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Adventureland at Disneyland Paris

by Mark Eades December 1, 2020

A swashbuckling host at the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris.

Time for a salty old look at Adventureland, Disneyland Paris style.

Two things immediately come to mind when wandering through Adventureland at Disneyland Paris. The first is that there is no “Jungle Cruise.” The second is that it is about adventures. Such that all the attractions are either about going on an adventure, or having one. Does it work? For the most part, yes. Though for me it is a little jarring to see the characters of Carl and Russell from the movie “Up” along the shores of a waterway. But then they are about to set out on and adventure, so it’s okay. But, where’s the dog?

A beaten down castle, was it fired upon?

This castle looks like it has suffered some damage, but what from it be ye ask?

The Paris version of the popular Disney attraction.

Keep a weather eye matey, thar be pirates ahead. The sign is in English, curious as to why it’s not in French. C’est la vie.

Some fun loving hostesses at Pirates of the Caribbean.

I’ve said it before, the folks that work at the parks in Paris are definitely fun, happy and seem to have a lot more fun; making the adventures and the experience more fun. They definitely know they are “on stage” and “perform” brilliantly.

I did go on Pirates of the Caribbean in Paris. That’s me in the top left, and partially hidden is my wife, Donna. For the most part it feels more like the version at Disneyland, and that is good. There is a mood setting portion after boarding the boats, which I like. But…the drop is in a strange place in relation to the ride itself. I guess my familiarity with the one in California throws me off. Perhaps one day I will get to see the one in Shanghai, which doesn’t try to copy it as much at all. Just about everything there was working well, including the dueling pirates – that’s a plus in my book.

I don’t think that was the original name of the restaurant, which basically is a pirate version of the Blue Bayou. The queue for the attraction and part of the boat canal wraps around the dining area, which is a real plus. I did not have time to dine there. It was a very rushed day.

The pirate theme carries over to a walk around “discovery type” of attraction called “Adventure Isle.”

Pontoon Bridge to and from Adventure Isle.

Adventure Isle is essentially the Paris version of Tom Sawyer Island. It has both a pontoon bridge and a suspension bridge, just like that at Disneyland.

The two bridges will also lead guests to a Treehouse.

There are a number of caves throughout Adventure Isle to explore, all with an eye towards the pirate theme.

Pirate Treasure Grotto on Adventure Isle

This, then, has been my look at Adventureland at Disneyland Paris. Overall, I do like the land, and exploring Adventure Isle. I did not have time to get to the Indiana Jones themed roller coaster attraction. My kids (all adults) did ride it. They reported that it looked like it came right out of one of the Indiana Jones’ movies. Though they were disappointed it wasn’t more like the mine car ride in the second movie. They also said it was a very rough but, thankfully, short ride.

To read about Frontierland visit this link.

Read about Discoveryland at this link.

Here is the link to read about the Paris version of Main Street.

December 1, 2020 0 comment

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Frontierland at Disneyland Paris

by Mark Eades November 24, 2020

The entrance to Frontierland at Disneyland Paris looks and feels like a throwback to the Frontierland as it used to be at Disneyland in California, starting with the entrance to the land. You enter through the same style “entrance” to a frontier fort.

Indian Village in Frontierland at Disneyland Paris.

On the right, just before you enter Frontierland, sits a Native American Village – just outside the fort’s walls.

One thing feels familiar, the river. Now it’s not the “Rivers of America.” Rather, it’s the Western Rivers. Yes, there is a paddlewheeler that plies the river (sorry, I didn’t get photo in my one short day in the park.) but that’s where the similarities end. Because where it should be Tom Sawyer Island, it is, instead, Big Thunder!

That’s right, the majority of the attraction is on the island. But you don’t get to the ride via a raft. That’s because the station for the attraction is on the mainland.

Some of the mining gear in the Big Thunder queue area

The queue line for Big Thunder is similar to others in that it has a number of mining artifacts sprinkled throughout.

As you can see, the trains are pretty much like all the others, complete to the ties in the rails. You might be able to see at the back of the train that it is coming up out of a tunnel. That’s the return from the island, which makes for a much more dynamic finish to the ride than the one here or in Florida. Riders also get to the main part of the ride via a tunnel as well. But beyond that the ride dynamics on the island are pretty much the same as both parks here in America.

Here are some of the shops in Frontierland, right across from Big Thunder. The colors in France for Frontierland are, with one exception, much brighter and bold.

The shops in Frontierland pretty much contain the same type of merchandise as found at most Disney theme parks.

Phantom Manor is Paris Disneyland’s version of the Haunted Mansion. But unlike other parks, designers decided to make the house appear a lot darker and eerier, almost rundown. It’s okay, though I’m not sure I agree with their choice of using a cliche approach to a haunted house. That’s what makes Disneyland’s so interesting; the house is not dark and eerie and definitely not rundown looking from the outside.

The attraction cast members at Paris Disneyland were really into their role. Here this hostess always maintained an Edgar Allen Poe type of demeanor, and it worked. Others on the attraction were similar into their approach, though I didn’t really understand what they were saying in French. But the fact that they were all into it says plenty about the quality of Cast Members there. They were great!

This interesting building’s backstory is supposedly where the “bride” from the manor would host tea for visitors. Obviously she’s not there, but the tea set sits – waiting for her return from the hereafter. The bride character is a major part of the Phantom Manor story, though I think it’s overwrought in the current version and hard to follow.

Just like California’s Haunted Mansion, the queue line heads up to the side of the house before moving around front for entry into the attraction. Here you can see the deliberate approach to making the house exterior look rundown. Inside the attraction many things are the same to a point. There’s the stretching room then you board the omnimovers to go through the house then into the graveyard. However, there is a long scene set in a haunted western ghost town that is, well, strange. It’s definitely different and I guess it was added to ground the attraction in a western Frontierland.

It wouldn’t be Frontierland unless there was a shooting gallery, and this one seems to be pretty popular.

I did not have time, but word is that this steakhouse is pretty darned good. It is, appropriately, located in Frontierland and does require reservations. The prices are in line with a higher end steakhouse too, but I wish I had had the time to dine there. Oh well, next time.

Read about Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris at this link.

You can read and see photos of Main Street at Disneyland Paris at this link.

November 24, 2020 1 comment

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Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris

by Mark Eades November 23, 2020

It wasn’t called Tomorrowland, it was named Discoveryland. This Paris version of Disneyland pays an homage to Jules Verne.

The entrance to Discoveryland from the hub at Disneyland Paris.

If you’re wondering Tomorrowland in California got its look from for the redo in the late 90s, look here at Paris Disneyland. Finally, the Imagineers got the message in California and got rid of this look, but it lives on in Paris. It has not really stood the test of time as much as the park’s designers thought it would. Part of the problem is that it is too open. Secondly, there is no real reason to carry the look throughout the area.

Space Mountain anchors one area of Discoveryland.

This is the Paris Disneyland version of Space Mountain. It’s a very ornate look. The problem? The ride is actually (at least at this time which was February 2020) Hyperspace Mountain. It was meant to be an ode to the time of Jules Verne and the old silent 1902 movie “A Trip to the Moon.” So the exterior decor does not set up the actual “space journey” at all.

Discoveryland’s Space Mountain queue line decor.

Inside the queue line above the load area of Space Mountain, the theming matches the premise of being from the time of Jules Verne and the 1902 movie. It is very ornate. But, at least during this visit, the ride itself does not match up at all.

The intricacy and ornate “Jules Verne” inspired look continues throughout, nice consistency. But no fit at all with Star Wars, which is what the ride had been converted into.

One of the original attractions in the area was a walk-through attraction whereby guests walk down inside the Nautilus based on the Walt Disney film, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” To be honest, this is about the only thing, other than a fast-food dining facility, that fits the Jules Verne design theme in Discoveryland.

The look for this fast food facility was taken, almost directly, from the Walt Disney Productions film, “Island at the Top of the World.” Interesting look. The film was a big flop. So, lots of money spent on a look and where it’s located doesn’t really work to draw people out to it at all. Someone was determined to finally put this into a Disney park and did. Oddly enough, there was a model/design done to put this into Disneyland way back in the 70s. But fortunately, management back then knew better.

The Disneyland version of this attraction is essentially the same as this one in Disneyland Paris. It is surrounded by the “french fry” rocks like Disneyland’s was. But it doesn’t work as well as it makes it hard for guests to take pictures of their family on the attraction. In my book, this is a failure of basic Disney design and the original designers should have known better.

They have an Autopia at Disneyland Paris. My question is why? Other than people like to ride the gas-powered cars. But this was an opportunity lost. If they wanted it to fit in with the theming, perhaps more thought should have been put into what they attraction was to be, and come up with a unique look for the cars. Why didn’t they? Cost. Sad.

At least for Star Tours the designers did not try to give it the Jules Verne look for the attraction building or the interior queue space. It’s the same as all the others, though it is in French. Yes, that’s me with the attraction hostess at the entrance. Of course, not sure how Star Tours fits in with a Jules Verne themed land.

This photo op of the characters from the Disney/Pixar movie “WALL-E.” They were obviously planted along one of the giant walkways to give guests a chance to be photographed with, but somehow doesn’t totally fit in the Jules Verne style theming of Discoveryland.

This building was originally the home for “Le Visionarium,” a Circlevision-360 style attraction. I spent three and a half months mostly inside that building overseeing the installation, programming and more as the Show Producer. I was not the original Show Producer on the project, but in August of the year before the park opened, I was given that job by Mickey Steinberg and Marty Sklar. At that time the attraction was not going to open with the park, even though it was mandated by contract with the French government. In fact, the schedule at the time said it would open four months late.

My mandate from Marty and Mickey was to do what needed to be done to try and get it done on time for the park’s opening day. I did a lot of persuading, cajoling, darned near got into a couple of fist fights and more. But when all was said and done, I delivered the project to operations a week before opening.

Yes, some people were mad at me, but I was in an untenable position. I was fully supported by Marty and Mickey to get it done – though other execs at WDI were not, but left me alone. At least for a few years after it was done.

My take on the film/attraction was that (frankly) it was not as good as it should have been. I fault the show’s writers and the production of the film. It was too contrived but that’s what they wanted – I guess. By the time I came on board it was too far along to really exert any influence on the direction of the script and the film’s production efforts; so didn’t try.

Yes, I rode Space Mountain and here’s a photo of the ride photo to prove it. I’m the one in the front right at the bottom. It is a fun ride and an interesting, if tight, ride layout.

That’s it for this part of my visit to Paris Disneyland in February 2020.

There are some who will disagree with me on my opinions of this land. Others might agree. Feel free to write to me via email to: markaeades@aol.com.

Want to read about Main Street at Paris Disneyland, this is the link.

Take a tour of Frontierland at this link.

November 23, 2020 3 comments

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Main Street at Disneyland Paris

by Mark Eades November 11, 2020

I and my family paid a visit to Disneyland Paris in February 2020, it was cold, but the park was gorgeous. So in this post, I cover Main Street.

The Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris

To get to the entrance of Disneyland Park, aka the Magic Kingdom, you walk from your hotel, car, train station or bus to this area at the north end of the resort’s Downtown Disney, then underneath the Disneyland Hotel. To the west is the second gate, Walt Disney Studios Park.

After gaining entrance, it is a very similar layout to the original Disneyland. You walk under the train tunnels and there you are in Town Square on Main Street. Sadly, the trains were not running this day. (Boo!) You can see a small band stand in the middle of the plaza. No flag ceremony here.

City Hall in Town Square at Disneyland Paris

While the layout is nearly the same, there are slight design differences. Notice City Hall. It’s in the same place but a different design. By the way, the streets are wet as it had rained over night, and while the skies are clear blue in the morning, we did have cloud cover and wind later in the day.

The home of the Main Street Trolley Cars

Unlike Disneyland in California, an onstage presence for where the Trolley Cars are kept is very visible. Because of the inclement weather that is present for a significant period of time (nearly six months) the cars have to be kept in an enclosed building.

A view of Sleeping Beauty Castle from Main Street at Disneyland Paris.

Main Street here at Disneyland Paris is all bricks, not asphalt. The Rails for the Horse-Drawn Trolley (not running this day) still run down the middle of the street just like in California. The castle is still called Sleeping Beauty Castle, but it definitely looks more like the one in the Disney animated film “Sleeping Beauty.” Sadly, we could not walk through the castle due to the high winds that day. (See the flag on the building on the upper left!)

One of the entrances to the Emporium. The statues are a little kitschy, but cute. The Emporium is in the same relative location as the one at Disneyland in California.

A Main Street Vehicle in the hub (Plaza).

The Main Street Vehicles are very similar to those found at Disneyland in California, and were running this day.

It is called the Plaza Gardens at Disneyland Paris, but it is in the same location as the Plaza Inn at Disneyland in California. Unfortunately, we did not have time to eat there as we only had the one day at this park.

Here’s a closer view of Sleeping Beauty Castle. You can see how much is looks like the animated film version. We got to this point just as they did the rope drop to open the rest of the park, and we were off.

Main Street at Disneyland Paris has side corridors running down both sides of the street and both are covered, which allows people to stay under cover from the winter time inclement weather and the park to stay open. Winter coats, gloves and hats are the order of the day there. But other than that, it’s like visiting Disneyland in California, only in French.

Want to see photos and read about the French version of Downtown Disney? This is the link.

Here is where you’ll find Part 1 of my visit to the Walt Disney Studios Park.

And here is where you’ll find Part 2 of my visit to the Walt Disney Studios Park.

The next land is Discoveryland, which you can find at this link.

Here is a look at Adventureland.

November 11, 2020 5 comments

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A visit to Downtown Disney in Paris

by Mark Eades November 8, 2020

Yes, there is a Downtown Disney in Paris, and like California, it is located conveniently outside the gates of the two theme parks. This visit is from February, 2020 before the whole COVID-19 stuff hit.

But it’s not really between the two parks. Instead, it serves as a buffer zone between the railroad station that serves Paris and France, and the hotels located at the resort.

The Disneyland Hotel is just outside the gates to the Magic Kingdom in Paris. To get to the gates you walk under the hotel.

The Legends Statue at Downtown Disney has the names of significant people who made major contributions to the Resort, either during construction or otherwise.

World of Disney at Downtown Disney of the Disneyland Paris Resort.

Of course, one of the first shops seen when going to Downtown Disney from the theme parks is the World of Disney. It is also very large and does seem to have a Disney style to the architecture.

There is a Rainforest Cafe and Cafe Mickey there.

Generally, the theming of Downtown Disney in Paris is, well, more outdoor mall, and not really all that great. But that seems to be true for all the Downtown Disney’s. But here, well judge for yourself.

That Earl of Sandwich sure gets around. They have outdoor seating, but as this was winter – no thanks. Lots of open glass in this building’s design. But inside it’s still just an Earl of Sandwich. I’d rather eat in Paris.

McDonald’s is here at Downtown Disney too. Offering a more economical selection for the budget conscious traveler. A bigger budget? Visit “The Steakhouse” next door. Not a very French name.

Here’s a better view of “The Steakhouse” and the neighboring “Billy Bob’s Saloon.”

The prices of The Steakhouse are more in line with a higher end steak restaurant. The saloon looked interesting, but I did not have much time to visit and did not go inside.

This side of Downtown Disney features a series of interconnected shops (good during the winter and other times of inclement weather), but it’s rather plain looking. But lots of windows from which to window shop.

Pretty easy to window shop, but the window displays were, frankly, uninspiring. Disney needs to make Downtown Disney more interesting. I know inclement weather in the late fall through early spring means stuff needs to be inside, but it could have been designed better to attract people inside and to wander the whole area.

We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge on property while visiting Disneyland Paris Resort, but just for two nights. (Really just one and a half daytime hours.) I did not have any time to get outdoor photos. But I did take two detail shots in our room.

The room was nice enough, but this was a moderate price hotel. I did get down to the bar and while the bartenders were nice and friendly, I had to teach them how to make a Manhattan!

A deer theme to the hotel wall lamp in the room.

I would have liked about four days to really see the place, but on a family budget (all five of my kids, wife and three significant others plus a grandson meant no.) it was not possible.

Ah well.

You can read about Part 1 of my visit to the Walt Disney Studios in Paris at this link.

Part 2 of my visit to the Walt Disney Studios in Paris is at this link.

Here’s a look at Main Street at the Disneyland Park aka the Magic Kingdom.

November 8, 2020 1 comment

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Touring Paris on the river Seine

by Mark Eades September 17, 2020

One of the best ways to see some of the sites of Paris when you have limited time is to take a boat tour on the river Seine.

The Brigitte Bardot, one of the tour boats on the river Seine in Paris, France.

This is not the boat upon which we floated on the river Seine, but I thought the name of the boat was really cool.

When we first set out on our river tour, the sun had broken through the clouds and the sun was shining, making for this picturesque shot of the Eiffel Tower.

Crowding the rail on the boat while on the river Seine

All the boats have heated indoor seating with large windows from which to view everything. Some of them have outdoor areas, but be prepared; it can be pretty cold out there.

Many of the buildings look like they’ve been around a while.

The “banks of the river Seine float along through central Paris and under many bridges and older looking buildings.

Paris, like London, loves its statues. Only here they put them on the bridges.

The river was “up” while we were there, which meant that the higher boats pretty much could not travel the river except between two bridges.

If you’re familiar with the series “Highlander” then you know some folks live in their boats or barges on the river. The building behind is some kind of museum.

Pont des Arts, also known as the Love Locks bridge.

This is the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge where lovers put love locks on the rail. Visitors to the bridge attach personalized padlocks to its railing and throw the keys away in the Seine River. A few years back the city started removing them, but it has not stopped lovers or others.

Everyone probably remembers the horrible fire they had at the Notre Dame Cathedral. Scaffolding was erected and more coming in to keep the building from collapsing because of the fire.

The sun peeked through the clouds on our return down river, shining some light on the Notre Dame Cathedral. Too bad about the fire, but they plan to rebuild it so it looks the same.

I’m not sure what this building is for the government there, but it has the tri-color flag on it.

Tour boats and other barges line the banks of the river Seine, occupying much of the space along the shores.

Don’t ask me the name of this statue. If you know it, feel free to contact me and I’ll update this post. The same with any of the buildings I have not identified.

Instead of the river Seine how about river Graffiti?

There are gangs in Paris, and they feel they are allowed to graffiti everywhere they feel they can, even on the walls alongside the river Seine.

This, then, has been our tour of the river Seine in Paris, France. In the previous post at this link about Paris, I talked about the food in the city.

We also took a tour of the Eiffel Tower at night, absolutely beautiful.

And then visited the Palace of Versailles.

September 17, 2020 1 comment

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Paris is all about the food

by Mark Eades September 15, 2020

One of the things your stomach thinks of when visiting Paris is dining, and there is lots of it. But first you have to get to Paris.

The Eurostar, the way to go from London to Paris via the Chunnel.

Instead of flying, we decided it was just as easy and more interesting to take the train to Paris from London, where we had been staying for nearly a week.

The Metro (subway) in Paris.

Once we got to Paris, we took the Metro to the station near the hotel where we would be staying while in the city. And I had made a big mistake.

Beware of pickpockets in Paris. They run in gangs.

I’m smiling because I’m upset. I stupidly had forgotten to put my wallet into an inside zipped up compartment in my jacket. When are large group got to the Metro platform for our train, a large group of miscreants surrounded us like they were young tourists – they weren’t. They tried to grab our suitcases and I was crushed by about five people. Then just before the doors automatically closed, they rushed out; almost taking me with them. But one of the group pushed me back inside the train. I even heard one of them say as the train started “I got a wallet.” I checked and sure enough, my wallet was gone. I still had my passport so I could travel but geez. We got on our cell phones as soon as we could get wifi, but Citibank noticed an unusual expenditure and had stopped my card right away. They did not try, at least not yet, anything with the two debit cards. We immediately reported all three as stolen. I also lost my health insurance cards, and driver’s license. Sigh, something I had to deal with when I got home. The only money I lost was the approximately $150 still in my wallet. Oh well.

The Metro Station near our hotel.

Well, that wallet was all that was stolen from our group. Moving on, this was where we came up from underground in the Montparnasse area of Paris.

The street signs are a little confusing to an English speaking ignorant American.

It was winter in Paris, so all the trees were bare, but still quite a few people out even in the cold.

Large intersections are all over the city of Paris.

The streets in Paris date back centuries from the horse carriage days. As such, there is not a standard grid pattern. People like me need to be on my toes so that I don’t inadvertently step out into traffic, coming from a multitude of directions. I don’t know what the law is about pedestrians in Paris, but it seemed like you obeyed the traffic signals, unlike many here in the U.S.A.

The Lenox Montparnasse Hotel.

This is the Lenox Montparnasse Hotel in Paris, and it is a charming smaller hotel. The rooms are very nice. They serve breakfast in the lobby (and it’s a good spread) along with pour your own beverages, particularly say a night cap of brandy. My daughter knew of this place from her job at the time as an event planner for an international company. I recommend this place.

Ways to get around in Paris.

Time to explore the city, but not on that. Look closer, it has two front wheels. No, I did not ride it. I walked around a bit.

That looks like a familiar place, just down the street from the hotel.

When I first stepped out of the hotel and looked down both ways on the street trying to decide which way to go I was pleasantly surprised to see this restaurant less than a block from the hotel. Those of us who worked on the opening of EuroDisneyland (now known as Disneyland Paris) should recognize the place. Many of us dined here multiple times.

Auberge de Venise, a great Italian restaurant.

I had looked up the place to see if it was still around before leaving the states, and it was. But didn’t know where it was in regards to the hotel we were staying at. I’d told my family that if we could, we should all dine there. We did, later the second night after a day on the River Seines.

The bar in Auberge de Venise dates to Ernest Hemingway, who had an occasional drink at that bar.

The food is still marvelous there as is the Tiramisu for dessert!

The streets of Paris.

I decided to walk around a bit while everyone else got settled in and check out the neighborhood. Remember what I said about the streets being a little confusing? And where to cross them. That part is very clearly marked. So as not to get too lost, I essentially walked around the block. But look at all the places to eat!

Cafes and restaurants everywhere.

This small place only had two outdoor tables, but I was on a smaller side street.

One of the larger avenues in the area.

You can see the cafe on the right has more outdoor dining.

Le Petit seems to be in the names of many dining locations.

It was cold out, so not so many outside diners.

A pizza joint.

This place had outdoor dining, and heating lamps, so some Parisians decided to dine outside.

A Whopper in Paree!

For those that do not wish to dine on French or other international cuisines, they can always go to Burger King and have the Whopper. Yes, that’s what they call it there.

Chinese food and a. movie theater.

There were many restaurants that had other types of international cuisine, all near the hotel.

Korean Barbecue

Korean, sushi, and many other countries are represented in this truly international city.

Smoke, is it smoking or the type of food? Probably both.

When I looked in the window of this place, I could see a wall full of cigars and exotic cigarettes, as well as tables with ashtrays, and drink and food possibilities. Ah well, that’s it for this post.

To read about our first night in Paris, click on this link.

Our first day had us visiting the Palace of Versailles.

The second part of our visit to the Palace of Versailles.

A tour of Paris from the river Seine.

September 15, 2020 2 comments

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More from the Palace of Versailles

by Mark Eades September 14, 2020

Yep, I have more photos in this post from the Eades’ family visit to the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France in February of this year (2020).

The first part of the photos can be seen at this link.

Doors are not small at the Palace of Versailles.

In a lot of ways the Palace of Versailles represents the extremes of extravaganza. The place is huge and so are the doors. The artwork on the doors is very detailed and intricate, with the use of a lot of gold. Two commissioned busts stand guard on either side of the doors, and check out the detail on that small table on the right. No wonder the French staged a revolution.

I think this statue is of one of the King Louis’.

Probably an ode to himself, King Louis XVI. The palace was his principal royal residence.

Yet another bust of a king.

The kings back then were very full of themselves, in my opinion.

The Hall of Mirrors, looking at the windows.

A large crowd in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Look at the chandeliers and the painting on the ceiling.

The view out the windows from the Hall of Mirrors.

If a king doesn’t like the view out the window, he can always change it to a large pond with fountains in the middle of it.

The mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors.

I stood at this spot for about a half hour to finally get a photo without a lot of people lined up to stare at the mirrors.

The windows in the Hall of Mirrors.

A lot of golden statues, each one different, line the window side of the Hall of Mirrors.

The chandeliers and the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors.

The extravagance and, frankly, outright decadence of the Hall of Mirrors reflects what the whole Palace of Versailles represents. At least it’s now a museum for the public to tour.

The tall windows in the Hall of Mirrors.

Not only are the rooms large at the Palace of Versailles, as are the doors – even the doors that open up out onto the balcony.

A very royal bed.

One of the royal beds at the Palace of Versailles. I think this one was for the queen.

How to keep time in a palace.

This very elaborate clock above one of the fireplaces is very ornate. I’d hate to be the timekeeper.

More gardens at the Palace of Versailles.

More of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. Look at the ornate hedges in this garden. I’d hate to be the gardener responsible for keeping them in good shape.

Another view of the extensive gardens.

The gardens are very large, as you can see from the people walking about them. We did not as it was extremely windy and cold that day.

Fit for a king to sleep in.

An ornate bed for a very ornate king.

The queen pays homage to the king.

I guess the queen knew her place in the king’s society. Check out how many handmaidens the queen has to assist her.

A war battle.

I’m sure this painting was of a battle that was won.

Another long hallway.

Both sides of this hallway are lined with extremely large paintings and a plethora of white busts.

Rene Descartes.

A famed figure in French history.

Richelieu an infamous figure from French history. Was he a good guy or a bad guy?

Cardinal Richelieu was vilified in a number of films, and of course in the short stories about “The Three Musketeers.”

A heavenly ceiling in the Palace of Versailles.

And with this painting representing the ascent to heaven, this then has been my tour (in two parts) of the Palace of Versailles.

Next up is a walk around the block near our hotel, discovering all the different restaurants within one block, and the tale of getting to Paris from London.

September 14, 2020 2 comments

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The Palace of Versailles

by Mark Eades September 13, 2020

When my family and I visited Paris in February of this year (2020), we did get a chance to visit the beautiful Palace of Versailles. It was a very windy and cold day, so we were limited to the main entrance and the inside and could not go out into the garden. Still, the palace is very beautiful.

My family at the entrance to the Palace of Versailles.

This was a trip with all our kids, all of whom are in this photo.

A street near the Palace of Versailles.

Of course to get to the Palace of Versailles you have to take public transportation which can mean a train, Uber or other. This is a street near palace.

An imposing building, built by a king.

Everything at the Palace of Versailles seems to be excess, but that was the era of Louis XIV.

I don’t know the name of this statue.

One can see that the sculptor tried to inject some kind of political statement about “on the backs of others” in my opinion of this statue at the Palace.

The Palace of Versailles has a very large entrance.

One can just imagine the various ladies in their large dresses and the gentlemen in their overstate outfits walking up these steps to visit the king.

A special place to worship.

If you’re the king you get to build your own place to worship, complete with organ. No, they did not play it for us while there.

Pretty good detail in this wall sculpture.

When walking the halls of the palace you can expect to see art of various forms everywhere.

Long hallways evoke the line from Jack Lemmon after walking one like it, “That was exhausting!”

Statues line most of the long hallways of the palace.

Statues everywhere you look in the halls.

All the statues were of various people or more. I couldn’t begin to list them and didn’t try to keep track during my short visit.

I guess he’s no longer with us.

I don’t remember it being a tomb, but I think it was meant as a way to honor a valiant knight.

The gardens of the Palace of Versailles.

The fountains were not running in the gardens because the winds were blowing very, very hard. The trams tours of the garden were also cancelled. This photo was taken from a window on the side of the palace facing the gardens. I wonder what it’s like to mow those lawns and trim those hedges?

Ceiling art.

Not just satisfied with paintings on the walls of the many rooms, the king had paintings done on the ceilings of many of the large rooms.

Very large paintings everywhere.

As you can see, the paintings hanging in many of the large rooms are not small at all.

One wall of paintings in one very large room at the Palace of Versailles.

When the room is larger, have even more paintings commissioned. Empty spaces are not something the king wanted in his palace.

Pondering the paintings is something many do.

The gold leaf above the huge “walk-in” fireplace and the huge painting caused this lady to stop and ponder her ideas for decorating her house, I am sure.

I hope you enjoyed this visit to the Palace of Versailles.

You can click on this link to see the photos and read about the visit to the Eiffel Tower.

There are more photos from the Eades’ family tour of the Palace of Versailles and you can click on this link to see them.

September 13, 2020 4 comments

Eiffel Tower England France London trains vacation

To Paris, city of lights

by Mark Eades June 11, 2020

Back in February of this year, I and my family were in London for 6 days. Then we went to Paris for a few days. But before we leave London, a couple of parting shots.

The Sherlock Holmes Pub in London.

I stopped off for a pint at this pub close to the middle of London town. I could not find Professor Moriarty. The pint was great. Then some sleuthing was done at the flat where we stayed and we found this in a drawer of the nightstand.

Those are not my wife’s unmentionables.

Obviously, someone had some interesting fun in the flat in London when staying in it the week before we were there. Well on to Paris via the train through the Chunnel. But when we got there, well, we had a problem. Or rather, I did.

Be very wary in Paris. There are gangs that work on grabbing your wallet.

As our family of 10 plus a baby made our way onto the Metro in Paris from the airport, we were surrounded by a large group of “rowdy” folks. Well, it turns out they were trying to steal our suitcases and more. Unfortunately, I had ignorantly left my wallet in my back pocket instead of an inside pocket like I had done the previous six days. The end result? The wallet was plucked clean. There were two credit cards, a debit card, my health cards, driver’s license and about $200 in cash. I discovered it right after the Metro train doors closed. My eldest immediately got on his smart phone and we were able to alert one of the card issuers. The only money I was out was the cash, but they very quickly tried to charge nearly $3800 on one of the credit cards. Yes, I had to get a new driver’s license when I got home and all the credit and debit cards were replaced. Luckily, they did not get my passport.

Now on to Paris.

The Eiffel Tower in its night time glow.

We absolutely had to go see the Eiffel Tower in all its night time glory the first night – after settling into our hotel room and dealing with the stolen wallet.

One of the legs of the Eiffel Tower.

You can see the stairs that lead up the legs and eventually to the top in this blurry photo. We took the elevators.

The view up from beneath the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower is very tall, oh and its darned windy and cold at the top – where we were headed.

Going up in the elevator of the Eiffel Tower.

Riding the elevators up to the top of the Eiffel Tower reminds me of the finale sequence of “Impressions de France,” a film in the France Pavilion at EPCOT directed by my friend Rick Harper. That film holds the world record for the longest playing film ever. It is marvelous. I am proud to have been associated with it.

One elevator then another.

You have to ride a couple of elevators to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The view from the middle level.

At the middle level you have to change elevators, so there is a moment to view the city from that vantage point.

Even higher to go.

Though the middle level of the Eiffel Tower is quite high, we’re going to go even higher.

Another view from the middle.

From the middle level you can see why Paris is sometimes called the “City of Lights.”

Elevator wire wheels.

One of the wheels associated with the operation of the elevators that take visitors to the top and back to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.

Not a Disneyland queue line.

Though not as busy, this is the queue line maze for visitors wishing to board the elevator that will take them to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Where is Shrek when you need him.

Gustave and Thomas

This is Gustave Eiffel’s office at the top of the tower. He is depicted here when Thomas Edison paid him a visit. He really did.

Going down?

Visitors to the Eiffel Tower can opt to take the stairs down from the top if they wish, instead of the elevator. I don’t recommend it.

The stairs start.

Here is where you actually start to take the stairs down. Again, I don’t recommend it.

Waiting for the elevator.

Since the Eiffel Tower is an open air steel structure, the elevator shaft is not really a shaft, as much as an open space in the lattice work of the steel.