Fagiolina, Haricot, Frijol...Bean: Day 26, Versailles=My Heaven in Paris

I bet you could never, ever, ever guess where I went today. Go for it; take a guess. Wait, how did you know I went to school and Versailles today? Probably because you are amazingly intelligent and can fit together some of the pieces of my life's puzzle. ;)

So, yup, school was school and we talked once more about justice. At this point, I don't even remember much of the particulars except that we listened to a little exercise and had to describe the commissaire's and the suspect's reactions. We finished with making up our own TV guion for a feuilleton. Ours was about a guy robbing a bank and escaping on a Segway. I wanted ours to be creative, but my idea about having a teddy bear stuffed with gold being stolen was deemed too complex for us to do. Lamesauce. They're right that it's easier to do your typical bank robbery, and they weren't trying to be mean, but I just didn't want it to be boring. Hence the escape on the Segway!

Next, I went over to Saint-Michel over near Notre Dame, determined to hunt down that delectably amazing gyro place Melanie, Brittany, Stephanie, and I went to our first week here. I knew it was in that general area, and I thought I'd be able to recognize the street when I saw it, but walking around for half an hour or an hour ended up taking me over near the Pantheon and various other food shops, as well as a nice little park!

Finally, I decided to simply go for a formule that included a panini, a crepe sucree (a crepe with sugar), and a boisson (drink) for 5 euros because it was already getting into the afternoon and I wanted to have enough time to make use of the 13.65 euro ticket I'd bought to go to Versailles and Torcy.

Food in hand, I found the train and made my way to Versailles. Even though I went with Stephanie my first week here, I was surprised at how slow the train was, but perhaps it was better that way because it allowed me to soak in the gradual change from the metropolis into the more typical European banlieu, complete with creeping vines on cottages and rolling hills. To add to it, two guys hopped on the train and commenced forthwith an accordion duet. Of course, they asked for money afterward, but because I gave them some of my loose change, one of them played just for me!

Once at the station in Versailles, I easily found my way to the Palace, hoping that my friends avaient raison in telling me that the gardens were free. To my delight, they were right! Looking back, I wish I'd known that the first time I came so I could've enjoyed that crazy Friday a bit more. I even had gone right up to the entrance to the gardens when I was looking for my friends, but I thought it was just an exit and that I wasn't allowed in! At any rate, I was free to enter as I pleased, and despite deciding to not enter the chateau, I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I knew from one of the BYU students that some of them were going to be there and that they'd come in a couple groups another time, only to find each other in the vastness of the gardens, so I have to admit that part of me hoped to find them. I'd also hoped to go with a friend, but she was busy. Oh, well, I was free to wander at will. I know that Versailles is famous for its size and grandeur, but I was still surprised when I saw the sheer size of the gardens--and even while up on the hill where the chateau is, you can't see it all!

I wanted to get away from the tourists from the beginning, but I couldn't stray far from the central walkway that leads to the lake. On my way, I took pictures of some of the statues. One I liked especially is of a man holding a child because it is an image of tenderness and gentleness while maintaining the man's virility and strength. (Note: I was only partially successful in censoring the man's "virility," if you will.)

I continued to wander closer to the lake, when suddenly I heard my name! What the--?! Lo and behold, it was John, one of the BYU students with one of the French YSA members! They were on their way out, back to Paris, after having spent a good few hours there at Versailles, and after asking if I was by myself, told me where I could find some of the others. Yep, for all the vastness of this heavenly little microcosm, it was proved yet again how small this world really is.

I considered not going over, but in the end I went for it. I ended up sitting with them for an hour, hour and a half, enjoying the beautifully semi-overcast, semi-sunny gentle breeze weather while sitting on the grass. I even indulged myself in some ice cream. :) Sadly, I didn't feel very much a part of the group, which makes sense because I'm not and they've had loads more time to get to know each other, but they didn't even really seem to try very hard to include me in their conversations. And one girl I did talk to when we got ice cream together either ignored me or totally spaced me out as she got lost in her own thoughts. All in all, it was nice relaxation time but it was good when it ended.

Hmm, it's amazing how much time I've been able to take just sitting and enjoying or merely walking around and wandering! As I began to wander again, I began to think about what my favorite experiences here have been: going to the Jardin du Luxembourg, sitting by the Seine, going to religious centers, walking down the Champs-Elysees, and discovering the gardens at Versailles. Even though I have always answered that I prefer the country over the city and that wherever I move to later in life needs to have mountains and/or water, my thoughts proved that to me once and for all. Before coming to Paris, I hadn't even been to a huge city to justly make that judgment, but now I can do so and with conviction! Really, I shouldn't be surprised that I like nature, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise and has helped me understand better why my first couple weeks here were such an emotional struggle. You see, I didn't know people, I couldn't speak the language very well, my morning classes were dreadful, I'm a small-town girl being thrown into the heart of metropolitan Europe, and I already know that it takes me about two weeks to adjust every time I experience a big change in my environment. Finally it makes sense! And now that I know people and have friends, I am doing better with French, I've changed my morning teacher, I've found spots of nature, and it's been a couple of weeks, it makes sense that I am happier. Who couldn't be?!

To end a day so full of walking and wandering, I tore myself away from the gardens--I have plenty more to explore there another time--I returned to the train station just in time to make it back into Paris, meet up with a few friends, and head over together to a YSA dance at the other side of Paris. Heh, it was strikingly similar to a typical US LDS dance...except that some of the music was bad and they didn't know because they didn't understand the words or innuendo in English, and those that didn't know didn't care. And they tended to group like songs together, which meant some rap/pop, some swing, some line dancing, some latino salsa/bachata, and some slow songs! Yeah, I talked for most of the time. Go figure, right? :D

Here are a few more pics to finish up this post, along with some accompanying thoughts.

Sometimes we feel like there's always a gate blocking our pathway, such as this one near Marie Antoinette's estate. But sometimes we ourselves are the ones to blame for those gates. If you think about it, the royalty limited themselves in a way and put up walls! But...

...Just remember that there are gate doors to be found and opportunities to be had!

I love that this grandfatherly figure is spending time with his grandson, doing something as simple as watching sheep. Come to think of it, it's a simple act, but it shows the child that time together is valuable, and it's something parents/grandparents have done with children for CENTURIES!