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Adventures in Tourism: Versailles


This image features the Château de Versailles from a distance. A long, winding line of people are waiting to enter the château. The old, stone structure stands on the left, with a golden gate in front of it. To the right, a taller structure that appears to have a hallway with a mural and columns is actually an optical illusion; the columns are painted it using perspective to trick your eye.

Hello!

I have decided to scatter my Adventures in Tourism blog posts, rather than foregoing them altogether or writing the remaining posts one after another. Eventually, I hope to evolve to posting about strange and interesting places that I visit in the United States. For today, I want to tell you about my visit to Versailles.

I procrastinated on visiting Versailles until my last day in Paris. After a week of post-study-abroad travel, I wanted nothing more than to stay in the hostel and rest. However, I dragged myself to the metro station and headed off to Versailles.

With the advent of the modern Parisian metro system, it only takes a little over an hour to get to Versailles. Still, one can imagine how distant Versailles must have seemed to Parisians when Louis XIV moved the royal lodgings there in 1682.

Upon arriving in Versailles, I found myself standing in a very long line of complaining tourists to use a single bathroom stall. Then, I stood in a long line to buy a ticket, only to discover that I could forego the long line provided that I was willing to buy my ticket from an electronic machine.

At last, after over two hours of waiting, I was permitted to enter the château. The Château de Versailles is as beautiful as you might imagine. I initially tried to follow my audio guide closely, but I eventually grew impatient and relied on signs to guide me through the building.

The famed Hall of Mirrors. A large number of people are walking down the hallway. On the curved ceiling, there is a set of murals framed in gold; the details of these murals are not visible in this photo. Mirrors line the left side of the hallway, while windows line the right side of the hallway.

One of the large royal bedrooms in the château. Almost everything in this room is decorated with the same white, pink, and green floral print. A bed stands in the center of the room with a canopy above it. On either side of the bed, there is a portrait of a woman with puffy gray hair in a Marie Antoinette style; on the left portrait, she is wearing bright red, and, on the right portrait, she is wearing dark gray.

After a long day in the château, I finally got something to eat and moved on to the gardens. I immediately wished that I had visited the gardens first; there were so many paths to walk through and beautiful greenery, and I was exhaustedly trudging through it. Throughout my time in Europe, I made a point of reflecting on how little I would enjoy living thousands of years ago, regardless of which station I was born into. However, I wouldn't mind living with the Versailles gardens as my backyard.

The garden of Versailles, photographed from an elevated height. Near the horizon, there is a lake, and the bottom right features a fountain. Several different patches are manicured to make a beautiful pattern, with paths inside and in between them.


An image of one of the garden's paths. A tall hedge frames the path, where two couples are walking. Trees surround the path, and well-groomed bushes frame the entrance.

I would like to finish this blog post by sharing my journal entry from that day:

May 26, 2019 

It was a good, but super tiring day at Château de Versailles. Everything inside is so luscious and gold. After awhile, I started to feel like I had seen new exhibit before. It was a weird and unsettling experience. 

The walking, waiting in line, and immense crowds definitely got to me. Plus, it was nearly 4 PM by the time I ate "lunch". It was beautiful! I'm so glad that I took the time to see it! But I could not be paid enough to go back and repeat that exhausting experience. I am tired! My feet are blistery! I might be coming down with a cold! I am excited to head home tomorrow, and to put fun and adventure on hold for the time being.

While now, after a few months of relative relaxation, revisiting Versailles doesn't seem so bad, I remember my exhaustion and wonder acutely. 

Best wishes,
Lydia 

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