What we {loved} about Paris... Part Four

It hit me yesterday that, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I completely forgot to share the last Paris post with you guys!  (If you missed the first few Paris posts, you can get caught up here, here, and here.)  So without further ado...

{We loved} the Palace of Versailles.

Of all the suggestions I got for the things we absolutely had to do while we were in Paris, Versailles was the one I heard the most.  And now I understand why.

It's an actual palace (now preserved as a museum) that was built by King Louis XIV in the 1600s, and it was breathtaking. 

We had such a lovely time, strolling through this perfectly preserved piece of history, wondering what in the world it must have been like to live there during the seventeenth century.

This Hall of Mirrors was particularly beautiful.  I couldn't get enough of the light.

There were so many intricate details everywhere, it was hard to take it all in. 

After we explored the inside of the palace, we headed out to the gardens to take a peek.

It's almost unbelievable how massive the gardens are, stretching as far as the eye could see.

We rented a golf cart so that we could see it all without having to actually walk through the whole thing.  By this point, this momma was feeling pretty worn out.

 

Here's a shot of the palace from the middle of the gardens.

 

 

And here's one of the mini-palaces that King Louis XIV had built for his mistress.  So much scandal... :)

 

 

I'm telling you guys, I could have spent days here.  Apart from the Eiffel Tower, Versailles was definitely my favorite part of the trip.  I can't imagine how beautiful it must be in the spring, when everything is green and blooming.

 

 

Bottom line, our trip to Paris was incredible.  While I feel more sure than ever that we're not cut out for the city and that we will always feel more at home in the middle of nowhere, I loved visiting and will be looking forward to the next time we can hop across the pond to explore another piece of the world.  (I'm looking at you, Italy...)