Sarah's Churchill Adventure: Gay-Fabulous in Paris

Cleaned up the house in Romenay this morning – glorious sunshine and warm. TGV from Lyon to Paris but of course the lift to the platform was not working so it just became a sweatfest getting all the luggage and Stella in buggy down via the escalator – after I’d lugged it all to the far end of the platform where the lift is. Then there’s the moments of blind panic when the carriage you need isn’t immediately obvious and you’ve got 10 pieces of luggage to get on the train that arrives and departs at the same time (14.17h to be precise). Massive stress then on the train and all’s well.

L'ascenseur ne marche pas

I love the Saint Exupery station in Lyon - even better from the outside

Cruisin' at high speed

Arrived in Paris, taxi to apartment and WOW the apartment is fantastic. Not only is it huge and gay-fabulously decorated but it’s also in a great part of town. About 10 minutes walk from Galleries Lafayette but also situated in an arcade that is part of a maze of lovely little arcades that sell all kinds of delightful eccentricities such as the French Goth shop that sells walking sticks with exotic handles (try a small skull for example), plus beautifully hand bound bible sized books for those potion and spell recipes. There’s also an amazing jewellery shop that is tempting me with a necklace made from sunglasses – I guess you’ll need to see that one.

Loving this apartment

The walls in the hall have these pics - painted - it works

For instant mess just add children

dinner last night

We went out for dinner in a little wine bistro in the arcades and the meal was good – not mind blowing but good. Anyway the area is great and the shops nearby are not chain stores.

So that’s yesterday and now it’s today.

Today Stella and I got up early (if you call 8.30am early – perhaps could have done better there) and went to Versailles. Stella has wanted to go to Versailles ever since we didn’t go there on our last visit 2 years ago. So I promised that I would take her – no boys, just the 2 of us. My parents took me when I was 11 and so now it’s her turn and she’s 11. Now I was fully prepared for this to be a torturous day with massive crowds and queues everywhere and so I was very pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong it was crowded but not like the London tube – well not like anything in London really.

We walked from here to Gare Saint- Lazare and caught the train – needed to use an escalator there but I’m sure if we’d really needed to there would have been a cunningly hidden lift somewhere at the opposite end of the station that we could have used. At the other end there was a lift but the station was about 2 k m walk from Versailles – there’s probably a closer station but it’s a metro line and not accessible in a wheelchair.

The weather was perfect and in fact quite warm. Entry is free for people with disabilities and their assistants (moi) and no queuing was needed. So we just waltzed up to the entrance and were ushered in without delay. From here the service continued in the same bend over backwards manner. I should say that we’re travelling with a large-ish 3 wheeled buggy (which is really a bit too small for Stella now) so it’s not always immediately obvious that the person inside has a disability – until you realise their size. The buggy is great for all kinds of rough terrain you encounter when travelling – the wheelchair Stella currently has is hopeless on anything other than flat footpath. So Geoffrey chose to bring the buggy, which has advantages and disadvantages. So aside form a few initial buggy related confused looks, the staff at Versailles were really friendly and helpful. We even got to see a few rooms that were off limits to the public but lead to the goods lifts that they got us up and down in.

As far as accessibility goes the place is less than ideal as it requires a member of staff to assist people individually but in a way this was all really rather charming as we got to have nice conversations with the staff and we felt like they really wanted to make us welcome …. So sometimes disability has its perks and as long as the inequalities exist we allow ourselves to enjoy the little perks with grace.

Stella’s favourite rooms in the palace were the hall of mirrors and Marie Antoinette’s bedroom. It was funny in the bedroom as it was incredibly crowded in this particular room and the attendant made an enormous show of moving everyone out of the way so I could push Stella right up to the barrier so she could see. Well she made the most of that and really examined everything in detail.

After the palace we had lunch (including chocolate mousse – yum) and then tackled the gigantic gardens. I was particularly keen to show Stella Marie Antoinette’s farm with all the cottages. The place is miles away from the main palace but we walked it – well I walked it and pushed Stella. Saw the petit Trianon and then the farm, which really captured her imagination just as it did for me when I was her age. It’s like a series of elaborate cubby houses – every young girls dream. Of course it all comes with the stories of how the Aristocracy were out of touch with the poverty of the people and how France is now a republic etc etc as we don’t want to get too caught up with the whole Queen/ princess thing do we?

We finished off with a couple of small purchases including some Laduree macaroons and headed home. Tonight we ate in – fancy French take away so we could enjoy the apartment and I could rest my very sore feet.

Stella went to bed happy – mission accomplished.

From what I can gather the boys spent the day at the gallery of indigenous art which apparently was also fantastic.