It's a Long Story: A Day at Versailles

When planning my trip to Paris, I knew I really wanted to take a day trip somewhere since J would be spending the majority of the days in class. My first thought instantly went to Normandy. My great-grandfather, Pepaw, who my family likes to say was my first best friend, fought on the beaches of Normandy and after hearing my great-grandmother talk about his heroism during WWII, it's always been one of the top destinations on my travel list. However, after seeing that it would take 2 hours by train to get there and then additional time to drive to Normandy from the nearest train station, I realized that it just probably wasn't doable on this trip to France.

That's when I decided on Versailles, which is just a quick 30 minute trip from central Paris. While the Palace of Versailles was breathtaking and incredible, the town of Versailles is equally soon. Filled with beautiful architecture and quaint little shops and restaurants, this quiet town was the perfect day trip from the hustle and bustle of Paris.

When first walking up to the Palace, I was instantly taken aback by its size. The scale of it was entirely too grand to capture on camera. My awe continued as I explored the inside, which is full of immaculate and beautiful details.

The day I visited Versailles turned out to be the prettiest day of my visit and I was so thrilled when I discovered that the gardens of the Palace were open the day I was there. I loved strolling the gorgeous grounds after my tour of the inside.

After my Palace visit, I ventured into town to grab some lunch. I loved how relaxed this little town is, full of beautiful tree lined streets and park benches to enjoy the sunshine. I ended up popping into an adorable little pastry shop to grab a sandwich, but of course upon seeing the wonderful looking sweets couldn't help but grab some chocolate and macaroons on my way out. I then found a bench to sit on on a quiet, shaded street to people watch.

While I absolutely loved my little trip to Versailles, I found myself missing those that mean the most to me. I realized during my trip that something just felt incomplete and I couldn't quite put my finger on it until halfway through my journey in the Palace. What was missing and why did I just not feel completely myself at the moment? I realized what I was missing so much was my best friend. During the past year my best friend and I have done a few house tours together, in Asheville and in Charleston. Our Biltmore visit might have been my favorite, as we had so much fun commenting on all of the little details of the house that we particularly appreciated, like the separate bed chambers of Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt. It was precisely in the King's bedroom that I figured out that the incomplete feeling tugging at me was because I didn't have D next to me to turn to and comment on the brilliance of these separate bed chambers.

I so enjoyed my trip to Versailles and I hope to come back some day, preferably with my best friend by my side.

Looking out over the property

I was so amazed at the beautiful Hall of Mirrors.
I kept imagining how wonderful it would've been to attend a ball and dance under the light of these chandeliers.