Princess for a day

Versailles was our destination today. The rain waited for us to see the chateau and the gardens and allowed us to have a great visit. Since we were a large group tour booked in advance, we didn't have to wait in the long, snaking lines outside in the breeze. A note to all those interested in visiting: bring something to do for hours in line, or find a way to get tickets and skip it! If it wasn't Versailles, it would not be worth waiting, but you don't see much better than this grand chateau.
The massive building topped with 24 karat gold was completely packed. Sunday isn't a prime tourist day, if you're hoping for some personal space. But being bumped and shoved was worth it when you looked above you to see carvings and paintings and gold everywhere. While we didn't see the entire chateau (did Marie Antoinette even visit every room while she reigned?), we saw the main draws. Large rooms where the kings sampled tea, hot chocolate, champagne, or played cards and french versions of backgammon. Of course, we saw the bedchambers as well. Some statues and even the bed of Marie Antoinette are original pieces, preserved for hundreds of years. After the war room was the main event; the hall of mirrors. What once must have gleamed a spotless reflection of Marie and Louis the XVI was faded with dust, but grand all the same. The long mirrors were copied on the other side of the long hallway by windows, looking out onto two fountains and perfectly manicured lawns. There were too many chandeliers to count, and of course, every inch of wall and ceiling was covered in gold carvings or beautiful paintings. Every room you went in there was so much to observe and take in. There was at least one large painting on every wall, and some were even originals! It was almost eerie to think that hundreds of years ago, all the stories you hear about and the pictures you see depicting history actually happened- right where you're standing now! If only we had a Delorian to see what it was really like.
The gardens, which we almost did not get to see, were even more incredible. If you go to Versailles, you cannot skip the gardens! There were fountains, statues, and flowers everywhere you looked. Flowers surrounded fountains and zigged and zagged between well trimmed trees. Everything was in excess, you'd think the French would be a little more understanding about Americans. The grass was perfectly kept and in different patterns, there must be hundreds of people hired to keep the flowers vibrant and the trees neat and clean. Walking away from Versailles with the chateau looming behind us, we came upon more fountains, more statues, and even a pond that must have been man made, since its size and proportion to the rest of the gardens were perfect. There was even period music playing through speakers for the whole garden to hear! I doubt that Marie strolled about listening to music coming from inside some shrubs, but it helped put the tourist in the era of pre-revolution. The whole effect of Versailles is overwhelmingly beautiful. I can see why the revolutionaries didn't tear it to pieces; while it stood for oppression, it's just too darn pretty!