/**/ April 2015 - Travel + Decor + DIY

Chateau de Versailles France: French Glamour and Revolution

The center of political power in France from 1682 when Louis XIV moved from Paris until 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Chateau de Versailles or simply known as Versailles, became a witness of the opulent, glamorous and at times horrifying history of the French Royalties.

On my last full day in Paris, I decided to hop on a RER C train en route to Versailles Chateau/ Rive Gauch and see why this palace is part of the 'must see attractions' in and around Paris.

The main tip I got to prepare for this trip was to arrive early because the line can be very crazy'.

[caption id="attachment_2637" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust Walking toward Chateau de Versailles from RER C Train[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2640" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace My first full view of the Chateau de Versailles[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2641" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Tourist flocking early in the morning with groups of tour buses starting to line up[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2642" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Lined for 3 hours just to get in[/caption]

Finding my way to Versailles using the RER C train was easy. I arrived around 8am and the line looks like a scene from snakes and ladders. I spent almost 3 hours queuing just to get it. Although i know that 3 hours was a lot, I really enjoyed it because I met my first Travel Family, The Berangers.

They were French locals visiting Versailles for the first time. Such a charming family. They became my family for the whole day and until now I am friends and still in contact with all of them.

[caption id="attachment_2643" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace My lovely French Family[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2644" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Me me and me[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2645" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace A must during your visit! Of course a real (person) tour guide is still the best[/caption]

I must admit, I don't have any concrete clue about the French History (aside from a brief intro I got from the Louvre and a few references from Les Miserables :P ).Thank God for audio tours!

The moment you entered, lavish decorations and rich collections of masterpieces will welcome you. Rooms after rooms will transport you to the life of the rich and famous where mansions along Beverly Hills will look like a maid's quarter.

[caption id="attachment_2646" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace En route to discover the French History[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2648" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace French History overdose![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2649" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace French History overdose[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2651" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace With my French sibs! Jean Francoise and Laurent[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2663" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace The Hall of Mirrors Grand Ceiling[/caption]

One of the highlights of my visit was walking along the Hall of Mirrors.The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the palace connecting the private apartments to the royal chapel.  A grand hall with a stretch of mirror clad arches reflecting the window overlooking the luscious garden. Imagine this place fully lighted with all the golden ornaments shining brightly and you are watching the King of France with the royal family walking along the corridor. Whew, that would have been a scene. Apparently that was an everyday case during the time of King Louis XIV (correct me if I am wrong here :P).

[caption id="attachment_2652" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace The Hall of Mirrors[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2653" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace More of  French History[/caption]

Walls covered with artworks depicting part of the French History. Compared to the Louvre, the galleries in Versailles are concentrated more on French History. You'll feel overwhelmed being surrounded with these large paintings. Each relating to an important part of history.

[caption id="attachment_2658" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Hall of paintings?[/caption]

Like every museum tour, a break is a must! We had a quick bite of house sandwiches and --------> a french macaron. yheap---MACARON!

It was also an opportunity for me to know my new family. It is amazing how this trip became own of the best because of the people I met.

[caption id="attachment_2655" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Time for a break![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2656" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Oh yeah!! FOOOOOOOD![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2657" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Lyes, me and Jean Francoise[/caption]

After our tour inside the palace, we did a quick tour of the garden. The garden itself will require a full day of walking around. Because it was getting a bit late and we need to catch the train back, we decided to just tour around the fountain area and a bit of the sculpted box woods.

Take note, you'll have to pay separately to enter the garden.

[caption id="attachment_2654" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace The view of the garden from one of the palace's windows[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Latona Fountain: Illustrating Apollo's mother and Diana protecting her children against the insults of the peasants of Lycia and calling on Jupiter to avenge them.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2662" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Chateau de Versailles travelblog travel blog france paris wanderlust palace Minding his own business: Apparently this statue symbolizes one of the rivers of France.[/caption]

Aside from arriving early, my only tip when you are planning a visit is to read on the French History (youtube and history channel will help as well) as I can imagine how overwhelming to see the rooms and gardens where Marie Antoinette walked feels like. After my trip, believe me, I read read (and watched) everything about the royal family and the French Revolution.

To know more while you plan your trip to Versailles, check out the links below.

 Visit Chateau de Versailles:


Official Website


Official Facebook Page


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Dubai: ItzzAmazing Itzza Pizza

[blockquote source=""]...." Ate salad for dinner! Mostly croutons and tomatoes. Really just one big, round crouton covered with tomato and cheese".....[/blockquote]

Last monday, I was invited to visit Itzza Pizza in Jumeirah to try their special 100% wood fired pizzas. I was so excited for this day to approach because my blogger friends who tried it were raving about their experiences. They said that the ambiance was good and the pizza is one of the best that they ever tried.---so yeah, I've been looking forward to my visit.

I was asked to bring 2 of my friends to come along so I decided to tag my friends Marc and Zheena. We were joined by one of my blogger friends Myla of www.findmeabreak.com with her boyfriend Ricky (this is going to be fun!)

[caption id="attachment_2569" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Itzza Pizza[/caption]

I passed by Itzza Pizza several times whenever we go to the Hamptons and I always get intrigued with the interiors of the place. I am in love with anyting brick walled. Whether an old warehouse, a slightly demolished wall or a newly built one, I love how brick walls create a feel of manliness mix with old chic (hahaha --I don't know what I am saying now, but I hope you got it, for those who didn't, just forget about it). As a designer myself, I love mixing wood, terracota, earthy colors and a splash of an accent shade. This is what you will get inside this pizzeria. A homey interior that will transport you to an Italian restaurant in downtown New York.

[caption id="attachment_2570" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Itzza Pizza[/caption]

We sat down, catched up a bit and then followed by Katrina (the PR Manager of the restaurant) telling us everything about the the place and what they are offering their guests. What Itzza Pizza is very proud of are their fresh ingredients and their non-fastfood style of creating the perfect pizza. Yes, they are all wood fired!

During my trip in Italy, pizzas became my everyday go to meal. Pizza here and pizza there. You will never ran out of pizzerias along the streets of Italy. Although we have a lot of pizza places here in Dubai, one thing that I missed the most is the smokey, earthy bite that you can only get from an authentic pizzeria in Italy.

[caption id="attachment_2575" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Daddy Cooler[/caption]

Before we started ordering our munchies, we were offered some welcome drinks on which I ordered a 'Daddy Cooler' which is a mix of freshly squeeze orange, pineapple, lemon and cranberry.

We browsed through their menu and we were asked to select a starter, 3 pastas and a selection of 3 flavors for our 1 meter long pizza (more about this later).

We took a lot of Katrina's recommendations and I added a Caprese Salad because who doesn't like a buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes? (the answer is, a lot hahaha...but I am not one of them LOL).

For starters, we took  two Itzza Tripple, which is half portions of 3 starters. So all in all we selected 6 starters. We ordered: buffalo wings, bbq wings, shrimp and calamari, risotto balls, potato wedges and a bruschetta.

[caption id="attachment_2571" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Itzza Triple Starter Set - AED 39 each[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2572" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Bruschetta + Bbq Wings + Potato Wedges[/caption]

Among the selection, my favorite was the bbq wings. I think most Filipinos will like this because we love anything sweet and this is the sweetest  and juiciest chicken wings you will ever get. My Scottish friend Ricky preferred the buffalo wings which is a bit salty and sour (yes, it proved my point about how we Filipinos will prefer the sweet side).

Next item that I got to try was the Caprese Salad.  It is a mix of organic buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, black olives, fresh basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Although you have cherry tomatoes and small balls of buffalo mozzarella (normally they use the big ball and slices of tomatoes), there is nothing very tiny about this version of one of my favorite salads. It is very refreshing and will clean your palate which will prepare you for the main dish.

Aside from the color, I love how simple this dish is. Looks so classy and yes, very Italian.

[caption id="attachment_2573" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Caprese Salad - AED 29[/caption]

After the starters and salad, we jumped next to the pasta. We ordered their 'famous'  Wood Fired Oven Baked Lasagna, I said that is it famous because apparently all of the four people that I was dining with knew about this ---I was the only one living under a rock. The other pastas we ordered was the spaghetti Seafood and the Penne Chicken Alfredo.

The lasagna surely didn't disappoint. Creamy and (as our English friend quoted) very indulgent! Writing this part in my blog, I started craving for a lasagna...hmmmmmmmmmmm.....to diet or not to diet, that is the question!!!

[caption id="attachment_2576" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Lasagna (Wood fired Oven Baked) - AED 46[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2578" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Penne Chicken Alfredo - AED 42[/caption]

Alas, the king of the house arrived. The #ItzzaVeryLongPizza indeed. I think the waiter was having a hard time carrying it from the oven to our table. Good thing we sat very close to the counter. For our one meter long pizza we had a mix the of classics (norm) and  the new generation:

Buffalo Margherita (yey),


tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella topped with basil leaves


Diavola 


tomato sauce, mozzarella, salami, roasted garlic, chili flakes


BBQ Chicken.


bbq sauce base, mozzarella, chicken breast, mushroom, caramelized onions, capsicum topped with diced tomatoes


 

[caption id="attachment_2579" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Our attempt to have an Itzza Selfie![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2568" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Take your own Selfie!!! Check out the details below on how you can win a trip to ITALY[/caption]

Before we took a bite, we grabbed hold of our cameras and took a selfie. They have a running promotion right now which will give you a chance to win a trip to Italy, and Iphone 6 and an Ipad mini! Hooothooot. All of us joined, even the bloggers who went before us. Exciting! So if you want to help me win click on this link to like my instagram photo ^^ #ItzzaSelfie

You can also join. Check out the details at the end of this blog.

[caption id="attachment_2580" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian READY TO ATTACK! Our meter long pizza[/caption]

Once we finished our selfies, we started attacking this humongous smokey goodness. Our non-blogger friends felt tortured waiting for us to finish taking photos and it was very obvious by the way they grabbed on a slice of pizza.

As expected, the strong flavor of being wood fired to perfection was very evident. We chose our pizza flavors in a manner that we can try the very basic pizza which is the buffalo margherita  to the most adventurous one which is the bbq chicken. In between is the Diavola and because I love spicy, this became my favorite.

Each pizza is very rich in flavor, even the simplest of all will make you appreciate each bite. With the generous amount of fresh ingredients, this is surely a value for money. Best of all, it is perfect for sharing! Whether with family, friends and colleagues!

[caption id="attachment_2582" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Diavola Pizza[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2583" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian BBQ Chicken Pizza[/caption]

After devouring a meter long pizza (we didn't finish it...whew..that was LOOOONG)...Katrina told us that we should have saved up for their desserts. Well, if you have been reading my food blogs, you'll already know that I always have room for desserts!

She offered us two desserts which she said are both Itzza Pizza favorites. First is the Lemon Baked Cheese Cake and the other one is the Chocolate Calzone (with banana).

The Lemon Baked Cheese Cake is a delight. It is very creamy and refreshing (because of the zesty lemon bite). My favorite though was the Chocolate Calzone, as I borrow this again from our Scottish friend, it is " INDULGENT". Imagine a freshly baked calzone oozing with warm chocolate (I guess it is Nutella--not sure though). Whew.....Can I get another slice of this? Please please please???

[caption id="attachment_2584" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Lemon Baked Cheese Cake - AED 18[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2585" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Chocolate Calzone with Banana - AED 23[/caption]

I love our experience here. We tasted, although we dine here for free, looking at their prices, these are all very affordable. I can imagine bringing my friends here to hang out. If only this is near my house, it can be our alternative Central Perk (cross reference---> FRIENDS).

We had a good laugh and at the same time the staff were very accommodating. If you found yourself craving for another pizza, I recommend this to you.

Check out their promotions below: 


[caption id="attachment_2599" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram foodblog pizza italian Itzza Lotzza Savings![/caption]

Selfie Your Way To Italy


It is very easy to join. Check out the details below and you might find yourself hopping on a plane on your way to Rome. Pizza+Shoot+Post. As simple as that.




[caption id="attachment_2600" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Itzza Pizza foogram food blog pizza italian mydubai travel blog ItzzaSelfie[/caption]

Visit Itzza Pizza in These Locations and Contact Nos. for Delivery:


Dubai


Sheikh Zayed Road tel: 04 388 9422 | Downtown tel: 04 422 7797 | Jumeirah tel: 04 394 4212 | Mirdif tel: 04 288 8192 | JLT tel: 04 454 2805



Abu Dhabi


Airport Road tel: 02 641 8182



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Kenneth Surat logo travel blog blogger