March 2012

Versailles

I took the car and drove to Versailles.  Parked it and had a great day all by myself.  I walked the grounds, took a tour of the palace itself and returned to the hotel at around 7:30.

With 20 million other tourists I walked to the entrance of the Palace, admired the statue of the Sun King...

... including the stirrup that was more delicate than most people's jewelry.

... walked the grounds and said to myself  - 'no wonder they had a revolution'.

... took pictures of hundreds of statues and ponds and fountains, 

....saw the royal loo

... the Hall of Mirrors

... Poor Marie Antoinette's bedroom with the pictures of her family decorating the walls

... including the one with the empty crib lamenting the loss of her child.

... and David's masterpiece celebrating Napoelon's modesty! Josephine being crowned empress just to be kicked out within a few years for a younger model.  He even had his mother painted in - even though she was not there.

... And last but not least the Sun King himself.