Chateau de Versailles Part 2: The Gardens

I didn´t think anything could be more immense than the inside of the of the Chateau. However, the gardens were even bigger and more breathtaking. You would need a few days (maybe a week) to explore the entire garden area at Versaille. When you walk out of the Chateau you are up high above the grounds and its a great view of the entire estate.

The sky was so crisp and clear that it made some of our photos look like a fake backdrop. 

You have the estate behind you and an endless span of land in front of you. The gardens have different areas to explore along with a variety of fountains and a grand canal.

Josef stands at the top of the gardens. 

Walking towards the grand canal

The musical fountain show would take place at 11:00 and we were all trickling out of the estate at our own pace. Most of us didn´t have time to grab anything for breakfast so we were pretty hungry. I grabbed a waffle and a tart before going out to the gardens. I was sharing my tart with Josef when it fell on the gravel ground. I was so hungry and the one bite I did eat was yummy. Josef and I said decided to pick it up and eat around the gravel bits (worth it).

We all made it out to the Grand Canal for the music show. What´s great about all the fountains in the garden is they all turn on and shoot out water during the hour show and they play beautiful music amplified throughout the gardens. The Grand Canal is pretty grand-and much bigger than you expect it to be. It takes about one hour to walk from the Chateau to the end of the gardens.

The boys had fun posing in front the Grand Canal

Shane made me take a few shots before he was satisfied. 

Josef 

Pedro

Selfie with no stick

Group shot: Shane, Super Nel, Pedro, Me, Dana, Bree and Josef. We believe Bree got distract by a French boy walking by?

The view of the Chateau from the gardens 

At this point we were all pretty hungy, so we grabbed some sandwhiches and ate them while listening to the music play in the background. The weather was sunny, however it was pretty cold and the wind was blowing so it made it pretty chilly. We debated getting on a boat for a ride on the canal or renting a golf cart and riding around the gardens. The golf cart idea won. While the guys waited in line I went out to seek a much needed bathroon.

Something you should know about bathrooms in Europe-you should always come prepared with your own tissue paper-just in case. After waiting what seemed like forever in the girls line I sat down in a stall only to realize that there was no toilet paper. I usually use toilet seat liners as a back up but that´s the other thing about European bathrooms-they usually don´t have the liners. I had used up all my tissue blowing my nose the last few days so I desperately started looking in all my pockets for anything available to use. Luckilly, I found some used tissue paper in my purse-I´d used it to blow my nose but I didn´t care. If it was good enough for my nose it would be good enough for wiping. I came out of the bathroom very relieved.

We were told by the rest of the crew that they would pick us up in the golf carts (we had rented 2) by the steps. We ran over and as the carts came to a slow pace we jumped on. I don´t know what it is about golf carts but their always a fun ride even though they don´t go very fast. This ride was no exception. 

Pedro films this adventure with the go pro. 

Gotta hold on tight with Shane's driving

Some of the views from the golf carts 

We took this photo while driving. 

Buckle up-it's my turn to drive. Let's try off-roading in this bad boy...

Two carts, seven people. 

These carts were rigged with speakers and had a gps sensor so that when you passed a landmark a voice would tell you the history of that area. It was a built in audioguide! We rode around in the carts for an hour and tried to see as much of the grounds as possible. The carts have some kind of LoJack because if you go on the restricted paths it shuts down and makes you put the cart in reverse. 

Look at those trees!! I wonder how many gardners they have working here...

Our little superheroes loved it here. 

 The grounds are so big that some areas are open to the public and we saw many locals out for a jog. There is a Versailles employee that stands at the midway point to check tickets for anyone who wants to come into the gardens.

I found out the hard way that you MUST keep your musical garden ticket. We didn't know that there was this checkpoint since no one asked for tickets on our way out. During lunchtime I remember dropping my ticket on the ground and picking it back up. I think I may have tossed it in the trash with the rest of our lunch garbage. So when it was time to return our golf carts I was unable to get back into the gardens. I tried explaining to the guard that I had lost my ticket and was unaware that I needed it to get back to the Chateau. I even showed her the receipt I had which had the date and time stamp from a few hours earlier. The guard still didn´t budge. So the only way for me to leave Versailles was to go around the estate exit that was open to the public-which just happens to be about a 3 mile walk. I had no choice but to hop off the golf carts and start walking. Super Nel was nice enough to join me. I told our friends to go on without us.

The walk itself was lovely and it would have been perfect if it wasn´t for the cold. Halfway through our journey we came to a man with a little potato stand. The potatoes looked very warm and since we were freezing we bought one. The potato man served up baked potatoes in a different way. He does it Mexican, Indian and German style. We chose an Indian potoato that included chicken and curry on top of a baked potato. It was one of the most delicious things I´ve eaten while in Europe.

The statue of King Luis XIV outside the gates. 

After Versailles we had just enough energy to go see the Notre Dame church. Since it was Easter it was packed so we just took photos outside. I could see Quazimodo ringing the bell from the tower. 

 

Stay tuned for more fun in France