The complex of Versailles is so immense that it is hard to find just one photo that says it all. It is really three sights in one: the chateau or palace, the gardens, and the Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette where Louis XIV and his successors escaped from the pressures of being king. So with that in mind I am including a slideshow with a few select photos.
The expansive Gardens are a landscaped wonderland of statues and fountains. The Gardens were actually in transition when we were there. The spring bulbs were over and the summer annuals were just being planted, so there's not much in the way of flowers.
The Trianon Palaces were actually miles from the main Chateau in the tiny village of Trianon and were built to be an escape from the rigors of kingship. There is a Grand Trianon and a Petit Trianon. The Grand Trianon was actually built by Louis XIV for his mistress. The Petit Trianon was built by Louis XV's first mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and then later lived in by his second mistress, Madame du Barry. Then later when Louis XVI became king, he gave the palace to his new wife, Marie-Antoinette.
On the grounds of Marie-Antoinette's Estate, is a fake-peasant Hamlet which was created for Marie-Antoinette. She longed for the simple life and some of her happiest days were spent here. This was an actual working farm with chickens, cows, goats and a bunch of servants to keep it all running for her.
(Double-click on the slideshow to view in enlarged format and to scan photos at your own pace.)
Versailles was magnificent, but I reserved my photo of the day for the Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica which we saw during our evening outing to Montmartre for dinner. With the Romanesque-Byzantine architectural style of this basilica one would think that it is much older than it is, yet it is not quite 100 years old, only having been completed in 1914 after 44 years of construction.
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| Sacré Coeur Basilica |
But Montmartre is so much more than the Sacré Coeur Basilica. Montmartre is the highest hilltop in Paris and is historically a hangout for struggling artists, poets, and dreamers who come here for the cheap rent and the bohemian atmosphere. Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Satie all lived here at one time or another. Besides the bohemian artists, Montmartre is also famous for its cabaret nightlife - think "cancan" and the Moulin Rouge. So, I can't let it go with just this one photo of Montmartre so I am including a few more photos of our evening.
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| Artists at work in Montmartre |
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| Strolling among the artists and sidewalk cafes |
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| The famous Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) |
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