July 10, Tuesday in Versailles

Today we drove to Versailles to visit the  great palace, but also to see the hidden library and meeting rooms of the French foreign ministry.   Here is where Vergennes met with Benjamin Franklin to commit the details of the Franco-American alliance.  The curator of these ancient books is a friend of Alice's and she allowed us to peruse the books.   Originally, this library was the property of the King.  He needed this important information nearby while he ruled from Versailles.   As the French Revolution occurred, those leaders decided that these books belonged to the people.   They are now the property of the city of Versailles, and the municipal library.   Alice and the curator, Mme Despres, showed us the Galarie des Affaires Etrangeres which was the foreign affairs department during the monarchy.    Mme Despres told me the curators at the palace want those books, but the city will not give them up.  Power struggles!  As we roamed around, we found books dated 1498, and a globe that showed only part of North America.  The rest had not been explored or recorded.  This was a fascinating place!

 Next we walked up to the palace to visit the public rooms at Versailles   This much visited space was magnificent in its size and beauty.   Again, the crowds were overwhelming, but Alice's expert insights on the areas helped make the trip worthwhile.  She mentioned that Franklin, Adams, Jefferson and others walked these halls as they met and negotiated with the king.

The Hall of Mirrors reflected light from the windows, mirrors and crystals on the chandeliers. 

These wall hangings have been newly replaced.   They were reproduced by some of the same silk factories in Lyon that were used during the monarchy

 Of course no visit to Versailles is complete without looking at the gardens.  Today was a special day there.  Included in the visit was music in every corner.  On the weekends, they turn on the fountains.
Because of the cool weather and rain, each flower bed was magnificent.  What else--I couldn't find a week anywhere!.

 We lunched at the end of the Apollo Basin.  In the afternoon, it was warm enough for some brave souls to venture out in the artificial lake.  Louis XVI spent time out here, also. Did he row Marie Antoinette?

 We continued the visit by spending time at the Petit Trianon.   This was the place Marie Antoinette enjoyed the most.  She could escape the huge crowds of the court and spend time with friends.  It looked like a wonderful family home, and she enjoyed having having here children there.

 Of course she was known for her love of the "hamlet".   Here her designers created a small village.  Included were a mill, farm, several "houses", a pond, etc.  I read that she escaped to this spot to pretend she was a shepherdess.  (She had special clothes designed for that).

At the farm today, the residents are all rescue animals.  Chickens, peacocks, sheep, goats, and cows make up the community.

This huge area must have overwhelmed the American Patriots.  Nothing quite like this exists anywhere else.  Here's another boost to Franco-American friendship.   One of the side streets leading up to the palace has need re-named---"Avenue de la Independence Americaine.  Bravo!