Anne last visited the Chateau 40 yrs ago and me 37 yrs ago. Back then it was a brief look at the main features then off to the next tourist site.
This time we spent a full day firstly viewing the magnificent private apartments of the King and the Opera house on a guided tour. Our day started in thick fog - quite eerie before clearing. Our guide was wonderful - bringing to life the lives of the former Kings, Queens & their lovers. eg Louis XIV was woken every morning at 8 am to meet with visitors, whilst still in bed, for 90 minutes before even rising for the day. He then backed up with the same performance every night after he went to bed.
We then joined the general tourists to view the public areas of the chateau before heading to the gardens, grounds, fountains and the Trianon areas (mainly chateaux for the King's lovers).
The buildings and grounds are simply stunning, if a little "over the top" at times. With gold trim, marble, carved wood, an amazing array of beautiful furniture and much more. The gardens are very extensive (3.5kms from the Chateau to the end of the canal and 1.5kms to the Trianon). The gardens consist of formal gardens, forests, narrow trails surrounded by trees, many fountains (including some synced to music), statues and little hidden retreats.
The whole thing is stunning but one can understand the population rising up in the French Revolution against an aristocracy living such excesses whilst everyone else struggled.
A magnificent day though a little tiring - Anne is already asleep as I write this.
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| The front gate in the fog |
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| King's chambers |
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| Small section of the gardens |
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| A little bit of cornice work |
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| The Chateau from the back garden |
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| One of the many statues |
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| Lovely decor |
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| French pavilion at the Petit Trianon |
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