Anniversary Trip--Day Three

Day Three in Paris found us hobbling gently out of our hotel, feet already aching, wondering how in the world we could do and see all we wanted to do and see.  We still managed to make it down to our bakery, this time branching out from croissants to briochettes. 

Let me clarify.  We bought croissants and briochettes.  Oh yeah.

We had to make a relatively early start to the day because we were headed on a trip out of town to the Palace of Versailles.

The Palace of Versailles began as a hunting lodge for King Louis XIII.  During the reign of Louis XIV, he moved the French court and government permanently to Versailles, drastically expanding the existing building. 

We began our day with a guided tour that allowed us to see areas of the palace not accessible to everyone.  It was nice to understand more of the history of the buildings, and to see the opulent rooms and furnishings (most of which had been removed during the French Revolution).

I loved the gardens, and could have spent hours wandering and looking at the lovely scenery.  With the sculptures everywhere, the fountains, and the grand canal running through the middle, it was an amazing sight.

 

As we walked through the gardens, we made our way out to the Grand Trianon, which was built at the request of Louis XIV as a retreat from the pressures of palace life.

Think of it as Versailles on a slightly smaller scale...

Hoping to give our tired feet a break, we paid to ride the little train from the Grand Trianon back to the Palace.  It was worth it--I'm not sure my feet were up to another 40 minute hike.

Because we had taken the guided tour in the morning, we were eligible for audio tours at no cost, so we picked up our little headsets and squished in among the crowds for a look at the rest of the Palace itself.

We began with the chapel--

--then worked our way to the private apartments and grand ballrooms--

--making sure to walk through the famous Hall of Mirrors.

Incredible.

It was an overwhelming experience, and as I walked through room after room of luxury and elegance, I could begin to relate to those behind the French Revolution.  After all, how many chandeliers/salons/painted ceilings/gold leafed items does one King need?

We hopped the train back to Paris and spent the evening at the Musée d'Orsay, a wonderful art museum that did not allow photographs.  It was a nice mix of sculpture, Van Gogh, Impressionists, you name it.  It even had a lovely exhibit about Art Nouveau furniture and art.  The Museum's focus is collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914.

We had a very nice visit, though I thought my feet were simply going to give out.  We took it in little bites, and managed to work our way through before closing time.

Now it's back to the hotel to rest up for our last day!