Paris Recap #1: A Castle A Day Keeps the Medecin Away.

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Paris was the perfect vacation. I spent time with my boyfriend (aka "The Bunny"), rendezvoused with some very good friends (MLPR and FV), ate delicious food, enjoyed the sites (both new and familiar), and, importantly, took the time to BREATHE. Throughout my life I've been plagued by terrible stomach pains which no doctor or change in diet seem to be able to remedy, but I found that in Paris I was entirely without distress and it was WONDERFUL.

So, time for the recap. If you know me in person you're aware of how verbose I am, and also aware of how much I delight in telling stories. I have to divide the tales into a few posts, otherwise you'd be reading for a VERY long time. So, we'll start at the beginning...

Here is the Bunny, getting beauty rest en route:

Me: "Darling, wake up! It's time for breakfast!"
The Bunny's response?

Fortunately, he perked up when arrived.
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We were greeted at the airport by my dear friends MLPR and FV. As a student at Sciences-Po in Paris, MLPR spend her third year studying abroad at Princeton; I was fortunate enough to meet her at the beginning of my Freshman year and we've been dear friends ever since. FV is her delightful boyfriend who makes every moment more fun.

Trusting in M and F's wise Parisian ways, The Bunny and I allowed ourselves to be whisked away that first evening to the Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte, about an hour's drive outside of Paris. In 1661 this chateau hosted such a magnificent soiree that Louis XIV created Versailles out of sheer jealousy.


On Saturday evenings in the summer the estate is covered by 2,000 candles. Visitors arrive at dusk to watch the magical castle come to life as the sun sets, the candles begin to glow, and the bustling tourist trap dissolves into a chateau of one's own. (Truly, once it becomes dark you can't see the other people around you and everyone finds themselves whispering so as not to disrupt the peace; it's magnificent!)



A little princess romped around the grounds clad in a ball gown. Obviously I was jealous.


It's easy to feel lovey-dovey in a magical place like this (where Eva Longoria and Tony Parker were married, apparently):

Left: The Bunny and me; Right: MLPR and FV.

The estate offers a small cafe with al fresco seating, ample grounds for strolling, and classical music. Every August 16 they commemorate the famous fete (the one that made Louis XIV jealous) by hosting another party on the grounds with actors playing the parts of the prominent figures. Civilians are invited to participate, given that they dress in period costume. SIGN.ME.UP.
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In tomorrow's recap: Vive Le Tour!
Cxx.