Versailles

Posted by Griffin.
     Yesterday we went to Versailles. Along our trip we have tried to avoid large tourist draws, and have suffered the consequences when we do go to these places. After a hellish experience in the Vatican we were apprehensive of touring another tourist packed building. Fortunately none of our fears come true.

The man behind it all: Louis XIV

     As we walked up to Versailles from the train station we were greeted by the longest line I have ever seen. This line was longer than any line I have ever seen, longer than the line for the latest iDevice. This almost scared off Beth fortunately an extremely helpful employee saw us looking terrified and thought to help. She informed us that if we returned in 4 hours there was going to be no line. We wondered what we could do in Versailles for 4 hours, if not see the palace. What we didn't know is that Versailles is so much more than the palace, there are manicured gardens, a bucolic estate, a forest, and an extensive canal system. This woman suggested that we take the mini-train to the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's personal castle/estate. This estate was lovely, it wasn't crowded as it was a 45 minute walk from the Chateau. If Marie Antoinette knew anything it was how to decorate a palace, this palace featured divine pastels and shell curves all executed in rose marble.

Petit Trianon ft. gardner

     After we toured the Petit Trianon we turned our sites to the "Queen's Hamlet". After a few years of living in the royal court Marie Antoinette soon longed for a simpler life, so she constructed her own royal village. A 10 minute walk from the Petit Trianon, her personal palace, she built a lovely little village. Here she could wear cotton dresses, traditionally worn by peasants, and relax in a lovely setting. Of course Marie Antoinette was incapable of truly living like a peasant, constantly travelling with her entourage of servants. This hamlet was truly gorgeous. On a 90 degree day it offered plenty of shady trees to recline under, and the lake had a small breeze that was a god send.

The gardener's house

Marie Antoinette's "Peasant Estate"

Marie Antoinette's hamlet

     After spending 3 amazing hours in Marie Antoinette's estate we decided it was time to walk back to the Chateau. The grounds of Versailles are any control freaks (half of our family) dream. All of the trees are perfectly groomed, in straight lines, not even a leaf out of place. The lawns are perfectly manicured, of course you can't walk on them, and even the dirt seems to be obeying some cosmic order. And the fountains leave nothing to be desired. They are filled with gold and cascading water all topped with stunning statues. 

Heavily groomed trees

The fountains of Versailles are unrivaled

The statues are all copies, the originals are in the Louvre

      Once we arrived at the Chateau we were greeted with one of the most welcome sights a traveler can ever see, no line. We walked right into the Chateau, and immediately felt the grandeur. Louis XIV converted Versailles from a hunting lodge into a palace, and each of his successors added more and more. The rooms are all filled to the brim with the finest jewels, silks, and most prominently gold. Some of the rooms were overwhelming and way to crowded, like Marie Antoinette's bedroom for when she visited the chateau, but others were spacious and did not feel crowded at all, the Hall of Mirrors.
     Versailles was a long day, it takes about 45 minutes on an RER to reach from Paris. The trains to and from Versailles, especially from Versailles to Paris, are extremely crowded. Versailles is wonderful and truly one of the most enjoyable castle tours in Europe, but it was crowded. Especially on a hot day, it was 90 degrees, it can become unbearable pretty quickly. I would definitely recommend going to the Petit Trianon first, and then later in the day going to the Chateau. Versailles is beautiful, and definitely a great day trip from Paris.

Marie Antoinette's bed chambers for visiting the chateau

The Hall of Mirrors

A wing of the Chateau