I have decided that I would have made an excellent queen of France. I could do a spactacular job at wearing beautiful clothes, eating delicious pasteries, living in a cheateau, and influencing my husband on deciding how to run the country. It is really too bad that I was not born a princess in the 1700s. I could have gone down in history as "Anna the Wonderful"
I came to this realization today as I was wandering around the jardin of Malmaison. We had off for the French holiday Amistice Day, so I took the opportunity to take a petit voyage outside of Paris! I love that I can live here, in a big, modern city - but then I can take the train only 20 minutes outside the city to a small little town that is home to the chateau where Napoleon's wife Josephine once lived. This is something so unqiue about Europe and I absolutely love it! Malmaison is the chateau that Napoleon bought for Josephine, his first wife. He used to visit her there on weekends, until their divorce. But I wanted to see it mainly because of the famous love letters Napoleon wrote to Josephine while he was away at war and she was living there. I've read some in the book "Love Letters of Great Men". (You know the one from Sex and City movie- that was not a real book, until the movie came out and every woman on Earth wanted that book - so they made one!) My lovely friend Kristin got it for me for Valentine's Day last year! They are truly some beautiful letters that he wrote to her. I highly recommend buying the book if you do not own it. It makes great late-night reading material - along with the Zagat of course.
So I arrived that the train station in the little town of Malmaison, where I discovered the bus there would be an hour wait, as I had just missed it. Alors, I walked! Which turned out to be wonderful because the little town is lined with trees that are changing colors for fall! S
o the gold, purple, red, and green leaves were blowing in the wind and creating the most scenic walk to the chateau! It is a very modest chateau, compared to the others I have been too - but very charming. I was quite disappointed that the top floor, which has dresses of Josephine's on display - was closed! It was very inconsiderate of them to close the most interesting part of the chateau during my visit! But, I was not let down by the huge, original, painting of "Napoleon crossing the Alps." It was stunning! I have always loved that painting, I think it is so dramatic and stunning, so it was very cool to see the original one hanging in his wife's old chateau. There is also a giant park next to the chateau, where I sat on a bench reading some of my book about the history of Paris while I watched a group of tiny French children running around and picnicing. They were so adorable and small. I love how highly their voices are - it makes it extra cute when they speak French!
o the gold, purple, red, and green leaves were blowing in the wind and creating the most scenic walk to the chateau! It is a very modest chateau, compared to the others I have been too - but very charming. I was quite disappointed that the top floor, which has dresses of Josephine's on display - was closed! It was very inconsiderate of them to close the most interesting part of the chateau during my visit! But, I was not let down by the huge, original, painting of "Napoleon crossing the Alps." It was stunning! I have always loved that painting, I think it is so dramatic and stunning, so it was very cool to see the original one hanging in his wife's old chateau. There is also a giant park next to the chateau, where I sat on a bench reading some of my book about the history of Paris while I watched a group of tiny French children running around and picnicing. They were so adorable and small. I love how highly their voices are - it makes it extra cute when they speak French! My next stop on my chateau trail will be Fontainebleu, the chateau Napoleon built for himself while he was emperor. I so enjoy visiting the Chateaux here. They are all different, each with their own history and story, and it is so interesting to see them. When I am inside, I can never get over the fact that this is where they lived! I am standing in the very hall Napoleon once stood. It is remarkable. I must say, he was quite handsome in all of his paintings! It is too bad that Josephine did him wrong and lost his love forever. It's like Josh said "you just never know if your husband is going to become emperor of the known world." Better be on your best behavior!
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