We travelled by train, including the Eurostar, which I haven't been on before. It was, if I am honest, a little underwhelming - the train was comfortable, but a great deal of the track runs through cuttings so you don't see as much of the landscape as I had hoped.
On the other hand, it is less stressful than flying, and brings you into the heart of Paris, which is nice.
Once we arrived, our first day was spent visiting Versailles, as I'd never been, and have wanted to see it for a long time
It is extraordinary.
It would, I think, be fair to say that it is not marred by any touch of restraint.
The Bourbons may have been aware of the concept of understatement, but if so, it can only have been in order to avoid it at all costs.
It is not difficult to understand, wandering around the palace, why the French Revolution happened...
I have never seen so much gilt in one place.
I am not a big fan of the rococo or baroque styles, but it has to be admitted that this place is impressive!
As well as the main palace, we also visited the Grand and the Petit Trianon (giving us a chance to see the Napoleon's taste in furnishings was no better than that of the Bourbons)
Also Marie-Antoinette's little Hamlet, where there are half a dozen 'cottages', all almost painfully picturesque - it isn't possible to go inside any of them, so I cannot say with absolute certainty that nothing there is gilded, but they are a little less blingy from the outside, at least!
I had not previously appreciated that the Petit Trianon had been built for Madame de Pompadour,(although she died before it was finished).
It was occupied by her successor as Louis XV's mistress, Madame du Barry, before being passed on to Queen Marie Antoinette..
We ended the trip with a visit to parts of the gardens. If I happened to have several acres of garden I might be tempted to add a parterre or two, with lots of little yew trees clipped into perfect cone shapes..
But Louis and his friends can keep the gilding.
We spent the entire day at Versailles, and could have spent longer - we didn't spend much time in the park and only visited parts of the gardens. It was a very interesting day.
On the other hand, it is less stressful than flying, and brings you into the heart of Paris, which is nice.Once we arrived, our first day was spent visiting Versailles, as I'd never been, and have wanted to see it for a long time
It is extraordinary.
It would, I think, be fair to say that it is not marred by any touch of restraint.
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| Chapel, Palais de Versaille |
It is not difficult to understand, wandering around the palace, why the French Revolution happened...
I have never seen so much gilt in one place.
I am not a big fan of the rococo or baroque styles, but it has to be admitted that this place is impressive!
As well as the main palace, we also visited the Grand and the Petit Trianon (giving us a chance to see the Napoleon's taste in furnishings was no better than that of the Bourbons)
Also Marie-Antoinette's little Hamlet, where there are half a dozen 'cottages', all almost painfully picturesque - it isn't possible to go inside any of them, so I cannot say with absolute certainty that nothing there is gilded, but they are a little less blingy from the outside, at least! I had not previously appreciated that the Petit Trianon had been built for Madame de Pompadour,(although she died before it was finished).
It was occupied by her successor as Louis XV's mistress, Madame du Barry, before being passed on to Queen Marie Antoinette..We ended the trip with a visit to parts of the gardens. If I happened to have several acres of garden I might be tempted to add a parterre or two, with lots of little yew trees clipped into perfect cone shapes..
But Louis and his friends can keep the gilding.
We spent the entire day at Versailles, and could have spent longer - we didn't spend much time in the park and only visited parts of the gardens. It was a very interesting day.
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| Hall of Mirrors |
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