Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Lehman's in Versailles, France!

My absolute, hands down favorite part of France was the Palace of Versailles.
Originally, royalty lived in what is now the Louvre; however, they wanted something more so they moved to Versailles. All I have to say is... INCREDIBLE! This chateaux is the most breathtaking structure and by far the grandest castle of Europe.
Below is the first glimpse of the palace as you are walking up from the metro stop. You walk slightly uphill, and there in front of you is this grandiose structure made of gold and beautiful architecture.

Below is the Hall of Mirrors, lined in real gold and crystal. It is one of the most famous rooms in the world and at the time of construction, mirrors were amongst the most expensive products.

Below is the one of the Prince's staircases. There are over 16 staircases in the house alone. Each member or royalty had their "own" staircase.

This is the view from the King's room inside the palace, overlooking part of the entrance to the palace. Can you imagine if this was your house and you were sitting upstairs waiting for your friends to come over for a dinner party? WOW!

Below is an example of classic decor in the palace. Everything is lined with real gold and the fabrics are extravagant. The marble and patterns used in every room of this monstrous castle are different... nothing repeats!

This is a picture of the courtyard. They are not considered the gardens, because that is a completely separate entity. I guess you would call this your side yard! We were unable to visit the gardens, but you can rent bicycles and golf carts to get through the garden area. Can you believe it?

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