Hello. So, the other day we got together with some friends and headed to Fontainebleau. It rained a bit. But luckily it didn’t ruin anything for us. First we strolled around the park, exploring everywhere and then we grabbed tickets for the museum. There’s a pond there where you can take a boat ride. We saw some adorable ducks and the pond is teeming with fish. So many fish. There’s also a gazebo where people were hanging out and doing various things.
We then made our way to the Fontainebleau palace. Along the way, we spotted a golden gate. But unfortunately, it was closed when we got there. Claire was especially excited to see it. It’s golden and such an interesting gate. By the way, this place holds a lot of significance for locals. Napoleon abdicated his throne here in 1814. Since Fontainebleau is a key location in Napoleon’s history, the events and symbols tied to this place are an important part of French history. The palace itself is one of the places where Napoleon’s reign came to an end, so it carries a lot of meaning.
When we arrived at the palace, we found a written guide. It listed the names of all the rulers who had lived there.There were so many. The first hall was dedicated to Napoleon. There’s a gallery from the time when he was Emperor of France and King of Italy. Apparently they’ve collected a lot of plates here. I think they’re scenic plates depicting the castle. There were so many plates, it was almost overwhelming.
They told us that Napoleon’s bedroom was in this castle. The first rooms we saw had seating areas for banquets and there was another room with a fireplace. One of the carpets was so large and smooth that it completely covered the floor. But it turns out that wasn’t Napoleon’s bedroom. It belonged to someone else. So, we moved on to another room.
This time we entered the gallery of François I. Many different kings and emperors lived in this castle, so the architecture has changed a lot over time. Initially the rooms were in an older, wooden style.
There was also a ballroom, which I think was the largest and most beautiful hall. For its time, it was incredibly grand and ornate. People used to dance there. There’s an opening above the hall and I guess it was for the king or emperor to watch everyone dancing below. That’s just my guess, though.
And finally, we found Napoleon’s bed. This one is actually his, just as we expected. The bed is surrounded by mirrors, so it seems like Napoleon could admire himself from every angle. We finally got it right. This was his actual bedroom.
By the way, there’s a donation machine in the castle where you can contribute €5 if you want to support the site. The instructions are written in multiple languages.
We wrapped up our tour of the castle, though not every part of it was open. The interiors were fascinating. The furniture and rooms were stunning. But the exterior is a bit plain. It’s the opposite of the Loire Valley castles, which are breathtaking from the outside but not as impressive inside. We saw so many couples taking photos, especially on the stairs. It’s really a beautiful spot.
After all that walking, we decided not to go anywhere else that day because we were exhausted. We grabbed a quick meal and then retreated to our room to rest. The next day, we thought we’d do a bit of shopping. We visited a Korean store and picked up some cosmetics, stopped by a bakery for pastries and then hit up a Japanese market for some food. In Paris, it’s fun to explore these international spots. The weather wasn’t too bad, but then it suddenly started raining. Just a few drops at first. They did say it would be like that all week, though.
At the end of the day, we found ourselves at this really old cinema called Grand. It’s such an old-school place, but it recently reopened after being restored. Honestly, it’s super fascinating. By the way, the second part of Inside Out had just come out, along with Despicable Me and The Count of Monte Cristo.
Oh and Claire told me about something new. Apparently, there’s this collectible trend in Asia right now that’s super popular. Tiny figurines you can attach to your phone. Everyone seems to have them on their phones. I’d never seen anything like it before, not even in Lyon. It’s such a unique little thing. But hey, now I know. It’s a trend.
These tiny figurines are basically little toys that clip onto your phone. The cool part is you don’t know which one you’re going to get when you buy them. They come in themed series, like sea creatures, but the exact figure is a surprise. This kind of collecting is huge right now.
On our last day in Paris, we finally got a bit of sunshine. We sat in a park and we could even see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It was so nice to soak up some sun, even if just a little. We’ll definitely be back here someday. Hopefully, when the weather is warmer.
For our final meal, we went out for pizza. A lot of places around Paris were completely closed, especially the areas near the Eiffel Tower. The Champ de Mars, which used to be such a lovely open space, is now entirely closed off with construction going on. When we visited the Champ de Mars, the whole area was surrounded by barriers. It used to be a spot where you could relax and wander around freely, but now it’s just obstacles and construction. It feels like some of Paris’s charm is missing because of this.
After Paris we headed to Toulouse, where we made some wonderful memories. I’ll try to share more about that in my next posts. Take care for now.
