Attending the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, Part 2
Thank you, Paris, for hosting such an amazing celebration of sport, passion, and determination for the entire world.
The 2024 Games marked the 100th anniversary of the Olympics in Paris. The capital city of France hosted the Olympics first in 1900 and then again in 1924. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Before leaving Paris, I had the opportunity to visit the magnificent palace and gardens of Versailles. I was given a special tour by the chair of the Château de Versailles, Christophe Leribault. I've been to Versailles several times and every visit is more breathtaking than the last. Our dinner that night was at the classic Parisian bistro, Le Bon Georges. My final Olympics appearance with Snoop Dogg was on Primetime Paris with veteran NBC Olympics announcer Mike Tirico. And then I enjoyed drinks with some of the other notable celebrities - what a fun trip!
Here are more photos, enjoy.
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- Gilded gates with the Sun King and spider webs guard the entrance to Versailles.
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- I was fortunate to get an early morning tour of the Palace and Gardens before the doors opened to the public. Here I am with chair of the Château de Versailles, Christophe Leribault.
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- Here I am joined by my group – Roy Tin, Ben Levine, and Judy Morris. This is the grand courtyard and front of the Royal Palace.
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- The Royal courtyard is all paved in marble with its contrasting colors of black and white stone.
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- Versailles sprawls across more than 2000 acres. The Palace itself is a massive 721,206 square feet of space.
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- Inside, amazing allegorical paintings abound throughout the Palace.
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- Some of the painted ceilings depict the glorious history of Louis XIV during the first decades of his reign.
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- This was my seventh or eighth visit to Versailles – I see new things each visit. As you know, the equestrian events were held at Versailles. We walked through this “Horse in Majesty: At the Heart of a Civilization” exhibit showing role of the horse in the history of Western art.
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- This bedroom was created by King Louis XIV in 1701 and was where he lived until his death on 1715. It was in this room where special rising and going to sleep ceremonies were performed daily.
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- The chamber’s opulent décor of gold and silver brocade on a crimson ground was also a backdrop for many paintings.
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- This is the Bernini bust of Louis XIV, a marble portrait by the Italian artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was created in 1665 during Bernini’s visit to Paris and has been called the “grandest piece of portraiture of the baroque age”. The bust is in the Salon de Diane in the King’s Grand Apartment.
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- Here’s Louis XIV – this time in a painting showing his high heeled shoes, garters, and ermine robes.
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- Here I am in the Hall of Mirrors, or Galerie des Glaces. It is the most celebrated room in the Château de Versailles. The room’s construction began in 1678. Germany pronounced itself an empire in the Hall of Mirrors in 1871, but later, in the same room, the 1919 treaty that ended the first world war was signed.
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- The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France is a central gallery and has 357 mirrors, set in 17 arches of marble columns.
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- Looking out this window was a first glimpse of the Gardens, which occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover about two-thousand acres of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by André Le Nôtre.
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- Creating the gardens of Versailles was a monumental task. Large amounts of soil had to be moved to level the ground and make room for various fountains, pools and statues and to create the parterres.
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- To maintain its incredible design, the garden needed to be replanted approximately once every 100 years. King Louis XVI oversaw one of these replanting projects and so did Napoleon III during his reign.
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- The Palace of Versailles has 48 permanent gardeners who maintain its manicured spaces. The gardens include 350,000 trees and 30 miles of walkways. In addition to general upkeep the gardeners also plant 800,000 flowers each year.
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- The Garden of Versailles is considered the essence of French formal garden design and incorporates a magnificent use of symmetry. This is the grand Orangerie.
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- Originally completed in 1663, the Orangerie was intended to supply the much smaller hunting lodge of Versailles and the small retinue, or group of assistants and advisors, which Louis XIV would bring with him in the summer. In 1678, an enlargement of the Orangerie was created by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, which doubled the size of the original.
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- The topiaries and hedges are meticulously maintained.
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- This is one of the many “walks” – a hedge allée from one area to another.
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- Here I am with a view of the gardens and Orangerie behind me.
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- This is where the Orangerie boxes are stored in winter. The ceilings are made of limestone.
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- This is a portrait of Maris -Antoinette. In 1774, King Louis XVI offered his wife a palace of her own called Petit Trianon on the grounds of Versailles.
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- This is one of the rooms in Petit Trianon. The Warming Room was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel during the reign of Louis XV.
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- The Warming Room also houses this original fireplace. The palace became Marie-Antoinette’s private retreat.
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- Later that day, dinner at Le Bon Georges. I was very lucky to work with Maisie Wilhelm of Palatine Culinary Concierge, who guided me in selecting the best restaurants during my stay in Paris. Before our steak dinner – for three – was cooked, it was brought out to show us the cut.
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- And here it is cooked to perfection and served.
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- We also enjoyed the freshest of salads.
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- That night, an appearance on Primetime Paris with veteran NBC Olympics announcer Mike Tirico. He did an excellent job – it’s a lot of hard work for 19 days. this photo was taken after my segment with Snoop.
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- Finally, a few cocktails at the end of the day. You probably saw this on my Instagram @MarthaStewart48 – a photo with Serena Williams.
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- And here I am with professional snowboarder, skateboarder, and multiple Olympic medal winner Shaun White, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, and foil fencing champion Miles Watson. It was a whirlwind trip to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and intense, fast paced work, but I had so much fun. Can’t wait until The Games come to the United States in 2028!
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