The New Normal - Richard's 70th Birthday Celebration in Paris, France, part 2, Versailles, bridges, Cathedral Choir concert

Bonjour!  

Part two of our trip to France ...

On Friday, we visited Versailles Castle via a one-hour tour bus ride. 

Versailles was a small village back in the day, and the "castle" was a simple hunting lodge used by King Louis XIII.  Enter his son, Louis XIV, who moved the monarchy to Versailles in 1682 and really built up the town and the castle. But, alas, in 1789, just three months after the start of the French revolution, his grandson, Louis XVI, and the royal family, were ousted from power. They were sent back to Paris with their tails between their legs.  To add insult to injury, he was convicted of treason in 1993 and off with his head. The same fate followed his wife, Marie Antoinette, 9 months later.  

Now the castle is a museum; below are some pictures of the beautiful, historic building and its treasures.

It is the off-season, so the grounds weren't in prime shape.  The fountains were being serviced and most of the plantings were dormant or dead. But, the distant view of the water was still pretty.

    

The weather miraculously cleared as we debarked back in Paris.  We got to walk over Ponte Nerf (New Bridge in French, but the oldest on the Seine.)  

Pont Neuf Bridge

At the end of the bridge on the west side, we also got to see the "love locks."  Beginning in 2008, couples have been attaching locks with love messages to the bridges along the Seine. It's a sweet sentiment and was amazing to see all the locks.  However, the locks are creating a problem in that their heavy weight causes damage, and locks in other locations along the Seine have already been removed. Thankfully, the locks were removed in panels, and a garden or park may be set up to allow for a permanent exhibit and a new tourist destination.  

We finished our fantastic day by attending an evening concert at Notre Dame Cathedral.  The Westminster Cathedral Choir (visiting from London)and the Maitrise Notre-Dame de Paris, Choeur D'enfants, sang works by Faure, Poulenc, and Britten.  We also got to hear the cathedral organ, with two different organists, accompanying the singers.  The beautiful music and seeing the cathedral at night made for an evening we will never forget.

Part three coming soon . . .