Jour 11 En route pour Compiègne et Pierrefonds

What a beautiful day from start to finish.  All the students serenaded Mme Thiel with a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.   30 minutes later we arrived in Compiègne. Unfortunately the Musée de l’Automobile was closed for renovations but we saw several of Renault’s first cars and early versions of bicycles.  Multiple châteaux have replaced the original 5th century wooden structure.  Louis XIII fell in love with the peaceful setting and lush forests, but it was Louis XV who created the imperial palace as it is known today.  In fact it was here that he hosted an engagement reception for the future Louis XVI And his fiancée Marie-Antoinette. The furnishings exude luxury, especially the bedrooms ordered by Napoléon I for himself and the Empress Josephine.  In spite of their divorce, the construction continued.  Can you imagine how his 2nd wife, Marie-Louise must have felt sitting on chairs bearing the initial J for his first wife?  The decor reflects the style of Louis XV, his fascination with hunting and all things Chinese, and includes sumptuous tapestries from Gobelin ( Louis XIV).  We picknicked  in the park and learned to play tomate. Next stop, Pierrefonds.  Napoléon III hoped to transform this ruined stronghold into an Imperial Palace.  Alas, he abdicated, and the Château opened to the public as a museum in 1867.  Viollet-Le-Duc, renowned architect, restored the chateau to how he imagined it would have looked in the Middle Ages.  Picture Sleeping Beauty’s castle complete with turrets, fantastic beasts perched on the cornices, à double staircase and a cavernous basement filled with replicas of tombs of kings, queens and  others who have played a key role in this region’s remarkable history.  The kids continued to serenade us all the way home. We have two more days to build our treasure chest of memories of Senlis.  Stay tuned...