Versailles, France – We are struggling with jetlag. This is the first time we have traveled to Europe (as a family) for less than a month, and we don’t have time to hang out and adjust to the time change. We only have four days in Paris and the twin-agers are sleeping through them!
I booked our admission to Versailles Palace for 4pm, thinking that would allow plenty of time for everybody to sleep in. We managed to arrive at 3pm so we had an hour to explore the gardens before entering the palace. It sounds reasonable, but it’s not. The gardens are, shall we say, extensive.
I had also booked bike rental, thinking this is a fun way to explore the gardens. But it’s not, because bikes are not allowed in the gardens; they are only allowed in the park, which is different. The bike rental is also a 20-minute walk from from the palace entrance. So we didn’t have time to do that either.
Versailles Gardens
We made the best of it. We used our free hour to explore a corner of the gardens, which are incredible. We found a musical fountain (meh), endless statuary, and impressive topiary. We also found a garden cafe, where we ate crêpes (always a win). The only disappointment was that we had to rush back for our entry into the palace.
Versailles Palace
That said, the interior of Versailles Palace is unbelievable. In attempt to get the twins excited, I had told them the palace has like five hundred rooms. Wrong: it has over 2300 rooms. And many of them are filled with art, especially portraits, war scenes and paintings of the palace. This led V to observe that “art is overrated.” I did not protest.
Art collection aside, I loved exploring the Grand Apartments, imagining the royal family preparing for bed and ordering servants around. Picturing Louis XIV himself signing decrees at his fancy golden desk. Gawking at the ceremonial rooms, imagining the grandiose events that went down in the fabulous Hall of Mirrors. Even the twin-agers were impressed – at least until their eyes began to glaze over.
Lessons
I’m glad we came to Versailles: it really is impressive. But I learned a few lessons:
- Jetlag is real. I’m not sure what to do about it on a short trip like this. But it is real.
- Things take more time than I think they do. (I already knew that lesson, but I learned it again.)
- Art is overrated. (I don’t really believe that one, but… those portraits! Ugh.)