Paris: Part 2 Versailles (2)
6:20 AM
If one every looks at a map of the Chateau Versailles, one will immediately notice that the chateau is only like 10 percent of the entire grounds... the rest is about the palace gardens which is extremely well taken care of, and are really fantastic in terms of design and structure. The gardens are symmetrically divided into plots and fountains of different designs are strategically placed in geometric area of the gardens. While you have to look at a map to get a good sense of the structure of the area, just walking around and viewing the different fountain designs is WOW inself already. I was lucky that when I finally made it to the gardens, the fountains were flowing with water (due to water shortages, it only flows at certain times of the day) in sync with classical music... which was nice to just sit down, watch and enjoy....
Even just from the pictures below, you can sense the amount of merticulous garden planning that went into making the gardens as famous as it is today. The gardens and trees were trimmed in unique shapes as a symbol from Louis XIV that he was from the sun god and therefore could control nature as well...
Latona Musical fountain!! If you look closely at the pictures, do note that the water is being pumped u[ through the mouths of individual creatures... which is a creative feat if you ask me, especially since they were constructed in the 17th century...
Walking down to the end of the gardens... as you can see, it is MASSIVE and there are many paths leading to many different fountains depending on which one you wanna see...
Apollo fountain at the beginning of the Grand canal. In summer people are allowed to rent row boats/ pedal boats that they can use to cruise along the grand canal
Mirror fountain.. so called because the shaped of the river is in the shape of a french mirror
This is a set of 4 similar fountains, the Saturne fountain, Bacchues fountain, flora fountain and Ceres fountain positioned in a square at each side of the garden... imagine me walking to all four corners of the garden just to see all 4 fountain designs...
This was the Colonnade Grove... a circular structure in the middle of the gardens... one of the prettier fountain structures which I liked a lot.
Bathing Nymphs fountain and dragon fountain in the distance..
In the southeast corner of the gardens is the Grand Trianon, a "miniature palace" built by Louis XIV to enable him to retreat from royal duties and enjoy some private female company. From the main palace, it's a half an hour walk at least, so many people opt to take the 3 Euro tram... *ouch for the pockets* I walked back and forth... and my feet were so so so sore after that long day.... This palace is much more subtle in design, the interior is elegant and even the gardens are more subtle in design compared to the main palace gardens...
Bottom left: Venus temple... quite the romantic spot huh..
Rooms in the Grand Trianon
Rooms on the Marie Antoinette estate..the petite Trianon, just a short distance away from the Grand Trianon...
Portrait of the Queen herself
The Queen's theatre. To perfect her french, Marie Antoinette took comedy classes and she acted while still in vienna with her family, and from this came her taste for the theatre. In 1777, she asked Richard Mique to built an auditorium in which difference performances were given. Sometimes with her as an actress and sometimes as a spectator. The theatre is hidden in the gardens of the estate, so I would not have known its existence if not for the brochure given to me when I entered the petite trianon. The theatre itself is small, giving a rather intimate feelings and one almost immediately senses that this was a private domain rather than a public one...
Last pic of the Versailles gardens before I left...
The highlight of Versailles was definitely the gardens for me... Although I saw alot and walked alot (extremely sore feet when I got back to the hostel, so much so I declined to go out for the night) I didn't really complete the garden... there were other fountains which I would have liked to hike too... but I was quite exhausted really after walking for about 4 hours continuously around the palace grounds..... But ... I was so happy that I waited in the queue and didn't give up and stayed!!!!!!!
Even just from the pictures below, you can sense the amount of merticulous garden planning that went into making the gardens as famous as it is today. The gardens and trees were trimmed in unique shapes as a symbol from Louis XIV that he was from the sun god and therefore could control nature as well...
Latona Musical fountain!! If you look closely at the pictures, do note that the water is being pumped u[ through the mouths of individual creatures... which is a creative feat if you ask me, especially since they were constructed in the 17th century...
Walking down to the end of the gardens... as you can see, it is MASSIVE and there are many paths leading to many different fountains depending on which one you wanna see...
Apollo fountain at the beginning of the Grand canal. In summer people are allowed to rent row boats/ pedal boats that they can use to cruise along the grand canal
Mirror fountain.. so called because the shaped of the river is in the shape of a french mirror
This is a set of 4 similar fountains, the Saturne fountain, Bacchues fountain, flora fountain and Ceres fountain positioned in a square at each side of the garden... imagine me walking to all four corners of the garden just to see all 4 fountain designs...
This was the Colonnade Grove... a circular structure in the middle of the gardens... one of the prettier fountain structures which I liked a lot.
Bathing Nymphs fountain and dragon fountain in the distance..
In the southeast corner of the gardens is the Grand Trianon, a "miniature palace" built by Louis XIV to enable him to retreat from royal duties and enjoy some private female company. From the main palace, it's a half an hour walk at least, so many people opt to take the 3 Euro tram... *ouch for the pockets* I walked back and forth... and my feet were so so so sore after that long day.... This palace is much more subtle in design, the interior is elegant and even the gardens are more subtle in design compared to the main palace gardens...
Bottom left: Venus temple... quite the romantic spot huh..
Rooms in the Grand Trianon
Rooms on the Marie Antoinette estate..the petite Trianon, just a short distance away from the Grand Trianon...
Portrait of the Queen herself
The Queen's theatre. To perfect her french, Marie Antoinette took comedy classes and she acted while still in vienna with her family, and from this came her taste for the theatre. In 1777, she asked Richard Mique to built an auditorium in which difference performances were given. Sometimes with her as an actress and sometimes as a spectator. The theatre is hidden in the gardens of the estate, so I would not have known its existence if not for the brochure given to me when I entered the petite trianon. The theatre itself is small, giving a rather intimate feelings and one almost immediately senses that this was a private domain rather than a public one...
Last pic of the Versailles gardens before I left...
The highlight of Versailles was definitely the gardens for me... Although I saw alot and walked alot (extremely sore feet when I got back to the hostel, so much so I declined to go out for the night) I didn't really complete the garden... there were other fountains which I would have liked to hike too... but I was quite exhausted really after walking for about 4 hours continuously around the palace grounds..... But ... I was so happy that I waited in the queue and didn't give up and stayed!!!!!!!