Versailles

October 30: Like Disneyland in California, the Versailles palace is over-hyped and overcrowded, but a necessary stop on any visit to Paris. The rooms were carved with intricate details, painted with grand family portraits, and festooned with large chandeliers. But after awhile each of the rooms merged into the other, since all used the same 18th-century decoration. How much gold can you look at before it seems as monotonous as Formica?  (At least Formica comes in different colors.) And after hours of shuffling through crowds of tourists, with nary a seat in site, my reaction to the interior tended toward this:

Eventually, the most memorable parts of the interior became the anime-like creations of Murakami, a Japanese sculptor with a temporary exhibit:

 After an expensive lunch (about $12 for a ham sandwich and a can of Coke Light), we escaped the masses of humanity by exploring the exterior. The landscaping became the more manageable and comprehensible part of the sight. Though Louis 14th created most of the gardens, Marie Antoinette added her own touches, such as a small Norman village where, dressed as a peasant, she could supervise the inhabitants as they grew crops and raised animals. Think an 18th-century version of Disneyland. She even had her own peasant house, complete with billiard room, covered gallery and two living areas:

What's especially refreshing about the gardens is that few of the tourists ventured out to the far corners. We both felt like royalty, strolling by ourselves among the manicured lawns and strategically placed ponds. Though we both took advantage of the respite, Anthony felt more relaxed: