnish is chocolate. I spent most of the afternoon in a chocolate coma.  

When we ventured out to the Grand Trianon, which is a mere 25 to 30 minute walk on the grounds, I walked off the coma but not the calories.  The Grand Trianon was where Marie Antoinette lived to avoid her odd husband, King Louis XVI.  It was smaller,  but no less palatial.

This was her bed chambers.  It was etiquette of the time to accept high ranking members of society in one's bed chambers so the room is quite large and had many tables, chairs, etc.  I found it particularly odd, however, that there is a bar, much like a court room or the old communion bar, that separates the bed from the rest of the room.  I will have to do more research on this quirk! 

After a full day, we returned to Paris on the train and rested my very weary feet.  My big purchase while we were in France has been "mousse" for my shoes and the cutest little spoons the Europeans use for caffe and hot chocolate.

 As long as I don't proclaim, "let them eat cake!" I should make  it out of here with my head firmly on my shoulders.