Vaux le Vicomte

July 6, 2008

Oh, how we love the missionaries here in France. They are the cream of the crop, working so diligently to spread the gospel to all the beautiful people in France.

They sang a beautiful song in Sacrament meeting and so I asked for one favor (they received Chocolate Chip Cookies in return) if they would sing it one more time so I could record them. They acted as if they didn't want to, but I think they loved it!! Thanks Elders, I LOVED your song!

Jesse & Sophie on our last Sunday.

The very special primary of Melun, France. I was so lucky to be a primary teacher during our stay here, even in French I learned things from these children and I think this last month they actually learned something from me.

So many special friends- it was hard to leave today knowing I may never see some of these people again. I learned so much from these faithful members who make great effort to get to church each week and get through some of their weekly struggles but have such great faith.

After church we took a drive through some old villages with wonderful architecture
and neat buildings. We found this very old church and inside all the seats were hand carved with different scenes from the Bible.
We made our way to the Chateau Veaux de Vicomte (again). This time we went inside and toured the grounds. It's such an amazing place with great history.

Vaux was the tragic setting for the downfall of Fouquet, a faithful minister who paid the price of life imprisonment, because of an embezzlement he did not commit, because of the jealousy of others and also because he went a little too far in bestowing lavish hospitality.

Louis XIV had heard of the lavish chateau and wanted to see for himself so Fouquet held a "Féte in honor of the king coming to visit- well the kind wasn't pleased Fouquet was living in a more beautiful "home" than he was so he decided he would be sent to jail, a story was contrived and off he went to prison. Louis XIV hid under lock and key the information that could have proved him innocent and then increased his sentence to life in prison. Many authors have linked the fate of Fouquet with that of the man in the iron mask.

The Chateau has costumes to rent for the children, so we decided to let them see what it would feel like to be a princess, or a Brave, and very handsome Musketeer roaming the grounds of this 17th century Chateau. (If you plan to visit this chateau and would like your children to wear the costumes, be sure to go on the weekend, the costumes are not available during the week.)

We often talked and wondered what the children were doing during all these fancy fétes, we think they played lots of hide and seek, with such fantastic places to hide they could have stayed busy all night.

I can't get enough of these libraries-the rolling ladders to retrieve the out of reach treasures, the lavish desks and rugs to adorn the room. I try to imagine what it would have been like to sit and study in a room such as this.

Now that is a sink. If your mom told you she had "a sink full of dishes" for you to wash you would be up all night. I think it's awesome.

Once again the display of copper pots is also one of my favorites.

I was explaining to the kids why this particular household appliance is sometimes referred to as "the throne".

They had a beautiful display of old carriages and buggies, we would have loved to climb in one and gone for a little spin. You would either feel very Royal or very carsick.

A little "GQ" from the Dal.
A royal adventure was had by all on this beautiful Sunday in July at Vaux le Vicomte.