Early in December Ryan and I went out to Versaille to see the sights and visit the famous castle before going home for the holidays. Now, the tour book says that from the train station the way to the castle is clearly marked, but for the record it isn't clearly marked. However, there are two streets that run directly to the castle and it's so huge, that it's kind of hard to miss! When we went to go get our admission tickets, the lady thought Ryan's student ID picture was so great and that he was so cute she gave him a reduction on the ticket price! His picture was passed around to the other people working and it provoked a "RAAAR" or two in the process. All in all a pretty good way to start the tour. My student train pass got me in for free but didn't allow for the audio guide through the castle. Luckily Ryan's ticket did so we managed to hear more about the castle anyway.
Now, photos aren't allowed in the castle, even without a flash, so we did what we could by being sneaky and getting pictures when the people weren't looking. This rule really only seemed to apply in the rooms not exposed to sunlight since everyone was taking pictures in the famous Hall of Mirrors. The castle was immense, and the gardens beautiful. It was pretty cold out so we didn't stay in the gardens long, especially since there isn't much there in the winter. I can't wait to go back in the spring when everything is in bloom! It must be just incredible!I can't imagine what it must have been like to live in such a monstrous "house". The rooms are all interconnected down a hallway, there are "secret" doors connecting adjacent rooms, and the ceilings are all exquisitely painted. If it weren't for the fact that it would have been really strange, I think I would have just laid down on the floor and stared at the ceilings for hours!
The rooms without windows were dimly lit, and must have been amazing during dinner parties since everything in there was silver and the light from the candles would have reflected off the silver, lighting the place up and making it sparkle! The king turned much of his treasury (silver) into furniture, so that his desk, bureau, "file cabinet", etc were literally part of the treasury. The king of England did the same thing, and when fighting they essentially just melted down their furniture to pay for the war! It was all pretty incredible. The statues are amazing, as is the gigantic globe the king commissioned for his son to help him learn geography. The globe splits in half, and inside is a smaller globe with a relief map so the dauphin could "see" the mountains, rivers, valleys, etc. Apparently, the globe is remarkable accurate for the time.
The rooms without windows were dimly lit, and must have been amazing during dinner parties since everything in there was silver and the light from the candles would have reflected off the silver, lighting the place up and making it sparkle! The king turned much of his treasury (silver) into furniture, so that his desk, bureau, "file cabinet", etc were literally part of the treasury. The king of England did the same thing, and when fighting they essentially just melted down their furniture to pay for the war! It was all pretty incredible. The statues are amazing, as is the gigantic globe the king commissioned for his son to help him learn geography. The globe splits in half, and inside is a smaller globe with a relief map so the dauphin could "see" the mountains, rivers, valleys, etc. Apparently, the globe is remarkable accurate for the time.Needless to say, this is absolutely a place I would return to see again.
1 comment:
That's a crazy elaborate fountain. Sounds like it was an amazing place to visit with some really cool things to see.
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