Macon (CA 132) - Naval Cruise Book

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You passed through the Salon de la Guerre and en- tered the Hall of Mirrors. This is flanked on one side by seventeen mirrors and on the other by seventeen win- dows which open into the exquisite gardens which have made Versailles famous. The Hall of Mirrors, you knew, had its place in modern history for it witnessed the birth of the German Empire in 1871, and it was here that the Versailles Treaty was signed in 1919. You were just a little proud of your own country when you learned that like WilUamsbuyg, Virginia, Versailles owed a great deal to the Rockefeller Fuiindation. For here was so much to preserve. Here across these once marble and now inlaid wood floors had walked princes, diplo- mats and generals from all over the continent who came to bask in the glory of the French court. Here also passed thousands of common folk who came daily to gaze on Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children. For Louis had an almost paternal feeling for the people of France and wishcil for them to share his glory. The immense and beautifid gardens have a vast dis- play of terraces, flower beds, artificial lakes and marvel- ous foim tains. The 2600 acres of gardens had been beau- tifully laid out by the famous Lenaurt. You remembei on the grounds the Petite Trianon made famous when Marie Antoinette all but moved there — for this was where the German-born princess spent her happiest days as Queen of France. When you again entered the great Versailles court- yard, you recalled that here on that fateful day of Octo- ber 5, 1789 the angry Parisian mobs had been allowed in the gates of Versailles. Only one day later Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette had left Versailles for ever, for both were beheaded shortly thereafter. Gone were the glorious days when princes and nobles would come to bask in the reflected glory of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Here indeed, French National History had been made. The French Revolution, the demise of the monarchy, the age of democracy, all were inextricably ])oinid in the history of Versailles.

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The sun was out now— the haze had been binned off and Paris was basking in an almost spring-like sun. Your hotel was just off the Champs Elysees. that broad tree-lined concourse bounded by the Arch of Triumph and the Ttiile- ries Gardens and Louvre Palace. For this morn- ing you were content just to window shop. Soon it was evident why Paris is the fashion center of the world, and it was also obvious that the wom- en who wore these fashions were no less exquisite than the clothes. You were impressed by the architectural splen- dor of the city whose origin dated to four cen- turies after Christ. How Paris maintains the new- ness of a carefully planned city and at the same time the splendor of a city whose history is also the history of the western world remained a mystery no matter how hard you searched for the answer. Soon it was lunch time and again Paris proved that French food deserves the praise it is so generously given. You left the hotel in the afternoon for the tour to Versailles and, immediately, you knew the day was going to be a good one. Her name was Nicole. She was your blond and petite French guide who spoke with an oh-so-slight British ac- cent. You were amazed at the wealth of inter- esting facts she revealed about Paris as the bus sped by the Arch of Triumph and out the Ave- nue de Neuilly through the suburbs which soon had you wondering just where Paris ended and Versailles began. Then you were in the city known as Versailles, a city which grew from a few country houses that existed before the Palace of Versailles was built. In fact Louis XII had his hunting lodge here in the 1630 ' s and 1640 ' s. Gradually the fabu- lous palace was completed by Louis XIV and the 2600 acres of gardens were added. Standing in the cobblestone courtyard of the Palace and looking toward Paris you were reminded of the Windsor Palace with its miles-long boidevard to London. Here, and there, the great men of Europe had come to witness the glory of some of France ' s most colorful kings. Upon entering the Palace you were impressed with the magnificent rooms which had once been filled with the royalty of France and thousands of servants who physically maintained the splen- dor known to all of Europe. The Palace today is still one of the most magnificent show places of Europe. The gilt decorations, scidpturing and painted ceilings bear the touch of the brilliant era of royal splendor.

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As ou dio e back to Paris along a modern super higliway it was difficult for you to reali .e that this was Versailles and Paris 1959 rather than 1789. Leaving the hotel again with your very lovely French guide, Nicole, you turned up the Chumps Elysecs, stopping before the Petite and Grand Palais which were built for the Paris Exposi- tion of 1900. You continued down the Champs Elysees, that most famous of all Paris ' many boulevards, to the Place ' de la Concorde where you stopped to view the obelisk which was brought from Egypt and is a sister of Cleopatra ' s Needle in New York ' s Central Park. You caught a glimpse of the grandeur of the Tuilcries Gardens, but not of their flowery beauty for it was still February. Crossing the .Seine via the Alexander III Bridge you drove past the French National Assembly. And along the Left Bank of the Seine until there, in all its majesty, you sighted the edifice which probably symbolizes Paris more than any other structure. It was, of course, the Eiffel Tower, which you learned from your guide, was built for the Exhibition of 1889.