Versailles

We left Paris on Sunday morning and headed to Versailles for the day. Chateau Versailles was Louis XIV's "fun palace" and monument to the most wonderful person he could think of-- himself. He was the master of self promotion and celebrity. The last king to live here was Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette.... until the Revolution when they were made "a foot shorter on the top."

Rob had been here before, but I was excited to see all of the decadent grandeur for myself. :)

Our first stop was the garden.
(That's the palace back behind me.)

I'm glad I don't have to trim the hedges around here.

Louis XIV liked to call himself the Sun King, and compared himself to Apollo a lot. This fountain shows Apollo rising up on his chariot out of the water.

We were there for the "fountain show" but the crowds were pretty massive by that time of day-- this was still early in the morning. Oh, they also had classical music playing throughout the gardens while we walked around.

This is the front gate to Versailles. This was the line at 9 am. When we got in line for the palace around 11 am, it was 45 minutes long. By the end of the trip, we had been on our feet for 4 hours- Charlotte included. She was a very good girl... and only told me about 20 times "I'm soooo tired."

Leah in the Hall of Mirrors.
Also, the Treaty of Versailles was signed here to end World War I.

Statue of Louis XIV to the left. Paintings of Louis all over the ceiling.
Yeah, he was a fan of himself.

I'm not sure the fireplace is big enough... what do you think?