We live about a 15-minute drive from Versailles, so it's an easy place to take visitors. On Valentine's Day we took one of my oldest and dearest friends to see this historical chateau and to enjoy a Valentine's treat. It was such a gorgeous and mild sunny day! Tip number one if you're driving is to enter at the back gate near Marie Antoinette's Domain. You can drive your car inside the grounds and park for just 6 euros.
We didn't visit the domain of Marie Antoinette on this trip, but it is one of our favorite parts of the estate and another great option for when you don't have a lot of time. We also love Le Grand Trianon.
Tip number two is to read a little something about what you're going to see before your visit. The chateau's website has some great summaries of the different areas. It's a huge estate so if you're not planning on spending a full day you might enjoy your visit more if you pick the spot that interests you the most. Having a little knowledge about what you're going to see makes such a difference in your level of enjoyment.
You can choose between two directions when you walk into the chateau, and for a quicker visit I always choose the side with the Hall of Mirrors. I also take a picture of this hallway every time.
I love the rich green color of that wall covering.
Kristen came to us from Thailand, and we found an unexpected connection between the two countries we're living in at the moment when we saw a special display of a gift presented to the king of France from a visiting ambassador from what was then called Siam.
Tip number three if you're planning to visit Angelina's for that famous Parisian hot chocolate, chocolat chaud, is why not go to the Versailles location? It might be a little less crowded than on the Rue de Rivoli. Tip number four is to order the pretty dessert, and tip number five is to share desserts and hot chocolates because you can't handle the sweetness and richness all on your own!
Tip number six is to walk off your desserts in the gardens and take a few minutes to sit on a bench by the reflecting pool for a few minutes and watch the rowers and the swans go by before leaving.
Over the month we were home for Christmas we got to meet another new nephew. We've gained so many in the four years we've lived overseas!
I was browsing through newborn clothes in Monoprix when my newest nephew was born for something with French writing that couldn't be found in the U.S. I ultimately passed everything by because it said something like petite chou, and when I quickly Googled chou on my phone it said it meant cabbage, which confused me. I was pretty sure it would also confuse my sister-in-law if she Googled it, so I refrained from buying anything that day.
But when you're learning a language you should always ask someone who knows more than you, and when I finally did I learned that though chou is indeed the word for cabbage, it also means something like, "cutie" or "sweetie" or even the English, "poppet." I went shopping for Christmas with my newfound knowledge and now understood that this outfit proclaimed my newest nephew so cute and not so cabbage.
The French are not alone in using vegetables as terms of endearment. Much to her confusion, I've called Ella "little pun'kin" her entire life. Sometimes this was shortened to "little punk," which doesn't seem as sweet. Cue the pre-teen side-eye.
And now a few family pictures for good measure.
Trop chou indeed. If you've ever tried to learn a new language, what's been your favorite phrase or expression that doesn't quite translate literally?
