We bought the tickets a month out. Then sat back and hoped it wouldn't rain. We woke up early that Tuesday morning and assessed the cloud cover. I packed my umbrella just in case as we boarded the C train. We never should have worried. Forty-five minutes later, just outside of Paris, we walked the two blocks and saw the sun gleaming off the golden gates of Versailles.
The palace was exquisite. The amount of detail placed into every crevice was phenomenal. This place could only have been built for and by a king. The Hall of Mirrors (right) is considered the most famous room in all of Versailles and it didn't disappoint.
And as king, it was sensible to bring your place of worship into your house. Why not build a "modest" chapel with marble floors, gold leafing and a two-story dome covered in beautiful murals.
After our intial walk through the palace, we looked at the map of the grounds. The southern tip of the Grand Canal was roughly a 60 min walk. We started at the incredible Fountain of Apollo and opted to head out the the east. And so we walked. And walked.
And walked some more. Over an hour later we arrived at Marie Antoinette's estate. We walked miles that day. (I wish I could say I had a green thumb to rival that of these gardeners....)
Three quarters of the way back to the main estate, we heard a vehicle slowly approach and pass us. It was a tram. We could have gotten a ride to and from the edge of the grounds.
Note to the wise: always look for a tram.
