Versailles

Versailles was a grand beginning to our journey through France, towards the Loire Valley. Originally a hunting lodge, Versailles grew and grew more rich and splendid as French royalty made their own impressions on the palace.



We enjoyed even just watching the clouds change shape overhead...



The palace gardens are stunning in proportion and in their immaculate planning... the canals are built in the shape of a cross, and as you walk down there are countless fountains and sculptures, and 'bosquets' which are gardens conceived as outdoor drawing rooms, with walls of trees and hidden clearings.





The central fountains were enhanced by classical music. Unfortunately they only spout water at certain times of the day, recently restored, we supposed it was for conservation. Some of them only performed for an hour each day, so it was difficult to see all of them in action!



The detail of each feature was amazing.



The interiors of Versailles are also stunning, full of rich tapestries, chandeliers, furniture and textiles. This painting, the coronation of Napoleon's wife, was over 50 square metres in size!



Each of the apartments followed the style of having an antechamber, second antechamber, bedroom, and drawing rooms, studies, libraries and dressing rooms. In the King and Queen's rooms they were in accordance to protocol for the ceremony of royalty receiving their subjects in order of rank on waking and retiring to bed.




Of course, one of the highlights was the Hall of Mirrors...
each of the windows is reflected symmetrically by a mirror.



Some of the painted ceilings were amazing...



The scale of this room and the scale of the paintings depicting historical battles was incredible.



Our favourite part of our visit to Versailles was undeniably seeing the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette. Le Petit Trianon was gifted to her by Louis the 16th, and she added her 'hameau' or hamlet, a rustic mock-village where she and her children could delight in countryside pleasures.
There are grottoes and follies, an English garden, a farm where she could drink fresh milk, and her hamlet with gardens and charming houses.









A hamlet like this would not genuinely exist in the French countryside but its whimsy and playful charm make you understand its appeal to a queen living in the formality of court life.

We finished our visit with an icecream beside the canals and some friendly fish attracted our attention. They enjoyed eating bits of icecream cone, much to my delight in their funny mustached orange mouths...



...despite a bit of competition!