On February 3rd, 2013, I went to Versailles with my friends. It was our first trip to a different city in France.
I was excited to see the royal palace. It’s always a little breathtaking to have the opportunity to go somewhere that you’ve only seen in pictures. I catch myself having these moments when I travel and see certain monuments.
We took the RER C from Gare de L’est straight to Château de Versailles. The architecture is very beautiful. The gold doors with a swirl design at the entrance was the first detail that stood out to me.
Once we were inside, I was fascinated by the chandeliers and paintings. To think that French Kings and Queens spent their daily lives in such a gorgeous home.
I remember seeing Marie Antoinette’s bedroom and imagining what her life must have been like in the 18th century.
We arrived at the courtyard and it’s much bigger than the main palace. Unfortunately, it was winter at the time and some of the statues were covered.
We walked through the courtyard to see the Queen’s Hamlet and the Grand Trianon. I remember how cold I felt walking around. It had been snowing on and off earlier that week so the weather wasn’t ideal for sightseeing. However, our desire to see as much as possible outweighed anything else. Towards the end, we took a small shuttle that drove us back to the main palace.
I knew that this was only the beginning and I was excited to learn more about the country in now reside in.