Submitted by Ella Sutliff on the 2024 Winter BISC program in Paris …
As a study abroad group, we frequently go on excursions to different places around France. One of my favorite excursions that we have done in the past few weeks was our trip to Versailles. Versailles is about a 45 minute train ride outside of Paris, so we left for it early in the morning and were able to stay there for the majority of the day.
Upon arriving at Versailles, I was immediately shocked by its beauty. The extremely large building was filled with gold detailing all around. Going inside the beauty only continued. Every inch of the inside of the building was filled with stunning detail. We continued walking through the building with a guided tour. We got to see very much of the building with this tour, which I was so grateful for. Some of what we got to see included the chapel, the hall of mirrors, the dining rooms, the bedrooms, and many more. It was interesting to see the different rooms that had different decorations depending on its use. I also found it very interesting that this building was done with some much intricate detail and was filled with perfection. The amount of time and money that went into the creation of Versailles is something that I never anticipated, and it is extremely impressive that this could have been done to perfection at the time.
Another part of Versailles that we got to explore was the gardens. As it is winter, the gardens were not filled with greenery and flowers, but we were still able to see the layout of them. There were several fountains, ponds, and walking paths through the forest. There were also perfectly groomed trees surrounding the gardens that were filled with perfectly groomed grasses. It again was so interesting to see how much work and detail was put into the gardens, especially considering how large the gardens were. I would absolutely love to return to Versailles during the spring or summer to experience the gardens when they are in full bloom as I can only imagine how beautiful they are.
I am so beyond thankful that I have had the chance to go to Versailles and experience all that the beautiful land and building has to offer. I would love to go back one day and experience it from a different lens, and I can only hope that I will have the chance to do so. (Submitted on January 23, 2024)