It was close to lunchtime so we bought cafe, a gaufre (waffle dusted with icing sugar) pour moi and a hot dog (they're the giant kind over here) for Brent, and ate in jardin de Diane. C'est bon! The garden has a glorious fountain of Diane, the hunting goddess, and we were impressed with the design of the waterworks which used the obvious orifices for water spouts.
The castle was a fairytale; not as grand as Versailles (because no-one outshone the Sun King) but trimmed with gold wherever possible, frescoed ceilings, daybeds you could spend weeks on, sofas that could seat all your friends in a row, and Napoleon had even reclaimed a corridor to expand his bathroom so he could have breakfast there following his ablutions. This was all very much in contrast to Vaux-le-Vicomte which was owned by just a lowly treasurer to the King. Vaux was much more homely and not a glisten of gold anywhere, and it is a privately owned chateau so the upkeep has not been funded in the way of Versailles and Fontainebleu.
As Sunday was the first one in the month, entrance was free (bonus!) and the chateau was not crowded at all. There were many picknickers in the foret de Fontainebleu surrounding the chateau and we wandered a little way into the forest ourselves. It's apparently a popular location with bushwalkers and being only a half an hour train ride from Paris I can understand why the apartment dwellers might want to escape to some open space.
Joined the locals for a biere and vin at a cafe before heading back to the station and a train for Paris. Loving it!
Arriving in Paris early evening we walked back to the apartment, stopping to buy a baguette on the way. The baskets in the boulangerie were empty! Madame, vous avez des baguettes, s'il vous plait? Madame disappeared through to the back of the bakery and returned with a basket of hot, fresh out of the oven baguettes. I finally got my chance to do as the French do (although it is mostly the hommes and not the femmes) and bite the end off the baguette as I walk down the street. Incroyable! It may not be ladylike, but a hot baguette, well, you've just got to try it!
4 comments:
Good on you Sally - you've got to try walking along the street eating a baguette? Buy the baguette from Coles, walk along the street, crust sticks in throat, wheeled into casualty on a stretcher - no, I think I will leave that little challenge on the shelf next to 'must have a nude Twister competition with Amanda Vanstone' and 'must listen to a Celine Dion CD with the volume on 10 and the treble turned right up' We would love to see a clip of you walking along a scenic laneway demonstrating this death-defying French extreme sport.
I can't believe there was a Border Terrier reclining on a tapestry rug and no photos were allowed! I would have thought someone would have put it on a pedestal and actually charged tourists to take photos. Glad you are safely back in Paris having survived the toilet block from hell and the wheezy old Malboro men. Look forward to your next post.
Fiona, Ruby & Paul
Fontainebleu castle looks fabulous, stunning grounds and foret, what a treat. Loving it! sums it up perfectly. L&G
Highly entertaining, Sally. Very funny - the toilet block incident. Deliciously hot baguette and gaufre with cafe - totally yum. Once again, everything sounds - and looks - quite beautiful. You lucky woman, you. Enjoying your daily missives. Keep them coming. xx Michelle.
Oh I loved Fontainebleu. The castle was cool but just the forest was so pretty.
You are going to make me cry!
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