Lifestyles of the Rich & Beheaded

It's pretty hard to feel sorry for Louis and Marie-Antoinette when you get a look at the way they lived their lives before they (literally) lost their heads.  Although Versailles was built and reached it's glory under Louis XIV, it was Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette who last lived in the palace.

Our final full day in Paris was actually spent in Versailles.  We took the train (an hour's trip) and walked from the station to the Palace. It was a stunning day: warm and sunny with minimal crowds.  We'd purchased our full access tickets (again, kids were free!) from the tourist office en route from the station so we were able to just walk right in.  Although it looks like there were tons of tourists, the crowds were nowhere near what I'd experienced on a sweltering July day 27 years ago.

Versailles: the approach across the Place D'Armes

The Royal Gate, entrance to the Royal Courtyard, home of Louis XIV, the "Sun King"

The nice thing about touring sites with teenagers is that we could all don our own  personal audio-guides (and here I recommend plugging in your personal earbuds/headphones so you don't have to hold the audiophone to your ear) and walk at our own pace. That means three people way ahead, and mom taking pictures of everything always 10 minutes behind.

Royal Chapel ceiling 

Gold, gold and more gold. Ornate mantle decoration in the Hercules Drawing Room

Ceiling, the Hall of Mirrors

Hall of Mirrors: mirrors on the right, corresponding windows overlooking the gardens on the left.

Honestly, they should offer an after-hours tour on wheeled chaise lounges. I'd love to be pulled through the palace while reclined on a comfy bed, just gazing at the incredible paintings on the ceilings. It's really difficult to enjoy the walls and opulent ceilings simultaneously while you have to move at the pace of the crowd. I should have dropped a note in the suggestion box.

window latch in the King's chambers

Marie Antoinette's bedchamber. Yeah, that's her jewelry box on the left.

Suffice it to say that everywhere you look it's over-the-top opulence. I wish more of the palace was open to the public - apparently up to 5000 nobles could hang out and and party there!  Touring the interior doesn't take very long, but you could really spend an entire day or more just cruising the gardens and grounds.  We made our way out back for a picnic on the stairs overlooking the Royal Drive (along with Italian, Dutch and Spanish high school students on tour).

Statue detail, water parterre

overlooking the Orangerie to the main palace

L'Orangerie - where Louis displayed his more than 1000 orange trees in summer. B wondered if there were still citrus trees and sure enough, behind those enormous garage doors are hundreds of potted oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes awaiting warmer weather before they are moved into position in the outside garden.



Poor little cherubs, sitting around for 300 years waiting for flowers to bloom

Fully recovered from her stomach flu, D's feeling energetic in the Versailles sun. 

And then, following Rick's advice, we decided to do something super touristy and fun: we rented a golf cart.   I really wanted to see Marie-Antoinette's little getaway, the Petit Trianon (which was actually built for Louis XV's mistresses, but last decorated and used by M-A) as well as the Grand Trianon, built by Louis XIV as a summer getaway from the hustle and bustle of the main palace.  We decided to expedite the visit by motoring the through the gardens instead of walking in the hot sun (round trip, including touring the buildings, was estimated at 5 hours on foot).  When horse-drawn carriage is not an option, a golf cart seems like a good back up plan to me. The kids even grew to enjoy the baroque music pouring from the golf cart speakers!

Off we went, at a blistering pace (D was able to run faster than the cart's top speed. Yes, she proved it) along the prescribed route.  A 15 minute drive and we'd reached Trianon. First, a few shots taken at the Grand Trianon, a pink marble mini-version of Verailles with two main living/meeting wings joined by an open  colonnade. 

Colonnade, Grand Trianon (main entrance courtyard to the right, gardens to the left)

Louis XIV's bedchamber (apparently build for his chief mistress)

Is this chartreuse? I never know...

En route to the Petit Trianon, you pass by the sweet little French Pavillion:

Petit Trianon with a view of the dome atop the Temple of Love 

Petit Trianon

The building was lovely inside, on a much more manageable scale than the gigantic main palace; although that also meant that T barely fit.

wall frieze on staircase, Petit Trianon

I guess bedchamber security is important when marital trysts are 'de rigueur' 

Love the 17th century details like these gorgeous sunflower doorknobs - everything looks better with a layer of gold on it, don't you think?

There you have it - a little taste of Chateau Versailles and the Trianon! This was a special day - we all enjoyed it very much. 

Especially the golf cart.