Versailles - 2015

My absolute favorite place in France (so far at least...there's still so much to see) is Versailles.  The history is fascinating and the scenery is gorgeous inside and out.  I was fairly disappointed with our visit last time...it was brief, rainy, and cold...oh, and we were on bikes.  :/

This time we planned our entire last day in France to be in Versailles and we planned it on a day when all of the buildings were open and the fountains would be on.  YESSSS!!!!  We spent the beginning of our day in the Palace Gardens.

 And then we watched the fountains.  They play Baroque music and the fountains begin turning on up by the palace.  I didn't know that, but am glad I had a good spot for the Fountain of Apollo.

We'll talk more about that ugly thing on the right in a moment.

Ever wonder how they create the amazing topiaries?  Well, a topiary template of course.  And they use a giant arm of lawn mower blades to cut all of the giant tree hedges to shape.

Now lets discuss art installations.  Do you see that giant rusted funnel looking thing in the middle of the picture?  Surrounded by gray rocks, dirt, and some giant red cement rocks?  That's called "Dirty Corner".  Just one of the current "modern art" installations at Versailles.  And it is an abomination.  That should seriously not be allowed there.  It's tacky, and disrupts the gorgeous view...and it's not art.  It's junk!  Rusty ugly junk.  And you know what they were having to do to it while we were there...power wash it because someone had spray painted all over it...I'm guessing to make a point about how ugly it is and that it doesn't belong there.  I'm not even sure why they were scrubbing it off...the graffiti wasn't making it any worse than it already is.  This should just not be allowed anywhere other than a landfill let alone in a historic location.  

This "art" was just one of several throughout.  A couple of which were giant mirrored objects disrupting your view of the palace itself.  Tacky.  That's all it is.

 Anyway...on this trip we were able to walk over to the Grand Canal (we considered boating, but we were already a bit tired from so much walking that we passed).   We continued on to the Grand Trianon which was built as a retreat for Louis the XIV, because apparently moving out of Paris wasn't a retreat enough.  Eventually Napoleon used the Grand Trianon and furnished it in the Empire style which is mostly what you see there today.
A little needlework in this room for a wife of Napoleon...

 Maybe a little artwork...

 Some cards perhaps?

 Or maybe a game of billiards is more your thing?

 If you're Napoleon you're hanging out in your "office" of course...

We then wallked to the Petit Trianon, which was built by Louis XV for his long-term mistress.  However, she died several years prior to it's completion.  So, the replacement mistress took up residence there.  Eventually when Louis XVI becomes king he gives the Petit Trianon to Marie Antoinette as a gift.  She uses it as a retreat from the pressures of Palace living.

 This carriage is WAAAAY better than any stroller isn't it?

 Eventually Marie Antoinette wanted to feel as though she led a provincial life.  So she had the Hamlet (a working farm) built which was for herself and her inner circle to relax and get away from it all.  Each building has a garden or an orchard, and the entire "farm" was also created to make the Petit Trianon feel more like a country get away.

 Sadly the Queen's house appears to be suffering the most from time and the elements.  A staircase (far left in the picture above) looks to have been burned and is collapsing and much of the area surrounding it is under construction.  Perhaps restoration work?  One can hope.  While you cannot go in these buildings...it is perhaps the most beautiful area in all of the palace grounds.

 This is the elusive bunny I loved with crazy English Sheepdog like hair hanging in front of it's eyes.

 A wishing well perhaps?

 All of those pigeons!!!

 Can you spot the bunny?

 Seriously...look at this guy's hair (fur)!

  After walking around the grounds we finally made our way back tot he palace where we caught the tail end of the second fountain display, and then toured the palace.  The palace was much more crowded this time around so I'm glad it was our second time seeing it as we were able to move much more leisurely through the last time we were here.

 How would you like to have to head up the long courtyard entry to this gate?!  Talk about intimidating.

 They didn't call Louis XIV the Sun King for nothin'.

 A bed fit for a Queen...

 I spy with my little eye... President George Washington!!!  (Well, General at the time.)

 And just like that the sun set on our time in France.  If you want to see Versailles I actually recommend two days if you can swing it. Spend one day there with the fountains on...it's crowded but the gardens don't feel overly so, and you can see the Trianon's and the Hamlet.  Then visit the Palace itself on a  day when the fountains aren't going to be on...it's a lot less crowded and you'll enjoy that portion more...and then you can boat around the Grand Canal and see more of the gardens.  :)

I really hope to get back to France.  There's still so much there I'd like to see and despite seeing Paris twice it's still a place I could visit over and over again.