First Sunday

The second day that Anne and Mark were in Paris happened to fall on the first Sunday of the month.  Unbeknownst to Anne and Mark, the first Sunday of the month is kind of a big deal in Paris.  Most of the major attractions will open admissions to anyone, free of charge.  Hello!

Anne and Mark became aware of this little perk when they arrived at the Palace of Versailles and attempted to purchase a ticket.  No tickets necessary.  As you can imagine, this free entry policy draws quite the large number of visitors.  In the peak months for visitors, the lines and crowds on Free Sundays are nearly prohibitive.  However on the first Sunday of March, the weather was not terribly beautiful and, apparently, even free admission was not enough of a draw to overcome rainclouds for most revelers.  Most, but not all.  Anne and Mark reveled on.

The Palace of Versailles is one of the largest and most beautiful palaces in the world.  In fact, noted palace expert Anne (such an expert in fact that she actually uttered this sentence while in Turkey: "This is the fourth best palace I have ever visited.") rates Versailles as the favorite of all of the palaces she has visited.

"Best hall of mirrors you're ever going to find in any palace at any price!" - Anne

Anne and Mark walked the apartments and war rooms and throne rooms and whatever other rooms were in the palace.  Then they walked the grounds of the palace, which included a cross-shaped body of water large enough for the 18th century royals to have brought boats out there for recreation (mostly fishing and gondola-type activities - no water-skiing as that would not be invented until centuries later in a place called Lake City, Minnesota).  Finally, Anne and Mark headed over to the petit trianon, which is a residence on the same grounds that was a home to several members of the royal family over the years.  Some of the people who called this home were big names.  For example, this is where Marie Antoinette used to hang out.  After she lost her head, Napoleon made it his own.

Some of this might actually be doll furniture.

The room pictured above is the study/office of Napoleon.  Anne and Mark read this on a placard, but any reasonably-diligent observer would have figured this out just by noticing that the furniture is particularly low to the ground to suit the diminutive French leader.

After completing their tour of the palace grounds, Anne and Mark headed back to the city proper (Versailles is located just outside of town).  Back in the heart of the city, they headed to the Sainte-Chapelle church.

The Sainte-Chapelle actually has two separate chapels.  The lower chapel is nice.  It has a roof about ten feet high and several beautiful works of art.  This church was built during a period of very high stratification of society based on status and this chapel was for the poor people.  And, like I said, it is nice.

The upper chapel, however, is stunning.  It was where the rich went to pray and it is adorned with towering stained glass windows

Where the 1% pray.

 This must have been quite a disappointment for the poor people going to pray.  On the way in, they could see the huge windows rising to the heavens, but once they were inside, they found themselves in a nearly windowless and dark room.  Still a fine place to pray.... but not as nice as it looked from the outside.

The rich people, on the other hand climbed the stairs to a beautiful room flooded with stained-glass colored light pouring in from every direction.  The king even had a private room on the side of the upper chapel so that he could offer his prayers in this beautiful space.

The chapel itself was constructed for a very specific purpose.  I am not saying that praying in a beautiful church is not a purpose, I am just saying it is not the specific purpose for which this church was built.  According to the locals, this entire church was constructed to house the (actual) crown of thorns that Jesus wore on Good Friday.  The altar was actually raised so that the crown could be more easily viewed by the faithful during mass.

The crown that used to sit on this altar is still around, but is now housed in the treasury of the Cathedral of Notre Dame.  It is only put on display during Fridays during Lent.

After viewing Saint-Chapelle chapel, Anne and Mark decided to squeeze the last bit of value out of the first Sunday of the month free admission policy.  They walked the length of the Champs-Elysee (roughly translated as "The street where they hold the last stage of the Tour de France") to the Arc de Triomphe.

View of the Arc from about halfway down the Champs-Elysee

The Arc is a monument to some Napoleonic victory.  The little guy ordered the Arc to be placed right in the middle of town.  The Arc itself is actually mostly hollow and visitors are permitted to climb to the top.  Anne and Mark decided to go for it.  When they reached the top, they were treated to an outstanding view of the city.

View of the city from atop the Arc.