Thursday, May 28, 2009

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, tea, and bookstores

VAUX-LE-VICOMTE

CLOSE-UP OF THE CHATEAU

FORMAL GARDENS OF THE CHATEAU


DOME STAIRWELL

Chuck was kind enough to send his Vaux-le-Vicomte pictures today even though it took him 9 email messages to do so! One meets so many kind people while traveling. The first is a picture of the entire chateau area including the stables, and other outlying buildings. Quite an impressive sight on arrival. The second photo is the view one gets on climbing the stairs to the entrance. As you can see to the left in this photo, the chateau is continually being rennovated. And the third photo shows a great overall picture of the sculptured gardens from the dome of the chateau. To go up into the dome requires quite a bit of climbing up steep, creaky wooden steps in a round stair case. I tried to lighten up the picture a bit but it is quite dark getting up to that dome as you can see.

Vaux-le-Vicomte is a French chateau located near Melun, France with quite an interesting history. Vaux-le-Vicomte was once a small chateau located near Château de Fontainebleau and was purchased by Nicolas Fouquet in 1661. Fouquet was Louis XIV's finance minister at the time. He then commissioned two of the foremost architects of the time to carry out his plan to completely renovate the estate and garden to match his grand ambitions. When completed, it was well known as a center for literature and the arts as well as great feasts and entertainment. However, the proud owner then made the fateful decision to throw an elaborate château-warming party and invited Louis XIV. Louis was so jealous of Forquet's chateau (much nicer than his country 'hunting lodge' at the time), that he had his host arrested and thown in prison for life, and his wife and children exiled. He then proceeded to build Versailles and confiscated most of Foquet's art and furnishings to adorn his own chateau. Madame Fouquet recovered her property ten years later and retired there with her eldest son. In 1705, after the death of her husband and son, she decided to put Vaux Le Vicomte up for sale.

LE JARDIN des TUILIERIES
After a great day out at the Chateau, it was tea time in Paris. On the way to tea, I "ran across" le Jardin des Tuileries. The most central park in Paris, it connects the Louvre with the Place de la Concorde. In the 16th century it was a quarry for tiles (tuilerie in French), but after the death of her husband Henri II in 1559, Catherine de Médicis had a Palace built at the tuileries which featured a large garden in Italian style, reminding her of her native Tuscany.


STATUE OF JULES FERRY & FAMILY AT JARDIN DES TUILERIES

Jules François Camille Ferry (1832-1893) was a French statesman, who twice served as the Prime Minister of France.

ANGELINA SALON DE THÉ
Per an internet blog, Angelina Tea Salon is one of the best in Paris for hot chocolate. Since it was another grey and gloomy day in Paris, hot chocolate and a small pastry sounded perfect. The hot chocolate certainly lived up to its reputation! Thick hot chocolate served piping hot in a little porcelain pitcher accompanied by a small pot of freshly whipped cream. Of course I didn't really 'need' the chocolate-raspberry tart with it, but Paris is not the place to worry about one's diet.

JAPON SHOP -- rue de St Sulpice
After all that chocolate, more walking was mandatory, so I decided to go over to the left bank and look for the Berkeley Bookstore. Saw this cute shop on the way down rue de St Sulpice and couldn't resist a photo. Also found the "San Francisco Bookshop" on the way to the Berkeley Bookstore, which I thought was quite appropos. Both of course have English-language books, both new and used.


BEAUTIFUL COURTYARD -- RUE DE CASIMIR DELAVIGNE
After the bookshops, I happened upon this delightful courtyard just down the street from the Berkeley Bookstore. Hidden-away corners such as this are a significant part of Paris’ charm.
Bonsoir

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