What I Loved At Versailles And Also What I Hated

What I hated was the crowds in the chateau.  It was stupid packed.  Like, we would all have died in the event of an emergency.  There were huge tour groups and everyone wielded high-end cameras.
Eventually I gave up trying to enjoy myself and just worked on escaping, but trying to get out of the palace was like trying to swim through an iceberg.  

OTHER than that, I loved several things.  

Mainly, being my myself after a crazy weekend.

Also, the lovely weather and the strawberry ice cream I ate.

Further, seeing where so many 18th century stories took place.  

I absolutely ADORED Marie Antoinette's world.  The Petit Trianon itself (her mini palace) was kind of boring to look at.  Beautifully restored and entirely staid.  But walk through into the gardens and you walk into a pastoral paradise.  

She built a mini hamlet complete with a mill, a dairy, and vegetable gardens, and populated it with real animals and peasants.  She would walk around with her close friends in her simple poverty-inspired outfits to escape the pressures of court.  There were paths through meadows and around ponds, into patches of forest and leading to cool grottos.  

(This image is not contemporary to MA.  I'm pretty sure.)

I didn't take every path, partially because I was tired, having only slept for four hours the night before, but partially because I want to save some secrets for the next time I come.  I daydreamed about walking around in a flowing white linen gown with delicate ruffles, spring-green silk taffeta petticoat, and ribbons.  Lots of ribbons.  Corset, straw hat, period shoes.  And a picnic.  It was a wonderful dream.

I've been warned that a friend of a friend of a reenactor friend was not allowed into the Versailles buildings in 18th century garb.  Something about "upsetting" other visitors.  

Humph. 

We shall see.