Versailles

Versailles is around an hour from Cergy, France, our home base last week. Thanks to our GPS, I avoided all toll roads (and therefore a bunch of traffic), but only added around five minutes to the drive. Boo and I set out around 9:30am and were parked and walking to the gardens by 11am. The lines to get in the palace were absolutely monstrous, and had I not already bought tickets, we wouldn't have bothered. I'm extremely claustrophobic and every tourist from Shanghai decided that last Tuesday was the day to visit. 

Side note: If you are not doing a tour, buy and print out (you will be turned away with a phone copy!!) your tickets beforehand, or you will wait in a huge line to buy tickets and then have to wait in a different huge line to get in.

Fortunately, the gardens are so incredibly gigantic (and we started there first) that they didn't feel crowded at all. We immediately got in a line for a little train ride, which was the absolute best purchase of the day because it drove us to the three key points to view sights: Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and the Grand Canal. At the end of the day, the line for the train was at least an hour long, so I'd recommend getting on that first. 

Just getting to the back of the gardens would have spent most of our energy for the day, so I'm really glad we used the train. It was a beautiful day and the temperature was just right. 

That's the line AFTER purchasing tickets (I had bought online beforehand - but really, if I did it again I'd probably take a group tour for the Palace, which provides good info and lets you skip that line).

Ugh.

It was so sunny I couldn't see my phone screen very well.

Temple of Love

Grotto and Le Belvedere 

All of the above are from Le Petit Trianon and its surrounding gardens. This area opens at noon, so stroll Le Grand Trianon first if you catch a train back before then. From Wiki:

Le Petit Trianon was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel by the order of Louis XV for his long-term mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and was constructed between 1762 and 1768. Madame de Pompadour died four years before its completion, and the Petit Trianon was subsequently occupied by her successor, Madame du Barry. Upon his accession to the throne in 1774, the 20-year-old Louis XVI gave the château and its surrounding park to his 19-year-old Queen Marie Antoinette for her exclusive use and enjoyment.

We didn't walk through Le Grand Trianon because it was just too much for one day and one little Boo. I'd say the gardens should be enjoyed over 1.5 days, finishing with a half day or less at the Palace.

After our garden stroll, we got dropped off at Le Grand Canal, my favorite part of the experience. We immediately saw rowboats for rent, which we promptly did for half an hour (€12). I got a good triceps workout and Boo said she loved to "relax in the warm sun."

The weather was perfect. 

Next, back to wait an hour in line to see the inside of the Palace.

The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Règime.

And now, a photo tour. I gave Boo my audio guide to distract her, so I didn't get a lot of background, which would likely have made the tour more enjoyable:

Every single time I tried to take a picture someone turned around and walked through so I eventually gave up. Plus, Boo badly needs a bang trim. It's like €30 for a girl's cut so we will handle that in Ohio.

One gorgeously over-the-top ceiling/room after another. I was so intent on getting us out at this point that I'd take a halfhearted snap of a ceiling and continuing pushing us through. It was beautiful, but there were so, so many people. The tour groups would just stop in a room and not leave a path for anyone else. It took a lot of restraint to not throw elbows or start screaming. Claustrophobia and this château were a bad combo. Boo isn't claustrophobic and kept asking to leave too, so it was just unpleasant all around. I'm sure her perspective of the Tourist Crotch Tour of Versailles wasn't so great. 

Finally got a little room at the end of the Hall of Mirrors.

The gift shop had gold macarons.

After a day full of walking, it was time to get back to pick up John and rest to enjoy Paris the next day (and the next, as it turned out). If I'm being honest, I didn't think I would like Paris all that much from what people have told me and what I had read. I am happy to report I was dead wrong and we LOVE Paris.