My fifth week has been an interesting one, as I have begun my level C1 class at the Alliance Française. Contrary to what I had anticipated, it has been really great to switch up the dynamic of the class with another set of students and a new professor. Luckily, this professor is just as excited to correct us as the old one was, which again has continued to help my French.
Our professor has given us a lot of tips of the best places to visit in Paris, and she said that a must-do are the fireworks at Versailles each Saturday night of the summer. So, a group from my class decided to go this past Saturday. While I had visited Versailles before, I never got the chance to visit the gardens. When we arrived, we spent about an hour wandering through the maze of absolute stunning gardens and fountains. I had previously learned about the construction of the fountains in a class at Notre Dame, so it was so cool to finally get to see them up close, and let me tell you, they are impressive for technology from the 1600s-1700s…
After meandering through the gardens, we sat down and ate the dinner pic-nic that we had packed. I must say, eating a baguette and drinking a bottle of wine with friends was the most French I have felt yet…!
After our dinner, we took our seats and waited for the fireworks. While we waited, we watched flames be shot into the sky by little flame throwers that were timed to the beat of the music. It was incredible to watch, especially with a view of the castle in the background. After around a half an hour of waiting, the fireworks finally began. As expected, they were absolutely stunning. They lasted for nearly twenty minutes, and by the time they were finished, no one got up and moved, as we were all so mesmerized by what we had just seen.
It was certainly a night to remember, and one that I will always hold close to my heart! Below are some pictures of the night. Sadly, they don’t do it justice, but hopefully you will have an idea of what it was like!
