Versailles and the Paris Temple

Careful map-combing revealed that the brand new, nearly completed Paris Temple was next door to Versailles, so on our last full day in Paris (January 18th) we took a train out thataway to take in some more French architecture. Last time we visited Versailles back in 2008, we did the requisite walk-through of the palace. This time, we set our sights further afield.

We bundled up in nearly every article of clothing we brought and hopped onto a bus, then a train, then another train out to Versailles. [travel time: about 90 minutes]

We didn't go inside Versailles buildings--this was a grounds exploration. We were pleased to discover that the grounds are free entry during the winter. Bonus! We walked, walked, walked all the way down and across to a side entrance to the grounds, exited, and walked over to the new LDS temple--France's first and only temple--about a kilometer down the street. It is still under construction. The open house is scheduled to begin at the end of March. There were fences all around the front so we could barely see the building, but we walked around back and saw more of the temple through the iron fence bars. It is beautiful! I was surprised at how small the lot it's built on is--no long grand walkway leading up to the temple. It's right on the street level, with a narrow rectangular lot behind it with what we guessed was a hotel-type building for visitors behind. I kept thinking how hard it would be to get wedding pictures with the temple in the background--there is very little space to stand around the temple. The sun was shining though, and the temple was glowing bright white in the COLD sunshine.

Cold is the word--we were freezing! The high was 34 but it never got there. The real feel temperature barely hit 26 degrees, and every time we turned into the somewhat constant breeze, it went straight through us! When we were packing for the trip, the ten day forecast was for high 30s, mid 40s. Not high 20s low 30s! That ten degrees makes a big difference, especially on the legs. The last two days in Paris we wore our running tights underneath our jeans for warmth.

After the temple sighting, we walked back to Versailles, stopped at a handy bathroom, and peeled off layers down to our running clothes. Carrying our jeans and coats in backpacks, we ran around the vast grounds behind the Chateau. We ran 4 miles without retracing our steps and barely covered a fraction of the area! It seems to be a runner's haven--there were a good number of people braving the cold to run while we were there. We looked funny, running with our backpacks on (and it was rather uncomfy), but that was the only way we could think of to be able to run and not freeze before and afterwards. It was so much fun running along the straight tree-and-topiary-lined pathways, around ornate fountains, and zigzagging through the pruned cultivated bosques. We could hardly believe how BIG the place was! Good ole Louis and his god-complex. 

We finished our run back at the chateau itself and quickly pulled on our extra clothes again. Jeff pulled on his jeans in the midst of the tourists ambling around! Haha, I went to a bathroom. With a last lingering look at the enormous palace, we headed into town in search of sustenance. By then it was after 2pm, so most places were either somewhat or all the way closed down for the afternoon, so we ended up eating a croissant each (Jeff--almond, me--chocolate-filled) and sharing a positive poem of an eclaire to finish. Those were the BEST pastries of the trip, possibly ever: flaky buttery layered outside, confection perfection on the inside. YUM.

The approach: I don't think that a camera lens that's wide enough to get the entire palace in one shot even exists. [Mrs. Blue-Backpack up front is me] 

This was our only non-self-taken picture together on the whole trip. While we were attempting to take a picture of ourselves with Versailles in the background (nobody's arm is long enough to accomplish that), a nice couple walked up and offered to take our picture. The man joked that they heard us speaking English and were so glad. The woman joked that the man just wanted us to take their picture, so he took ours first. They were so funny! I could not place their accent--not American, not British, not Australian. So...what was it? They asked where we were from, and then said "we have family in the United States--we love the accent!" I have never ever had any foreign English-speaker tell me that they love my American accent. I have to admit that I loved it! The couple turned out to be from South Africa--Cape Town. COOL.

 The sun was lighting those golden gates UP. We stood there staring at the brilliance for a long time.

Sun king 

Absolutely opulently GOLDEN. 

 Around back, we walked and walked and walked and walked. And took pictures of fountains.

 Poseidon, breaking the ice. None of the fountains were turned on in the freezing temperatures.

Having a camera with a good zoom was very helpful in this huge place... 

 ...closer...

 ...and closer.

 That sunshine looked so warm! It wasn't.

 Marie Antoinette had her own pink marble "cottage" retreat, La Petite Trianon. She also had her own rustic village out back, just for fun. While we walked and looked, Jeff kept saying "this is how to start a revolution." The sheer magnitude of the royal excesses was mind-boggling.

 Petit Jeff

 Out the side gates past la Petite Trianon, about a kilometer down the road, we found the new temple. Who would've thought that there would be an LDS temple next door to Louis' palace? Well, it's as next door as anything can be to a palace with grounds as vast as Versailles. 

 We were a little disappointed that the construction fencing was so tall and...opaque.

This inscription always gives me a thrill, especially when it's written in other languages. 

Around back, we could see a bit more of the building itself. 

After gazing our fill from outside the temple's fence, we walked back to Versailles and went on our run. Running with a backpack after all of that walking was hard work!

That speck up the canal behind us is the giant chateau. Biggest backyard ever!

Jeff looks way better in running pictures than me. I don't even look like I'm running, but I promise, I was doing my best--haha. 

One last post-run selfie back at the palace. We took more selfies on this trip than we have in our entire 10 years of marriage combined!

The GPS map of our run.

PS: I did a snot rocket at Versailles.