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Versailles

 Our first big adventure in the newly reopened Paris was a trip to the Palace of Versailles.


I read all the travel blogs about going to Versailles with kids.  I was prepared.  And I think we had a great day.

The boys were less than enthusiastic about the main chateau.  It was good that is was so empty so we were able to move through quickly.  Most of the Chateau is an art museum now.  I don't blame the boys for not being interested in old paintings without an English explanation as to why they were important.  Most of them look very similar.  They were impressed with the Hall of mirrors; it's hard not to be. 


I thought about the audio guide but I think slowing things down would have made things worse.

We are there on a musical fountain day.  It was windy and chilly but the music and the fountains helped make being out in the cooler day fun.


  As part of my research, We took the little train to the Grand Canal and had a very delicious lunch.  Quimby is loving that also every French restaurant has steak available for him.  


We had planned on a boat ride on the Grand Canal, but the constant drizzle changed our minds.  I snagged a couple of pieces of bread from our lunch table and the boys had fun feeding the geese and swans.  We are still unclear if Kenyon purposefully with held the bread so that the swan would bite him or if it was an accident nibble.

Back on the little train to the Trianons.  These were more fun as they were set up how they would have been with Louis XV.  Seeing the old furniture and imaging how people lived sparked the boys interest.

I insisted we walk on to Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet, where she would go to escape the pagentry of royal life.  It was such an idealic little farm house.  It was made all the more beautiful by the sun coming out briefly.



We got caught in a hail storm on the walk back to the petite Trianon.  We had pretty good coverage under a tree but the boys thought it fun to dart out into the hail stones.  Definitely a memorable day.



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