Monday, November 22, 2010

Palace of Versailles








On Saturday morning the weather man predicted rain for the day, but Marta and I woke to sunny skies and great temperatures. Our first stop was at a little bakery where we ordered chocolate croissants and coffee. Next we rode the Metro to the end of zone 3 for Paris and bought a one-way ticket for zone 4 which included the Palace of Versailles.
The walk from the train station to Versailles was a quick 10 minutes, and we were inside listening to audio guide in no time. I purchased my ticket in advance, but Marta got in free with an EU citizen i.d. We saw the Versailles Chapel, many estate apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, and more. The palace had gold everywhere and paintings on the walls and ceilings. My favorite fact of Versailles is the date in which it was built: in the 1600s, making the palace over 400 years old..amazing!
After touring the inside, we headed outside for a long walk around the palace grounds. The view of Versailles from the back shows it's immense size. The Grand Canal extended far out in front of me. We explored much of the gardens and pathways. At 1:30 I was hungry so we stopped for sandwiches at a little cafe to the right of the canal. The snack break became our halfway point.
The rest of our time at Versailles was spent touring The Grand Trianon, Petite Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's quarters. I loved this area of Versailles the most. I could spend another day or so just roaming the estate of Versailles.

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