behind Versailles...

Well, I've now been to Versailles 4 times... plus today... so 5. But today I didn't got inside the Chateau... oh no, I did not! Every time I go there, I walk around the inside, then peek in the garden because I'm so exhausted from the inside. So, today was a garden day. AND not just a garden day... I walked out back to the Grand Trianon.

Louis XIV built this small (ha) palace of pink marble and stone in 1687. It was to escape the rigors of the life of the court. But really, I think it was just to enjoy the company of his mistress, Madame de Maintenon.

Also, across the gardens was the Petit Trianon... it was built in 1762 as a retreat for Louis XV. But it became a favorite hide-away for Marie-Antoinette.


Then this is just a bunch of beautiful stuff I came across during the day. There are lots more photos... but too many to blog about today!