Palace of Versailles - September 2022

Would you like to witness profligateness on a scale unlike almost any other? Would you like to feel bad about your humble home and belongings? Would you like to have a real sour taste in your mouth towards monarchies and oligarchies? Then the Palace of Versailles might be for you! Thanks, Louis XIV!

We were first scheduled visitors of the day; this line was over 1/4 mile of a long when we left. So they're finally making up some of the construction cost, is what I'm saying.

In truth, it was beautiful and opulent and ridiculous. There's really not a question why the Parisians got all stabby around the time of Louis XVI, after seeing it. Marie Antoinette's bathroom is the size of our main bedroom.

I think my favorite part is that Marie A. had a daybed in her bathroom, presumably in case she got tired walking from the chamber pot to the bathtub.

While it's ostensibly gorgeous, what exactly was the need for the Hall of Mirrors? I think it replaced a terrace that exposed the King's and Queen's apartments to bad weather - but why did it have to have 357 mirrors and so very many chandeliers? I'm sure it was a gorgeous backdrop for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles... but I'd be super upset at my tax dollars going to something so unnecessary.

The 30 ceiling paintings boast about Louis XIV's successful history. Dude was the one who commissioned said paintings, as a reminder. So the hubris was *chef's kiss* level.

Those 357 mirrors are great at reflecting the sea of humanity walking down the Hall at any one time.

In case one wasn't already aware enough of how awesome Louis XIV was what with the ceiling panels, the War Room also has marble panels, gilded bronze trophies, weapons, and more paintings illustrating his prowess as a monarch. It's very endearing.

I'm not sure over whom Louis XIV is riding in the stucco relief; I can only assume it's a peasant. Probably an elderly, kindly invalid who dared walk in front of him, but that's mostly informed conjecture.

Some other interior rooms rife with subtlety:

I think this was the King's Apartment? Does it really matter?

One of the 2300 rooms. I'm not exaggerating that number, look it up.

The chapel - I naturally assume the various Louis-es worshipped themselves, so you can imagine my surprise at seeing a chapel.

One of, like, 7000 frescoes.

I thought I was inured to opulence by the time we walked out to the grounds... boy, did I find out. It's a separate ticket, so you can either buy it in advance or onsite. Several of the fountains were drained for the fall and incoming winter, but there were still several running. One played music. Because, again, subtlety.

Usually, my sarcasm knows no bounds. But I have run out of ways to express how ridiculous this is at a high level. Beautiful, but ridiculous.

The musical fountain. In Louis XIV-XVI's days, musicians just hung out down here to play music in time with the water. These days, it's played via speakers.

The hedge maze and one of the many gilded fountains. Because go big or go home.

Most of the flowers and shrubs were in their last throes, but everything is manicured intricately.

I likely come off here as negative, and don't mean to do so. From an historical perspective, this is incredible to visit. It really embodies the whole "the French have style" thing. But it is just representative of the way that people were starving in the streets, and Marie is talking about them eating cake.

It's a ways out of Paris, so the metro is the easiest way to get there. Make sure to bake in about 45-60 minutes for travel, and then it's fairly close to the metro station. Get a time slot as early in the day as possible, which requires booking early - the lines become atrocious after that. But it's definitely a fascinating visit!