Our day started out with the normal discussion of plans for the day. First up we talked about visiting a chateau outside Paris. Josette produced a list of the various possibilities. We discussed the many possibilites with seemingly no decision made. Last up was the possibility of going to a concert. After much discussion Philippe called Payel hall but got a busy signal for over half an hour. Buying the tickets over the internet did not work either. Once in the car our first stop was Payel hall to pick up tickets. Naturally the ticket line was long so the process took nearly an hour. So, now, we were off to .... Rambouillet.
About 50 km from Paris is a small chateau with hunting forests and lands larger than that of Versailles. A favorite of the kings, it was enjoyed by the son of Louis 14th, Louis 16th and Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon I. We toured the house which was interesting but not spectatular than walked to the "Dairy", a small ornate building where milk and cheese tastings took place in the days of Louis 16th. Like at Versailles, the ladies liked to play at the rustic life so they had their little "follies" built in the park of the chateau. The dairy industry was of interest to the kings, as well as the sheep industry (also there at Rambouillet) for money for France. We walked with a guide in the English Garden ( the landscaped area meant to look natural in contrast to the manicured floral French Garden) and came to a rustic folly, a thatched roofed rustic cottage. It consisted of two rooms, one a dressing room and the other, a round salon totally walled in shells of all kinds in beautiful patterns. It was absolutely magnificent. Designed just befor the Revolution, it has remained untouched and in perfect condition since the late 1700's. (sorry about the tipped photos).
No comments:
Post a Comment