clips from my trusty journal:
Friday, February 16, 2018
Jeff and I both were awake from jet lag at 3am today, so we slowly got going and eventually left for Versailles, aka the temple, by 7am. It took 90 minutes to get to Versailles via public transportation, and we checked out the glinting golden gates of the palace before walking over to the temple "next door" (aka 1.5 kilometers from a side gate out of Versailles' massive grounds). The mist was rising off the fields behind Versailles and when we slipped through the gate, it was like stepping back in time: pure magic. I learned that Versailles keeps fields of sheep. They looked satisfyingly rustic, grazing in the misty fields in the slanting early morning sunlight.
We went inside the new Paris Temple today: a dream come true at long last for Jeff. I was so nervous because...FRENCH, but it all worked out great with a handy translation headset. It was a beautiful day, beautiful temple, and a beautiful session with my manly-beautiful husband. Being a Mormon is merveilleuse!
One of the things I love about traveling is seeing the variety of people. In our temple session, we had French speakers, Portuguese and English speakers with headsets, and a even a person in a wheelchair. We were all very different but we were united in purpose during the temple session and I could feel God's love for each of us.
I loved my translation head set at the temple! I turned the head phones down just enough so I could listen to the French playing over the main speakers, with a soft English voice-over playing in my ear. It made me feel like I was awesome and understanding French like a pro!
In the temple chapel before the session, A man and his wife walked in and Jeff immediately got up and hugged him like a brother. It was one of Jeff's old mission companions! Not only were they companions, Jeff was his trainer! It was a happy reunion. Daniel is Portuguese but he and his wife live in Paris. It made my heart glow to see Jeff so happy. We talked a little in the celestial room after the session, and then they went to do some more temple work while Jeff and I went to check out the visitor's center.
As we walked in to the empty visitor's center, we were greeted with an enthusiastic "hello!" from a French senior missionary couple who live in Nantes. Elder Saint-Jean was effusive, witty, friendly, and FRENCH to the bone. He asked us if we spoke French, and then delightedly began a conversation, promising to speak more slowly for my benefit when Jeff explained that I understand French better than I speak it. It was an absolute mental workout to even attempt keeping up with his informational speech about a gorgeous life sized stained glass window of Jesus Christ that is in the visitor's center. He told us all about the different styles of glass and how it was colored and cut. I couldn't repeat any of the information because it was all delivered in French, and it took all of my mental energies to keep up with the topic! One detail I remember because he said it in English too: the shiny thicker pieces in the window, used mostly as centers of flowers are made of thick cut agate. It was beautiful--I loved all of the stained glass in the temple.
We stood in the visitor's center for an hour chatting with Elder Saint-Jean. By "we," I mean Jeff did the talking while I stood next to him with slightly glazed eyes, frantically plumbing my French vocabulary to keep up with the conversation. My jet lagged brain blew a fuse about 2/3 of the way through when Elder Saint-Jean forgot/stopped speaking slowly, and at one point I told him that Jeff and I weren't married, just friends. Whoopse. Jeff bailed me out. I was taking every French word so literally, that when asked if Jeff and I were friends, I automatically said oui, without reading further into the meaning behind "just friends." In the way of blunders, it was quite mild, but I do not like feeling so behind/dumb/confused/lame!
After our [Jeff's] conversation with Elder Sainte-Jean, he insisted on taking three pictures of us in different poses in front of the stained glass window, then we said our goodbyes. One small loop around Versailles revealed that the restaurants were all closed since it was 2pm. So we got a pain aux chocolate avec almondes for lunch, and although it was no three course meal, it was delicious and filling nonetheless. Versailles has excellent bakeries. We headed back to the train station and rode on back to Paris and our hotel.
Squinty sunshine selfie out front of massive Versailles palace.
Rewind to the view from our sunrise train ride out of the city.
Standing about halfway to the gates of Versailles palace, looking down the long cobbled courtyard leading up to the gates.
Large quantities of gold glinting in the sunlight is always stunning.
"A TOUTES LES GLOIRES DE LA FRANCE" written on the lefthand wing of the palace, above the columns.
These cobbles have seen so much.
One of the many walkways on the palace lands. We chose this one and hoped it would lead to the vicinity of the temple. Thankfully we were right--this was a massively long pathway.
Royal sheep! The scene from While You Were Sleeping where she goes to feed the cat in Peter's apartment kept playing through my mind: "Here kitty! Kitty kitty! Rich kitty!"
Along our walk, we passed the Grand Trianon, a "modest" home built for royalty to "get away" from the large main palace. I was shocked to discover that it is currently a HOTEL! Anyone can reserve a room and spend the night in the shadow of The Big Palace. What would Louis think?
Sheep in the mist. It was an unexpected slice of rustic amidst all of the royal-ness.
The temple!
Elder Saint-Jean insisted on three different poses with the stained glass Christus. It was cute, but I felt a tad awkward because these days photo-taking has gained a slightly vulgar/vain vibe in my head and striking different poses in front of Jesus Christ felt...vain in the moment. But I do like having these pictures. I think. It brings to mind the triangle of marriage: man, woman, God.
The centers of all the lilies are gorgeous chunks of agate.
1 comment:
Lovely misty morning photos!
And the the Christus stained glass window was beautiful -- the photos of you & Jeff standing in front of it actually illustrated the marriage triangle in an exceptionally meaningful way!
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