Any day with blue skies in Paris is a good day to go an explore the Châteaux nearby, especially on a holiday weekend when most Parisians were out of town. The town of Maisons-Laffitte is only about 35 minutes away from the Champs-Elysées by the RER A train, and the Château de Maisons is a small and unusual chateau. Regular entry is 7.5 Euros or about $9 USD and includes a 2 hour guided tour during certain times (in French). The entrance looks perfectly symmetrical because it was built a bit like a Hollywood facade, with the outside built first and the inside built around the outside. This meant that some rooms have half a window, and walls are not where they might seem to be on the inside.
The exterior symmetry applies to the back also.
The original entrance was built to receive royalty on the chance that they might come visit (which they did on occasion) so the marble sculptures in the portico
and on the columns were carved to impress.
Even the trompe d'oeil staircase gives the illusion of several stories even though the entire chateau is only two stories. The "third" story was hidden quarters for the servants under the "roof", which gave them a view of the royals entering and leaving the royal chambers on the second floor.
The ground floor was where the actual owners lived and although the columns here look like marble, they are actually painted wood because the original ones were sold to pay off debts long ago.
Even though the owners lived below the royals, their rooms were well appointed.
The most ornate part of the chateau is of course where the royals ate and slept
and even the original parquet floors show the work put into pleasing them.
The dining area had a middle entrance reserved for the King, while the side entrances were for everyone else; any pushing or shoving was punishable by fines.
The King's bedroom was only used by the king on a handful of occasions but had the rare modern convenience of its own private entry with an adjacent bathroom.
A wardrobe fit for a king.
The women's quarters on the other side had a distinctly more feminine style.
Even the ceilings,
fireplaces,
and walls, had feminine details.
The kitchens underground showcased the copper pots and pans
all over the walls,
and there was a display of the china.
Most of the grounds were parceled off and sold to rich Parisians for weekend homes in the "country", but the bit that remains looks out towards Paris and the Seine as a reminder that a few minutes away is a place where you can leave the noise and intensity of city life behind.
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