Versailles

We decided today at the last moment to see Versailles, we are both exhausted and our bodies are crying for mercy but I really wanted to see the palace and grounds. Three trains later, we arrived at the most magnificent Chateau. Louis XIV was all about demonstrating his power over nature, hence the tightly manicured gardens all over Paris. He did however begin the transformation of Versailles from a hunting lodge to the Chateau we see today.

The gardens lived up to their reputation as being immaculate and highly manicured. The fountains are immense but sadly do not run all the time so we only saw the sculptures and had to imaging the water spraying from all parts.

The interior of the Palace is no less amazing. We were both surprised to hear that the gold everywhere is actually gold leaf. Given the quantities, we were sure it would just be paint! The hall of mirrors was wonderful to see even through hundreds of people! I can believe that at sunset with the late afternoon sun streaming through the windows it would be an amazing spectacle (if you could get rid of all the people!)

We hobbled back to the station for a long train ride home and vowed to make tomorrow a rest day!