Even a very full day is not enough to fully appreciate this extravagant monument to the folly of absolute monarchy. Everything here is meant to demonstrate that Louis XIV, the Sun King, was without question the most powerful man in the world.
Right from the front gate, everything is gilded and resplendent. It was fascinating to see how the ongoing restorations are bringing Versailles back to its original condition.
Behind the palace are the immense and spectacular gardens, about the size of New York's Central Park, with over 200,000 trees and 50 fountains!
Panoramic views from the centre of the gardens
From the North (the palace) to the East
From the East to the South
From the South to the West
From the West back to the North and the palace
Throughout the gardens, there are beautiful marble and bronze statues, amphitheatres, fountains and reflecting pools.
Amphitheatre made entirely of stones and shells especially imported from the Red Sea
Mario could relate to this statue of Bacchus, the god of wine and ecstasy...
The spectacular Apollo fountain
One of the fountains in action that day
Vicki and Mario even had the luxury of a boat ride on the central pond, courtesy of two young rowers.
One area of the gardens, about a half-hour walk from the palace, was the quaint little village constructed for the sole pleasure of Marie-Antoinette, when she wanted to escape the madness of the Royal Court in the main palace with its 15,000 courtiers.
We finished the day with a brief visit through the palace interiors, which in themselves could easily take days to fully appreciate.
The chapel with its organ
One of many halls that seem to go on forever
The history-rich Hall of Mirrors
Another hall leading from one room to another
The King's bedroom
The Queen's bedroom
Marie-Antoinette
Once again, even a full day was barely enough to scratch the surface of this spectacular place. Almost a common theme for our trip to France...
No comments:
Post a Comment