Versailles

Yesterday, Natalie and I went to Versailles, which is only about a forty minute train ride from Paris. It was pretty darned fancy.



I cannot even imagine living in a place like that. It is enormous! And now, of course, it is packed with tourists. People who show up sans ticket have to wait in line for a ticket, then wait in line again at the entrance. You can bypass the first line by purchasing a ticket in Paris at any FNAC. (FNAC is a chain of stores along the lines of Best Buy.) Once we were in, we were treated to room after room that looked like... money. I do not even want to know how much effort it takes to build something like Versailles. This painting is a bit shiny, but there's definitely enough to prove Mel Brooks right when he said, "It's good to be the king!"



I, too, got to practice my statesmanship, beginning with the forbidding gesture.



I also learned some very important lessons in home decorating. Fancy wall paper, elaborate ceiling art, and gold detail really tie a room together, don't you think?



The Hall of Mirrors is still pretty impressive. It would have been fun to party in there.



And to top it off, there is a VERY fancy garden out back. The French do seem to love gardens, and I have to agree that they are awesome.



I must say I enjoyed the irony of celebrating Bastille Day on one day, then visiting Versailles the next. There was, in fact, a fireworks show at Versailles on Bastille Day. I'm sure a few historical figures roll in their graves every year!