Versailles

If I were to pick a highlight of our France trip- just one moment- it would have to be paddling around the Grand Canal in Versailles. The view of the Palace, the happy kids, feeding Goldfish crackers to the giant catfish, seeing Roger's rowing prowess. It was just perfect! Versailles was amazing. We started with the gardens which are the gardens to end all gardens. The sculptures and the fountains were incredible. Marie-Antoinette's estate was crazy. She played doll-house and play-farm with real houses and a real farm. I could just imagine her in a pearl-encrusted shepherdess outfit, playing peasant. So picturesque. And then Versailles itself- the Hall of Mirrors was incredible, as was the rest. It is the Palace of all palaces. It makes all the other castles we've seen look like poor relatives! I can see why it helped precipitate Revolution. So we'd seen these red and yellow robed Buddhist monks on tour at Notre Dame and again at Versailles. We asked one to take a photo- using the hand motions you do when you think there is a language barrier. Turns out he was from Seattle!