emy travels: 2015.05.06 Chateau Versailles (Versailles, France)

Luxembourg Garden

It was still too early in the season for flowers but the garden was just as beautiful as I remembered.

This morning detour to the garden was unplanned as I had already scheduled a morning guided tour at Versailles. But one of my travel companions managed to cajole me into taking her here - she had gotten lost the day before trying to find it.

Medici Fountain

His-and-Her Doors
Located somewhere between our hotel and the Luxembourg Garden

Let's start by stating that it takes a person of tremendous skill and agility to be able to run in flats on cobblestone, especially wet cobblestone.

I am not that person.

Because of the early morning side-trip to the Luxembourg Garden, I lost my travel buffer time to Versailles (you know, that little extra time set aside for unexpected surprises?)

The proximity of the hotel to Gare Montparnasse meant I could take the RER N train instead of the more popular RER C train, cutting the travel time to 40 minutes. The downside to the RER N train is that it arrives at a different station, one that is slightly farther from the chateau.

I had twenty minutes, which should have gave me enough time for the one kilometer walk to the chateau entrance.

But I overestimated my ability to walk on cobblestone in flats. In the rain. Holding an umbrella.

Running out of time, I had to quicken my pace (at the increasing risk of injury), shifting from a swift walk to a half-run/skip, all the while thinking , "this is what all those morning runs had been leading up to. You can do it."

It was not fun.

Several near ankle-twists later, I finally made it to the gate with a few minutes to spare.

To my surprise, Versailles no longer offered skip-the-line for Museum Pass-holders (why?!?!) and the security guard was adamant that I enter the queue even after I showed him my scheduled e-ticket.

There was no way I'd make the tour if I had to wait in line. Starting to panic and feeling defeated, I headed towards the end of the line (which was short by Versailles standard due to the weather, but still at least a good half an hour to an hour wait).

Then I showed my e-ticket to another security guard, whom I can't thank enough, who turned out to be much nicer and actually looked at the ticket. He then directed me to a side entrance just to the right of the courtyard. I cannot say just how relieved I felt seeing the group hadn't left yet.

The guided tour I had booked was for the "Private Apartments of the Kings," one of the few available in English. It was much cheaper than expected - only 7 euros (on top of the general entrance fee, which was covered by the Museum Pass).

There are a lot more French-only tours that I wish will eventually become available in English. If not, just another incentive to improve my French.

A few choice ones:
- Les Lieux Caches (Hidden Places);
- Les Appartements Des Favorites Du Roi (Apartments of the King's Favourites); and
- Dans L'intimite de Marie-Antoinette (In the Private World of Marie-Antoinette)

Everyone received one of these audio receivers.

Clippable and much lighter than ones I've seen.

Yay! And it begun.

It was so exciting to see the guide pull out a large antique key to unlock the doors to the private apartments.

Barometer in the After-hunt Dining Room

Bedroom of Louis XV

Partially under renovation, hence the curtain. This was where Louis XV actually slept instead of the official bed chamber where the daily rising and retiring ceremonies took place.

The royal double-L monogram of Louis XV

Everything is heavily gilded and covered in richly-embroidered brocade, which are changed according to the seasons.

Clock Room

This fascinating clock not only tells the date and time, it also shows the phases of the moon. The crystal globe on top shows movement of the planets. What's most astounding is that the clock still works, requiring only a weekly winding.

You can't quite see it but it actually reads "2015 - Mercredi - 6 - Mai" and below the, the moon near full. A true showcase of French clockmaking skills, that the clock still fully functions even after 250 years. (And thinking ahead enough to have the clock be able to display "2000" and not have a Y2K moment? Just wow. )

Some of the gilded panels have started to crack and one of the cracks is threatening to splice that poor cherub in half. Someone save him!!!

Speaking of which, did you know that Versailles is always looking for sponsors? You can adopt a bust for the mere cost of 5,000 euros, a bench for 2,900 euros, or a tree for 1,000 euros. Of course, it's more economical for French citizens as they can get up to 65% (!!!) back in tax reductions.

The King's Interior Cabinet - Louis XV's Famous Roll-Top Desk

I've wanted to see this desk for a very, very long time, even mentioning it in a post about my previous visit to Versailles (here).

It is the epitome of fine French furniture and was featured on BBC docu-series that I can no longer find.

This desk was beyond advanced for its time; shock-proof, fire-proof, and contains highly complex mechanisms for its many secret compartments. All drawers and the desk itself can be locked and unlocked by a single quarter turn of a master key, which the king carried on his person at all times. The ink pots can be refilled from the outside without the need to open the desk.

While I would have loved to see the desk in action, it would have been asking too much .

The king's likeness was removed after Revolution and replaced by a porcelain medallion of the three muses.

The Royal Toilets

Cabinet of Dispatches

This "secret room" was where Louis XV received secret dispatches from his network of hidden agents and private treaties were made that drastically changed European alliances.

Set of Barometer and Thermometer
Again with the barometer. Seriously, why the fascination with air pressure? I actually asked the tour guide and she didn't know either.

Cool thing about the thermometer are the annotations: ice (0 °C), orange trees (6 °C), moderate (10 °C), room temperature at which illness was thought to prevail (17 °C).

This room formerly belonged to Princess Adelaide, one of Louis XV's daughters, who was an accomplished musician, hence the instrument motifs.

Library

The doors to this room are hidden behind faux bookcases.

Chinoiserie in full swing.

Beautiful, but they really messed up the longevity symbols.

Porcelain Dining Room

Where Louis XV and Marie Antoinette would have semi-formal dinners with their family and friends, instead of the more formal banquets.

Sevres Porcelain Sets

Most destroyed or sold during the Revolution.

Left: A chair especially designed for ladies to better observe card games - they could kneel upon the seat and rest their elbows on the padded back.

Right: Just thought it would make a pretty photo.

Games Room of Louis XVI

Left: Random bench, complete with foldable footstools.

Right: A flight of stairs that looks surprisingly modern.

I thought that was the end of the tour, but nope, the guide pulled out another key...

... and we went inside the Royal Chapel!

I was one of these poor blokes on my last visit. They must have disliked us very much because once our group entered the chapel, we basically blocked their view of the chapel altar and destroyed any chance of a decent photo.

I found this great new program that allows you to stitch photos together without the need for the panoramic function on your camera. Very very cool.

The Royal Gallery for the king and his family.

And since it would not have been considered proper to turn one's back to the king, the mass attendants on the ground floor would have had to turn their backs to the altar instead.

The beautiful marble floor of the chapel.

Chateau Versailles has a great virtual tour of the Royal Chapel here. It even has a setting for various times of the day so you can fully enjoy the different effects sunlight has on the chapel. Very worth your while.

I'd highly recommend the guided tours offered by the chateau. The guide I had was very knowledgeable and spoke great English. Plus, you wouldn't have to battle the crowds. The only drawback is that you wouldn't be able to dawdle and focus on specific rooms or pieces, like I wanted to with that awesome Louis XV desk.

Les Appartements de Mesdames

After the tour, I had some time to kill before meeting up with the rest of the group (whom, by pure chance, was also visiting Versailles that morning).

I had wanted to revisit the wonderful globe in the apartments of the Dauphin and Dauphine but the wing was closed for renovations. Instead, I visited the Mesdames' apartments, which was closed on my last visit. The entrance is through the Marble Court.

The Louis XIV sun motif on the clock dial.

The hallway leading to the apartments was full of statues representing the Elements and the Temperaments

Mesdames Victoire and Adelaide
Daughters of Louis XV, they remained unmarried and resided in the chateau until the Revolution.

They are seen in the movie Marie Antoinette as the two spinster aunts of Louis XVI.

Adelaide is portrayed on the left, dressed in red.

During Louis XIV's reign, this section of the apartment (madame Victoire's apartments) was his bath apartments (bath apartments, really? That would have definitely been interesting to see).

Madame Victoire's Second Antechamber

An amazingly detailed model of what I believe to be the Versailles gardens.

Madame Victoire's Bedchamber

The bed looks awfully small, even for a petite woman.

Madame Victoire's Library

Interior Chamber of Madame Adelaide

Madame Adelaide's Bedchamber

Ironically, the room's previous resident was the beautiful and beguiling Madame de Pompadour, whom Madame Adelaide and her sisters hated. Madame de Pompadour was Louis XV's official mistress for many years and remained on good relations with the king until her death.