Chateau de Versailles

After having heard a yes from everyone who has been to Versailles it got onto my list of things to do from Paris and it was quite spectacular.a

Your first view of the golden gates already gives you an insight into the grandeur of the Chateau de Versailles but it is nothing in comparison to when you enter and the vast garden behind it.

Since we arrived around noon and the sun was just about beginning to hide, we decided to have our picnic in the gardens first. With olive bread, french cheese (a name I just can't remember) and sausages bought from the markets outside my friends place in arr. 12 and some beer we were set to have a gorgeous lunch in one of the largest private (now part public) gardens. From the minute you enter or even get a peak into the garden you are amazed by the neatly trimmed hedges and manicured lawns along with over 50 fountains. These lawns were the perfect setting for our 2 hours long lunch.

The palace in comparison I the acres of land around it seems small until you enter and see marble floors and columns everywhere. The multitude of rooms, each for their own purpose and with their own interior colours and tapestry take you back to the era where entertainment was usually reading or music. And of course they've saved the best for the last with the hall of mirrors giving a perfect end to the walk within the chateau.

The all day trip was concluded with a yummy dinner at a French restaurant with escargot and veal. Followed by a night out in Paris with the locals.