Versailles

This is the blog that you have all been waiting for.  Versailles.  We spent the day wandering all over the grounds.  Everywhere we could go that didn't require a ticket.  Just wait until you see.

Louis XIV

 

Behind the palace

There were two white swans in the pool.

All of the statues in the garden were covered with tarp to protect them

from the weather.

 

None of the fountains was on.  There are only a few times a year when

you can come to the grounds to see them shooting out water.

Even in Louis' day all of the fountains were not turned on at one time.

Something to do with water pressure maybe.  When the king and his guests

were in the grounds, the groundskeepers follow and preceded him, turning on fountains as

he approached and turning them off when he had passed by.

 

Of course, we are not sure, but we think that some of the gold around

the grounds has been renewed.  This fountain is very bright.

The only entrance into the area with the small decorative houses is through

the Petite Trianon and with a ticket.  We'll come back when there are leaves on the trees

and the sun is out to visit the little hamlet.

A field full of sheep

There is a wall around the hamlet with replica houses from all over France.

And between the pedestrian and the wall is a wide, deep moat.

Even though the moat is dry, it is still very intimidating.

Not that we would sneak in without paying.

There are two ticket booths just outside this gate.  We do not know if at 

some time they are in use.  However, we noticed that there was an entrance open

to the park from the village.  We saw a lot of people either walking or running in the 

wooded area.

The entrance gate at the back of the hamlet.  A small door in

a much larger one.

Walking back, we discovered that we were on the wrong side of the

canal by the lake.  No matter how we approached the problem we

realized that we were going to have to retrace our footsteps.

Fortunately I was with great company and even though it was cloudy it was not raining.

Petite Trianon

A carpet of  white wild flowers growing by the path.

And if you are wondering.  Yes, the wind started blowing and suddenly it was very cold.

Therefore the hood.

Shining gates and fences

Elaine was sitting on the wrong train waiting to return to Paris.