Day Trip to Versailles

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The Palace at Versailles is overwhelming in its opulence and scale. It lies on the outskirts of Paris....about 45 minutes by train. We left this morning around 10:30 to board the train for Versailles. it was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect for our outiIng.

Louis XIV turned his father 's old hunting lodge into the largest palace in Europe and moved his court here in 1678. It was the royal residence for more than a century until Louis XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette fled during the revolution.

There are beautiful French gardens arranged in geometric designs and wandering paths through the rural-style English gardens. you can row boats on the lovely cross-shaped Grand Canal.

By the time we finished our tour of the Palace the rain had started to fall so we viewed the gardens and grounds from upper windows. We were not expecting rain so we arrived back at the train station damp and tired....after our train ride home we settled in since it was still raining...tomorrow Shannon arrives from Istanbul. Good night from Paris.

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