Versailles

On the last Friday I was in Paris, I decided to let Joe have some uninterrupted study time and take a trip over to Versailles.

The hidden gem of Versailles is an area tucked away at the far edge of the gardens (about a 20 minutes walk from the Palace), and just opened to the public within the past few years. Passing through the gates of the Grand and Petit Trianons (the King and Queen’s personal recreation estates to “get away from Versailles!), a visitor can walk a short distance through some marvellous woods and gardens to Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet. Apparently this very lavish queen had this little farm built on the grounds of the Petit Trianon so she could experience the common life. Ha! Although it really was (and is) a working farm, I seriously doubt she did much (any) of the farm labour herself. But it was fun to imagine the Queen, in all her over-the-top finery, with all her ladies, frolicking about this area. If I were the queen, I would never have left (though I suppose angry revolutionaries knocking down my door may have led me to rethink that position). It is really so lovely. Charming. Picturesque. Idyllic. Enchanting. Really, really magnificent. Absolutely one of my most favourite places on earth---and, sadly these pictures don’t do it justice!

The palace of Versailles was, for me, a bit underwhelming. Probably a combination of the serious crowds and hyped up nature of the place. Still, it is an impressive place.

More impressive than the palace, are the gardens, which seem to go on endlessly. The are perfectly kept and beautifully arranged: intricate patterns of shrubbery and flowers; magnificent ivory statues of the various gods, goddesses, and royalty; perfectly detailed fountains (which, sadly, were not running water during my visit); and a large canal/pond for a peaceful afternoon rowboat ride. I could have easily walked for hours in these gardens (and even though I probably did walk for hours there, it wasn’t enough).