Versailles

So today was a very productive day, i think. Last night i stayed in with a couple other girls from the group and we watched Marie Antoinette on one of the laptops. We were supposed to watch this because it has to do a lot with what we are talking about in our class. The Thomas Jefferson age when he came to France, was during the reign of Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette. Anyways, so i had seen the movie before but watching it again got me more excited to see her estate in Versailles, France.

We got up fairly early to get ready to go because it is about 45 minutes outside of Paris. The weather was not the best in the world but oh well. So we arrived there after a couple of issues with the metro and which train to get on.

We went to the gardens first because the weather was getting worst and they closed earlier than the actual palace. They were very big and we spent most of the time walking to them. Miles and miles of fountains and greenery. However we made it to the little private estate the Louis had built for Marie in 1783 for her to "get away" and it was bigger than any house i have seen. :/ But the coolest and maybe the most interesting parts about Versailles was that Marie had a mock village built for her and her friends that later bought her kids as well. She wanted to pretend to have a "normal" life as a villager with a farm, and the buildings still exist today. We got to see them and there are real animals still there that are suppose to be from the line of the original ones that were there during her time. I don't know how true that is but it is nice to think it is.

It did rain for a little bit so we took refuge in the barn. It was funny and fun at the same time, because everyone else that was in the village went to the same place. WE walked back to the palace and sat along the rows and rows of stairs trying to soak it all in that this was someones home. Because we live in the USA where a monarchy never existed to the extent of France it is hard for us to imagine it.

Because it was getting windy we decided to go into the palace. It was a little confusing where to start because it was so big but i think that we saw all that we could see, or that was open. We walked into the different rooms and saw all of the furniture and beds that were still in the same condition as 250 years ago. The extravagance was amazing... everything was detailed in gold or silver. The colors were so vivid too, the bright reds, greens, pinks, and blues. We even saw the trap doors that Marie Antoinette had made so that her lovers could sneak into her rooms.

After seeing all of the dresses, clothes, and even some original shoes from the royal family. We even learned some more of the history of the family before we left, but since it was a long journey we all got something to eat before heading home. Some of my friends ate McDonald, i didn't, but Paul spent 17 euros there! The subway home was more crowded but we got home and then i took a nap. I am awake now but we are getting ready to go out... to an Australian bar, in France. First time out in France, let it be memorable!