Shephard's Alley

Friday, November 26, 2010

Ver- sigh

I have over 200 photos of our visit to Versailles alone. It exceeded all our expectations, and was such a treat for our friends to share this with us. You take a train from Paris, very easy, because the train ends in Versailles! I was amazed at the colors of the turning leaves (above).

You can do the history if you want, I'll just share our photos.

It was a morning of brilliant sunshine gleaming off the golden gates.

Accidentally snapped this shot of our dear friends, Kido & Boulu . . . and I love it.

Once beyond the gates, the clouds began to roll in... but the sun still set the gold on fire! Zoom into the above photo.

I think about photos like this.. how rare... you really are capturing something when a certain kind of day and weather and light converge. Had we gone on a sunny fall or spring day, the photos would have been so different. I'm so grateful for the beauty I was able to capture.

Gold everywhere...

The stonework and decoration was wonderful....

Again... fowl weather was responsible for low attendance, otherwise I couldn't have captured the above vacant square... it looks like a movie set....

Inside the enormous, cavernous halls, artwork and sculpture everywhere....

Interior window view... I love how the glass and light turned the image lavender....

A couple more window views...

Are you ready for *Takashi Murakami* ? This world-famous Japanese artist had an exhibit at during our visit... and the contrast of his style with Versaille"s Elton-John-Opulence was disconcerting and funny and entertaining.

(details from the above piece)

In the same room... was this adorable, overlooked lion embellishment on the wall... I was captivated by his charm....

Unlike EVERY other museum I've been to, except maybe The Uffizi in Florence, you could actually take photos!!

We were never quite sure what the above was... some sort of Tuba Dog? Very shiny.

Boulu & Kido... in the hall of mirrors

I loved the soft, grace of this sculpture....

A riot of happy daisies!

Another window view....

This Murakami piece I remember the name of... The Simple Things... but these simple things happen to each be encrusted with Swarovski crystals....zoom in....

Grand paintings and busts....

I wonder if we were the only ones who noticed two men smooching in this painting...

I will call him Ben. He had a noble beauty that I couldn't take my eyes off. I love sculpture.

Window view....

Ben is ready for his close-up, Mr. Demille.

And lastly... a room that was Murikami'd to the nth degree. Lights, carpet, art.

Most tourists won't be as lucky as me to capture a handsome guy taking their photo tho.
Wanna see what the artist looks like? I thought you would. Here he is from this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:

We were almost ready to leave Versailles, and I could hear Mother Nature whispering in my ear... "Ok, are you through? Cuz I've got a deluge that's overdue!"