Parti à versailles

20 to 27 June 2016

This week started out as another normal week. There were a few fun things that happened and this weekend was insane.

This week was the first week with 2 days above 80, and boy was it was hot. With the heat, comes sweat. I do not understand how some people do not wear deodorant. Let’s just say the metro was hot, steamy, sweaty and really smelly. Thank god it was only hot for 2 days in a row.

With that, this week started the Soldes, which are the sales. It is practically impossible to find a sale rack in Paris. But from June 22nd to August 2nd ALL stores have sales. And the closer you get the August, the better the sale gets. Needless to say we did some shopping this week.

Since the weather was so nice, we decided to have dinner outside a few nights. We opened up our table and set up the computer to keep watching House of Cards. I could get use to the view for dinner each night.

Dinner with a view, our view

So this weekend, as we went to the Grand Masked Ball at Versailles. But first, we needed to pick up our costumes. We went to Sommier, which was recommended to us by friends. We picked up our costumes on Friday night. It look us a bit to get them. But it is a good thing we went together, because they are heavy.

Saturday, we did our normal activities of going to the market, grocery store, etc. Jer watched a bunch of Euro Cup soccer and I kept him company while reading a book.

But we knew, we needed to start to get ready early (I had to figure out how to do my hair).

So you may ask, how did we hear about the Ball. From some other expats we had met which in Paris, they had already bought their tickets to go. We were invited to join them as they had gone to the event last year and said how much fun they had. We went with 6 other couples.

Getting ready for me consisted of actually putting on make up (for the first time since we moved). I had to remember where my eye liner was. Then came the hair. In the 1700’s people wore large powdered white wigs that were massive. We did not get wigs but I wanted to have some big hair. For all those who know me, I have 2 hair styles, straight down and a pony tail. So doing my own hair was interesting. Since my hair has no volume, I started by adding an ‘apparatus’ to my hair. This was a beer box that I cut up to make a bump under my hair. It kind of worked, but I nixed the idea. Then, thanks to Pinterest, I decided to make my hair big on my own. I back brushed pretty much the entire crown of my hair, I felt like Snookie, but it worked! I had VaVaVa-Volume (brushing it out the next morning was not fun). I then pinned all my hair from a pony tail. I must say it actually looked kinda nice.

So we got ready at home and rushed to meet everyone at Invalides to take pictures before we got on the RER C to Versailles. We looked like a spectacle. Here are 12 people, in the middle of a park, dressed up like Marie Antoinette’s entourage. Needless to say, people were taking lots of pictures of us. The polite people asked, other just took them.

We then all headed onto the RER C out to Versailles. Since we were dressed up, I had some giant hips. I was about 3 times wider than I normally am due to the lovely metal and fabric contraption. So sitting in a seat was a challenge on its own.

After the 40 minute train ride, we arrived at Versailles. We stopped at the front gates for a photo op. Check them out below

The ladies

The guys

Us

Here are some of the details from our costumes up close.

We mingled with the commoners (people not dressed up) for the firework and light show which was beautiful.

Fireworks in the gardens at Versailles

We then made our way into the party. Costumes and masks were required to get in. If you did not have a mask, you could not get in. So our mantra was, no one knows who I am and I will never see them again. Also, security wasn’t too crazy. There was little to no food and drinks sold, so smuggling it in is necessary. We tied bags to my fake hips, under my skirt. We also had a Camelback full of wine strapped to Jer’s back so that was a little easier to hide and we had access to the drinking tube over his shoulder. I would recommend having a belt that we could then loop the bags onto, if we ever go again. But it is rather entertaining that ever time you need a drink or food, you pick up your skirt (don’t worry, I had pants on underneath).

Since the party started at 23:30, we new we would need lots of booze and food to keep us going until 5:30, when the first train ran from Versailles back to Paris.

We partied all night. It was insane. There were dancers and acrobats.

Large light up horses on stage

We then spent some time outside in the gardens where there was a fire pit. I may have even taken a load off in the grass (and tried to take a nap).

We took the train home at just before 6 the next morning. It was full of Zombie looking people from the 1700’s.

We got home and slept for the rest of the morning. We then moved from the bed to the couch to watch France play their round of 16 match and more House of Cards. Needless to say, we did not do much on Sunday. But Saturday was something else.

– Kasey

What I learned this week:
1) As soon as it gets hot, clothing changes drastically
2) People don’t not wear deodorant
3) Sales are like Christmas morning
4) Getting on the train with large fake hips, sucks, especially the turn styles
5) Party like its 1716