Vivre La France!!

I know that sentiment is not the most popular over in the States, but I must say that we had an amazing time in France.  The people were very friendly and helpful, the scenery beautiful and the history amazing.

We left home very early in the morning and zipped on through to Paris (which is a massively big city).  About 10 km outside of Paris is Versailles.  Now, remember that we just saw an incomplete copy of Versailles a couple of weeks ago down in Bavaria, but I was totally blown away with  my first sight of the palace.

It's huge!  It has got lots and lots of guilding.  Its gorgeous!!

How many movies have I watched where the Musketeers or the peasants were at these gates...

Check out the fabulous top - the thing below the crown looks like a sun  -  for the Sun King and it has got Fleurs de Lis  on it , topped by that very nice crown...all in sparkley gold!

Way in the front we are greeted by a massive statue of the Sun King  Louis XIV himself.  Liv is in the pic to provide some perspective.  There are ankl -spraining cobblestones that lead up to the main gate.  Behind the gate, the cobblestones become very sooth and even - it would not do for the royals to twist their ankle.

No comment on this one...

The inner courtyard - actually only half of it.  See all the gold on the buildings.  It actually stops right outside the of this photo, as they are redoing it, I am sure by next year the whole thing will be beautiful and golden again.

There is one of these on each side of the palace - they both say the same thing - "All for the Glories of France"

A peek inside Louis' chapel - I think the furniture is gone courtesy of La Revolution... Louis (14) really found religion late in life and this chapel was an add-on to the palace.  

Here is a shot of the ceiling.  The chapel had two floors to it, and the seating/standing order was in accordance to the strict hierarchy of the French court.  

 

This hallway is filled with statues of all the Who is Who at the time in France.  I hope you can see how long this hallway was, and there were two of these hallways filled with, sometimes very handsome, men.

 

Here is the king's bed - his first audiences of the day were done in the bedroom. 

 

No mix and matching here.  The fabric was stunning.

But who cares about the king - what about the queen - Marie Antoinette?  This, unfortunately, is the only picture I was able to find of her, there were supposed to be others, but they must have been off to restoration.  

Her bedroom rocks.

This bedroom is actually a recreation, since the good citizens of France destroyed her bedroom.  The fabric had to be rewoven from pictures.  Its a perfect princess room, really girlie.  The door that you see open was the door she escaped through when the revolutionaries entered the palace.  

Here is a close-up of the curtain - its protect with plexiglass from the likes of me, who would have to reach out and touch it - the curtain has roses, lilacs, pansies, carnations, and many other flowers I could not identify, on it.  

This is the bedroom she has prior to Louis XVI ascending to the throne - not bad if you ask me.

Last but not least, here are two shots of the famous Hall of Mirrors - can't you just imagine it full of French royalty dressed to the hilt, all bathed in candle light?

I will post some pics of the amazing gardens tomorrow and then on to our visit to Normandy - what a visit it was.

Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway on the post below, I will draw a name late tomorrow, which will be mid morning US time.