Submitted by Alison McIntyre on the 2012 fall semester program in Paris, France…
This past weekend, I visited Versailles. I went on Friday because we did not have classes. My friends and I thought we were getting there early by arriving at 10 am. We were wrong! Apparently, Versailles is ALWAYS busy. ( Haha.) It was alright though because it was a very nice day out, so waiting outside, in line was not a problem. Below is a photo of two of my friends and I right in front of the gates to Versailles. We met these very nice Americans, who asked if we could take their photo…and then we did the same.
Inside, Versailles was GORGEOUS. I particularly liked the “Room of Mirrors.” It was this huge, long room filled with mirrors, with beautiful ornate detailing. I also really enjoyed seeing Marie Antoinette’s room…her bed was gorgeous, but the room itself was not as large as I imagined. This could have been because Marie Antoinette also had her OWN house on the property, as well as her own farm. (My friends and I struggled to find her house…but we finally did!)
Below is a photo of the gardens. This particular photo was taken from the top of stairs, and includes a beautiful fountain. I loved exploring the inside of Versailles, but it was the gardens that truly impressed me. Everything was breathtaking. I could have spent another full week in these gardens just exploring all of the passageways. There were countless secluded areas lined with trees..that left you wondering what was at the other side!
The last photo is of my two friends rowing a boat at Versailles. This was so much fun…and so much trickier than I expected!!
