Chateau Vincennes

So today, I got up semi-early and went to the Chateau Vincennes, which is the oldest and tallest castle in Paris. It was used (and built, I think) by Henry V, but unlike a lot of the other castles I've seen, it doesn't have the same sense of romanticism, because it was more of a fort. Mostly though, it was used as a prison, mostly for writers who wrote things that the king did not agree with. Like the Bastille, it became a symbol of royal power gone wrong.

The darker history aside, it was really beautiful though. I've found that I really prefer the castles in the middle ages to the palaces in the 1700s. The older castles have an ancient magic to them. They were made to protect. The latter castles were made to impress, in a time where the aristocracy were treated like puppets and occupied with many meaningless rituals. That was what Versaille was all about. I have to say, I admire Louis XIV greatly for doing this -- he controlled the people who would have caused him harm (his father was murdered by the aristocracy when he was little) -- without allowing them to know this, and by turn making himself more power, but at the same time, you have to admit it's really sad. No one was free in those times. Not even the king and queen themselves. Maybe them even less than everyone else. After all, Marie Antoinette was miserable. She would have given anything to have freedom, I think. The older times speak more of a time of independence, when the lords were far away and masters of their own castles. They still had to swear allegiance, of course, but they were not pawns in the same way.

But anyway --

It took me about an hour to get there on the metro since it is at the VERY end of line one, and by the metro ride, I was feeling a little claustrophobic from being underground so long. But it soon past when I walked up the surface and saw this:

And this:

On both sides. It was amazing. And there's ALWAYS a part of me that goes, "OOOOOoooh! CASTLE," every time I see one. I think it's from living on the west coast. There is nothing that old where I'm from and so, to see something that's been around hundreds of years? It sends shivers up my spine every time. And there was just something so regal about this one. 

The castle was divided into three main parts: The back courtyard, the Keep, and the Chapel.

I went to the back courtyard first. There were a lot of beautiful statues and the symmetry of the place was perfect.

I really loved the statues too. I think she was one of my favorites. 

I was very intrigued as well, however by the spaces where it was clear there had been statues but there were no longer. I had two major thoughts about this: I could picture little princesses or other children (or adults) hiding in these people sized places, but here and in the gaps between the statues and the wall, which would be wonderful story material. I also thought it would be make an excellent puzzle game, since there was a lot similar looking statues and a lot of these blank things. But then, I always love a good mystery.

After that, I went to the keep. The dungeons were creepy. The prisoners were kept in solitary confinement in these round stone towers. Some of them drew murals on their cell walls. It was unnerving. Looking around in castles gets a little dull after a while, because it's a bit like an unfurnished house. You're just looking at walls. Still, I did have some favorite parts. You see, there was this cat . . .

 . . . And he was super friendly! That's my hand, if you didn't guess!

There were also actual battlements and a terrace.

Battlements!

Part of the terrace

View from Balcony!

The chapel across the way was cool too (you can see it in the picture above as well. . It's hard to miss!). Very ethereal. It just feels so pure. I love it when they feel like that.

I didn't stay too long in the chapel though, because they had mass in ten minutes, so I poked around, enjoyed, then left.

One of my favorite parts was the book store, though because they had actual french books! Like not just english titles translated into French. Actually french books written by french authors. This is very hard to find in tourist-y areas. I wanted to buy all of them. I resisted the temptation. But I will likely go back sometime later.

HOWEVER: I think my absolute favorite thing was just walking around the perimeter of the castle. It was so beautiful and I had some very philosophic thoughts while I was walking. Here they are:

It was a fairly tranquil morning. But the thing is, I think as a society, tranquility is something we lack. I was actually thinking about that as I walked around the castle. There is such a culture of fear and a sigma about being alone, particularly in the USA, and it is truly silly. I am the kind of person who believes everything they hear, and from the media, a young girl is ALWAYS hearing about how you should never go out alone, always be with friends etc, and I'm going to just say this flat out: it's the stupidest thing ever. It is a form of control and I refuse to buy into it anymore. It is not to say you shouldn't be careful. You should always tell someone where you are going, you should always charge your phone, and have a map, you should always be aware of your surroundings etc, but that is no reason not go out and be by yourself! It is kind of amazing how brainwashed we are by the news and the media. It is societies' way of controlling us. It can be useful, but you need to realize that it can also be damaging. I can't tell you how many books and movies I've seen and read that begin with a young woman who was alone who gets terribly harmed in someway. And don't even get me started on the news. It is a message of fear. And our young people need to stop listening: here's why. When you are alone, you are truly yourself. You will discover who you are and what you care about. You can do what you what when you want. For you to help other people, you need to help yourself first. You need to take care of yourself first. Heal yourself. Being alone is ever so healing -- but if you just stay in your room alone, what good goes that do? People need time without external simulation to discover themselves and be whole. People are wonderful, and amazing and you should hang out with your friends. But not always. Sometimes you need to know what your own voice sounds like. Remind yourself that you strong on your own. You are capable. And you can make a change. These are the things that come from being on your own. With no one to shoot you down, you can open your wings and discover that somewhere deep inside you, you know how to fly, unaided. Being alone will show you how strong you are. And strength, to society, is a dangerous thing. When you listen to yourself, you will know your truths, untainted by anyone else. And that is invaluable, particularly for our girls.

So, ignore the stigma of sitting alone at a restaurant or a park, and just do it. Remind yourself who you are and what you believe in.  

Essentially, if you skimmed, I think there's a lot of value of being alone and not always being over stimulated. When you are over stimulated, you tend to forget who you are and what you stand for and it is important to remember that.

And finally, here are some photos from my tranquil walk. It really was gorgeous.

Well, that's all for now.
Best,
~Emery


P.S
Some bonus photos

Creepy murals. 

Old Well! 

What the old well looks like from the top!

Bridge! 

P.P.S -- I almost forgot to mention! For students with ID it is free!! I thought maybe I'd get like 2 euros off when I asked for a student ticket, but nope! Completely free! Very cool.