Blog Author
looking
(view profile)
Recent Entries to this Blog Back on track again!
Posted: 13 Mar 2006
Some friends on the houseboat
Posted: 10 Jan 2006
Some of the countryside
Posted: 24 Dec 2005
On the Houseboat
Posted: 22 Dec 2005
More on Amsterdam and into Germany
Posted: 22 Dec 2005

All Entries
 


looking's Blog




Versailles Palace

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:36 pm

While in Paris we took the opportunity to visit Versailles Palace. (Prononced 'Versay')

The Palace of Versailles was the official residence of the Kings of France from 1682 until 1790. It was originally a hunting lodge, built in 1624, by Louis XIII. It was expanded by Louis XIV beginning in 1669. He used it as a lodge and as a secret refuge for his amorous encounters with the lovely Louise de la Valliere and built a fairy tale park around it. Jules Hardouin Mansart, the king's principal architect, drew the plans to enlarge what was turning more and more into a palace from A Thousand and One Nights. The terrace that overlooked the gardens was removed to make way for the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, the Galarie de Glaces. It is here from which the king radiated his power and where the destiny of Europe was decided over a century. The French classical architecture was complemented by extensive gardens.

Here is another of the massive gardens.

Versailles was the unofficial capital city of the kingdom of France from May 1682 (King Louis XIV moves the court and government permanently to Versailles) until September 1715 (death of Louis XIV and regency, with the regent Philippe d'Orléans returning to Paris), and then again from June 1722 (King Louis XV returns to Versailles permanently) to October 1789 (King Louis XVI forced to move back to Paris by the people of Paris). During the entire period, Paris remained the official capital city of France, and the official royal palace was the Palace of the Louvre, but in practice government affairs were conducted from Versailles, and Versailles was regarded as the real capital city.

Versailles became again the unofficial capital city of France from March 1871 (French government takes refuge in Versailles due to the insurrection of the Paris Commune) until November 1879 (newly elected left-wing republicans relocate government and parliament to Paris).

It is very difficult to describe the richness and wealth of Versailles in a few pictures. It is opulent!!


Versailles was made the préfecture (capital) of the Seine-et-Oise département at its inception in March 1790 (Seine-et-Oise had approximately 400,000 inhabitants at its creation). By the 1960s, with the growth of the Paris suburbs, the Seine-et-Oise département had reached almost 3 million inhabitants and was deemed too large and ungovernable, and thus it was split into three départements in January 1968. Versailles was made the préfecture of the Yvelines département, the largest chunk of the former Seine-et-Oise département. At the 1999 census the Yvelines département had 1,354,304 inhabitants.

Versailles is also the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese (bishopric) which was created in 1790. The diocese of Versailles depends from the archdiocese of Paris.

In 1975 Versailles was made the seat of a Court of Appeal, whose jurisdiction covers the western suburbs of Paris.


Here are some pics of inside the palace. There is literally gold inlay everywhere.


They also have a fantastic hall. Called The Hall of Mirrors, this hall has one wall entirely covered with 18 foot high mirrors. It is very long and I couldn't get it all in, but you get the idea.


Much of the expensive furnishings have been taken over the years (100's of years) during the many wars and occupations the palace has suffered. Our tour guide told us that there is a local society who are trying to get as much back as possibl.e However, as the guide said, to get all of it back there would not be enough money in France to buy it. Even if France itself were sold! So you can imagine the worth of the items taken.

Finally, here is one of the front yard! (No lawns to mow, which I think is a great idea!)




This blog entry has been viewed 4578 times


Paris with pics

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:10 pm

Ok, here are some pics.

Firstly, I had to take a photo of this house. The front is flat except for a sewing room stuck out the front. It has obviously been added on later.
The interesting thing is that it is about 1 foot from the road! It is actually built on the footpath. Too bad if you are in there sewing one day and a truck makes an over correction artound the corner!


Here is a typical suburban area just outside Paris.


In Paris itself. One thing I noticed that, on nearly every corner, there was a massage parlor. In Australia we have an abundance of pubs. In Paris its massage parlors.


The view of Paris from our motel room.


We went to the Eifell Tower at night, on the way to our restaurant.


And then we went back in the morning so we could climb it.


We went to the second level. It was a bit overcast that dy, so the pics did not come out the best.

And one cannot visit Paris and not have snails and frogs legs for dinner! Actually the snails were very nice, there wasn't enough of them though!









This blog entry has been viewed 4002 times


On to Paris.....

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:37 am

From there we journeyed to Paris.

Now, I gotta say, Paris is CRRAZY!! I thought the drivers were bad in Italy. Paris tops them by miles! There is only one rule - THERE ARE NO RULES. Anything goes.

If you want to park in the middle of the lane and duck into the shops - feel free. If you can't find a park, simply bump someone else out of theirs! True. they even have a name for it - tamping. Everyones bumper bar is is all buckled where they have either tamped - or been tamped.

Most people leave their cars out of gear and with the handbrake off, as repairs to gearboxes and brakes after being tamped are expensive.

(Having problems with my server at present so will upload pics later)



This blog entry has been viewed 426 times


Lucerne.....more

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 12:56 pm

Lucerne is a beautiful city. It is situated next to a huge lake, which we cruised on, and also at the foot of some spectacular mountains.

Here is a normal street.


And a typical house


In the middle of Lucerne, spanning the river, is a fantastic footbridge. This bridge is over 800 years old! It was certainly built to last


In the bridge, at each support beam, is a pictorial history of the city and surrounding areas. I wished I could read the language, but even looking at the pictures gives a good idea of the history.


The tower in the middle of the river was used for defense of the city long ago. It is now a small tourist shop.


Also, in the heart of the business area in lucerne is a unique sundial.
Not only does this sundial give the time of day, it also gives the month of the year.


A closeup of the sundial. Sorry, it does not adjust for daylight savings!




This blog entry has been viewed 271 times


Lucerne cont............

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:30 pm

After we had descended the Stransnehornbahn we were privileged to be able to have a genuine Swiss lunch at a local farm. (When Tour Directors find this sort of thing they very much keep it to themselves. If they told others it would soon become way too busy)

So, we went about 10Km to a great farmhouse. Half the group went for a horse & buggy tour of the village while the other half enjoyed a wonderful Swiss luch of a variety of freshly-made swiss breads, cheese, wine and various cold meat. It was very nice.


This is the farmhouse as we approached. Everything was so green! The rainfall is quite adequate and it really did look a picture.


After lunch, our group went on the buggy ride. We toured their lovely village. In Switzerland each village basically governs itself. There are national laws of course, but each village is very much responsible for it's own governance. It has its own council, and their equivalent to a Mayor. No other village may interfere in their governance.

The homes are beautifully maintained and there are piles and piles of neatly stacked firewood everywhere. Everything is SO neat.


Even though it would be cold in winter, I could live there tomorrow!

This blog entry has been viewed 334 times


Up the Stanserhornbahn

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:49 pm

The next morning it was on to climb the 1900 metre Stanserhornbahn! Not by foot though!

The first part of the trip is by cable train. A quaint and very enjoyable experience. The train ascends about one third of the way up.

Here is a pic.


And another of a far-away enjoyable moment!


On the way up.


From there we transferred to a cable car and then, on through the clouds, to the clear blue sky above until we reached the summit.


The view from the top is SPECTACULAR to say the least! 360 degree panoramic views.

Here are a couple of pics.


We even found out where heidi lives! ha, ha.


One final pic, my favourite. From here you can see forever. if you look hard you can see the Eiger mountain. At least, it is in that direction!






This blog entry has been viewed 413 times


From Florence to Lucerne

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:12 pm

From Florence it was on to Lucerne. We passed through Bologna and Milan on the way, although we did not stop, except for rest breaks.

The scenery in Switzerland is stunning. So picturesque. The Swiss have a saying. "Every direction is a picture", and it is true. Wherever you look it is worth a picture.
During our trip we took over 3,000 pictures, some were a bit blurry! But most came out OK.

Here are a few on the way to Lucerne, in Switzerland.

Finally, arriving at Lucerne we went immediately to the "Lucerne's Lion Monument" as it would be dark soon.


The Swiss have a long tradition of supplying mercenaries to foreign governments. Because the Swiss have been politically neutral for centuries and have long enjoyed a reputation for honouring their agreements, a Pope or Emperor could be confident that his Swiss Guards wouldn't turn on him when the political winds shifted direction.

The Swiss Guards' honour was put to the test in 1792, when - after trying to escape the French Revolution - King Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and their children were hauled back to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. A mob of working-class Parisians stormed the palace in search of aristocratic blood. More than 700 Swiss officers and soldiers died while defending the palace, without knowing that their royal employers - like Elvis - had left the building.

In the early 1800s, the Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen was hired to sculpt a monument to the fallen Swiss Guards. The sculpture was carved in a sandstone cliff above the city centre, near Lucerne's Glacier Garden and the Panorama, and it has attracted countless visitors since its dedication in 1821.

This dying beast is draped over his bent and war damaged shield, indicating his "commitment and honour to King, Pope or Emporer", and with a broken spear sticking out of his flank, signifying "his commitment unto death". The writing underneath is Latin (Sorry, I can't translate that!)

Here is a closeup view.








This blog entry has been viewed 302 times


On to Florence

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:16 am

From there it was on to Florence the next day.

Florence (or Firenze, as it is known by locals) is a beautiful city. It has many sights, the most famous being Michelangelo's "Statue of David"


The original statue of Michelangelo's David is located in the museum Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy, along with Michelangelo's other important works such as the Four Prisoners. The statue of David used to stand in front of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, but was later moved indoors. A copy of Michelangelo's David is now displayed in front of the palace.

Traditionally, David was portrayed after his victory, triumphant over Goliath. Both Verrochio's and Donatello's Davids are depicted standing over Goliath's severed head. Michelangelo has depicted David before the battle.

David is tense, but not so much in a physical as in a mental sense. The slingshot he carries over his shoulder is almost invisible, emphasizing that David's victory was one of cleverness, not sheer force. Notice his very large hands (this was one of the first things I noticed when i saw the real thing.) His hands, particularly his right hand is around 1.5 times the normal size.

Michelangelo was a citizen of the city state of Firenze (Florence). The national state of Italy is very young, and in the time the statue was made (between 1501 and 1504), power resided with individual cities.

Firenze was surrounded by enemies that much stronger and more numerous than the city was. When the statue of David was placed on the square in front of the city hall (where you can now find a copy), the people of Firenze immediately identified with him, as a cunning victor over superior enemies. To them, David was a symbol representing fortezza and ira, strength and anger. The statue did have intended political connotations for the city state that had recently cast off the ruling of the Medici family.

Note how David's character traits are considered more important than his victory over Goliath, which is why Michelangelo depicted him before the battle, strong-willed and ready to fight.

( Source: http://vlsi.colorado.edu/~rbloem/david.html )

Here are some pics of Florence.

This on from the lookout.


Again, Florence boasts a wealth of architecture and Cathedrals, many over 800 years old.


I also could not resist having a pic taken with a life-sized Pinnochio! People looked at me kind of funny!! Ha, ha




This blog entry has been viewed 465 times




You're reading one of many blogs on GardenStew.com.
Register for free and start your own blog today.



Blog Subscribers
glendann

View all subscribers


Archives All Entries
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005