Versailles!!! I cannot explain to you how much I love this place. How long I have dreamed about going here. I don't know when my love affair with all things French started. I love French History, especially the Golden Age of France, and the Revolution. I seriously don't know why, but I do. I love reading everything I can about Marie Antoinette. One of my favorite books is Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser. I love Sophia Coppola's movie Marie Antoinette. I just love it all. A few years ago, I had a dream that I was on the train to Versailles. It was a lovely dream, and I finally got to go there! It was my favorite part of my trip. It lived up to everything I thought it would be and more. So this is going to be a picture HEAVY post. In fact, after Versailles we went to the Louvre, and I'm going to have to do a separate post for that. Sorry, I can't help it. I couldn't choose. Though, it was a rough day. It rained non stop and I didn't bring an umbrella or hat, and I wasn't about to pay 50 euros for a Marie Antoinette umbrella. No thanks.
My first view of Versailles. I seriously almost cried from excitement! Unfortunately for us we went when all the Japanese tour buses were there. Next time I'm going in the afternoon, and hopefully not when it's raining. I'd love to take pictures in the bright light...Okay, I need to go back now.
Louis XIV!!! The Sun King. Do you remember that movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, The Man in the Iron Mask? Yeah, it's kind of ridiculous, and I might actually really like it. Did you also know that they are making a new Three Musketeers movie with Orlando Bloom? He's the villain. I may or may not be really excited for that movie too.
I could have run up to the front I was so excited! But I had to savor the moment, so I took my time.
See, lots of tourists. Lame...wait, I was a tourist...
One good thing about the overcast day, it made the gold POP!
Here I am!!! I'm strategically hiding another tourist. Yay for not being a twig, lol. The next two are inside the courtyard...
The Chapel...Sophia Coppola actually was able to film inside Versailles and shot the wedding scene in here...
French Royalty, ostentatious? No!
Love it anyways!!!
The top of the Royal Chapel. Yes, all the signs are in French. Our pass didn't include a guided tour, and I didn't feel like waiting in the long line and paying more money for one. I knew enough about Versailles, and I can pick up on enough French that I was okay.
A view of the gardens and the Grand Canal from the window...
Beautiful mural on the wall...
This same room was where I got the idea of taking self portraits of myself in all the mirrors. I was waiting for the room to clear out of tourists so that I wouldn't be going through with the mob, and I saw this mirror and I was like, I'm going to take a picture of myself. A monster was born. Seriously, it was my most favorite part of Versailles. Taking pictures of myself in all the mirrors. You see, Versailles was known for it's mirrors. They were very extravagant back in the day.
The Hall of Mirrors...I wanted so badly to be in this place with no people. It's still on my bucket list. To be in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles by myself. I'm going to do it some day...
It was amazing...
Sides and ceilings, these were the only kind of pictures I could get without people in them...
One of many that I took of myself in the hall...
Here I am in the Kings Bedchamber...
Marie Antoinette's room...I hate flash, but it was so dark in here that the non flash pictures didn't turn out so hot...You can see the door to here secret room...
Here I am in Marie Antoinette's room....Maybe she looked in this same mirror?
These stairs have been walked on so many times, by so many people, they are worn away on the side. I got a little crazy with the history and romantic thoughts...think about the swishy skirts, the servants, the royalty, the secret meetings...they all walked on these stairs. Gives me goosebumps...It's okay, you can laugh at me.
The Orangerie, I think. Marie Antoinette really liked this garden...
The back of Versailles...
You can see the Grand Canal from here...we walked all the way down there and to the right on the way to Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon...
On the way to Grand Trianon....
Here it is! It was the Kings retreat from the Chateau at Versailles. That is were all the courtiers and anyone who was anyone was at. This was solely for the King and who he wanted to be with him...When we went in the entrance here, the guy checking tickets laughed at me and joked with me. What for? Because I had a plastic bag all arranged over my camera so that it wouldn't get wet. It took me a minute to get what he was saying because of his heavy French accent, but he was like "You're all ready to go, no?" It was pretty hilarious. Who says the French aren't nice?
It was a lot simpler, but still very nice...
Hey look! Another picture of me in the main salon!
How would you like a bedroom like that? Basically people were rewarded with Rights to the Bedchamber. Kings and Queens did not have privacy. They were undressed and put to bed like children. It was an honor for the people doing it, I guess...
I loved this walk way...
This was the entrance after the checkered walkway...it was round, and so pretty...
This was the entryway into Petit Trianon...the Queen's Retreat. Louis the XVI gave it to his wife, Marie Antoinette after she gave birth to their daughter Madame Royale Marie-Therese...She loved it here. Marie Antoinette never really liked court at Versailles and escaped here as often as she could. Unfortunately for her, it gave to a lot of gossip, and caused many of the problems with the commoners hating the royalty...
The entry way. I was really surprised about how small Petit Trianon was compared to the others. I meant the name means small, but it really was small. Minus the marble and stuff, it was probably the size of a large house of today's standards...Still huge for Europe, though...
When she took over Petit Trianon, she had her monogram put up all over the place. Sorry this is blurry, but I still think it's pretty cool...
I love this painting of her...
Here I am again...
This was her private sitting room. The mirrors were rigged to hide the windows if she didn't want people peaking in...another thing to stir up the rumors...
Marie Antoinette's bedroom....
I didn't do the foot thing, this time. But I did take a picture of my hand on the banister...I know, I'm lame, lol...
The front of Petit Trianon...It was pouring rain at this time. So annoying....Also by this time, I was getting pretty tired. We hadn't really sat down at all. We couldn't take a rest on the benches outside because of the puddles on them. It sucked a little...
The garden at Petit Trianon. Marie Antoinette loved English Gardens, so this was constructed in that fashion.
The Temple of Love, oo-la-la!
A view of the house from the temple.
This is the Hamlet. It's a little ridiculous. So Marie Antoinette was so enamored of the romantic view of the pastoral country life. She had her architects construct this little country village, and she would spend time here pretending to be a peasant. It was a working farm and everything. Animals, food growing. She loved it. Of course the servants made it all clean and sparkly. She would take her children here, as well.
This is the awesomest fountain of all time. It's at the end of the Grand Canal. In the summer they turn it on and I bet it's a site to see...By this time, I was about to die. My legs hurt, my knee hurt, I was soaking wet...it was bad. The only reason why I wasn't completely miserable was because I was at Versailles. I won't lie, it was rough.
It was so stormy. I have lightened this picture up, and it's still dark...well, and I didn't know how to shoot manual back then, so that could be why, too...
You can tell that I was tired and my balance was off because this picture is all crooked. I could fix that, but I was feeling lazy...
One last look at Versailles...Adieu Versailles! I loved you so well...until next time...
ps...This day is not over, oh no. We then went to the Louvre and walked around for a few more hours...But I got to see Leonardo's and Michelangelo's so it was worth it...
