Blogs from Versailles, Île-de-France, France, Europe - page 7

Versailles. Built by the sun king, Louis the 14th of France, in order to have everyone important under one roof and make him the center of the palace's universe. Today, though it is a lovely place to visit on a random tuesday, which is what Katherine and I did on our third day in Paris. Taking the metro and an hour long train ride from the city center to Versailles for the day. After studying Versailles and Marie Antoine for several years, I have always dreamed that one day I would actually get to walk the same halls and gardens that the Kings and Queens did a few hundred years ago. Tuesday is probably one of the more popular days to go to this magnificent palace, because most of the major museums are closed on that ... read more

Hi Everyone! This weekend Elizabeth and I took a day trip to meet Gerti and her family. It was just wonderful! Gerti picked us up at the train station and Anika and Katia were there to meet us. Anika was very shy, but her little sister warmed up right away. They were both very cute and very sweet and so well-behaved! We had lunch at Gerti's (delicious!) and afterwards went for a walk in the Versailles gardens. We didn't plan on this, but Saturday there was a sort of special occasion at the gardens- all of the fountains were on (usually they aren't) and also Baroque music was playing throughout the grounds. The weather, which was supposed to have been horrible, was completely beautiful. I took some pictures to give ya'll an idea of how AMAZINGLY ... read more

Hungover at Versailles We woke up the next morning supporting a bit of a hangover so it did take us a bit to get going. After we showered and got some breakfast from the great patisserie across from the hotel, we jumped on a train to see the Palace of Versailles, about a 40 minute train ride from Paris. Versailles is a huge palace surrounded by the most amazing gardens. We pushed our way through the state rooms and the Hall of Mirrors which was great but there were so many tour groups there plugging up the walkway. Not great when your hungover. For some reason every room had a piece of modern art stuck in it (by some guy named Jeff Koons). It was a very weird mix of new and old. We then had ... read more

The Chateau de Versailles is by far one of the most wonderful places I've ever been. The sheer size of the estate is incredible, and it's natural beauty is enchanting. The palace itself is rich, and has been able to keep an antique and very real feel to it, and it almost makes you believe you might see Marie-Antoinette around the next corner. Every ceiling is painted with fantastical stories, and scenes from battles, every room is graced with the busts of Kings, the walls are hung with silk, and everywhere you look is marble. Outside the palace, the gardens were planned with such precision that each area has a purpose; there's a grand canal where the King used to relax on the water, an outdoor ballroom, separate groves for each memeber of the royal family, ... read more

Versailles -The Palace of the Sun King, Louis XIV. What an amazing place! We headed out first thing in the morning for Versailles, knowing it would take most of the day to tour the Palace and the Gardens. Of course, a couple of train rides were involved but we finally got there. It was overcast and a little misty, which actually made the day more pleasant - no unbearable heat. It is impossible to describe the sheer size of the palace and the opulence found inside. We toured the apartments of the Dauphine, the Queen, the daughters, and the King. We also saw massive rooms with painted ceilings, and gilded everything, which made Robert very happy! We then went out to tour the Gardens, which cover several hundred acres. Someone drove by in a golf cart, ... read more