Day 4 - Versailles and the Pompidou Centre

Everyone says, "Go to Versailles," and now we know why!  Trés magnifique!!!  More formally known as Musée National des Château de Versailles et de Trianon.  Every year, Versailles has 10 million visitors.  It was a royal residence, last occupied by Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette  --  both of whom lost their heads during the revolution.  Democracy was born in France!  

No wonder the people revolted.  The royals were living in luxury while the people were starving.  

We can certainly be impressed by the grandeur and the 'glitter of gold', but we are also revolted by the obvious greed for power and possessions.

The chapel

One of the minor rooms ...

When we read the sign, 'Galerie des Glaces,' we thought we were off to buy an ice-cream!  

('Galerie Lafayette' is the huge Lafayette shopping complex and 'glaces' is ice-cream. Well, you put those things together  --  wouldn't you come up with 'Ice-cream shop' too?

Well, we certainly didn't get an ice-cream.  Turns out the translation is 'The Hall of Mirrors' ... 

The king's bed is in one huge room, and ...

the Queen's bed is in a separate huge room.

How did they ever have 10 children???

The gardens around the palace are also magnificent:

No photographs can do Versailles justice ...
                                  you just need to go yourself.

A change of pace and place ...

On the way home from Versailles, we decided to pop into the Pompidou Centre, the museum for modern art.  It wasn't a high priority on our list, but boy, are we glad we went.  It was a very pleasant surprise.

I dropped my computer mouse and keys ...

and they ended up as an exhibit.  Expecting a cheque in the mail any day soon.



This wonderful creation is in the Stravinksy Square right next to the Pompidou Centre.

From Google:  "The Stravinsky Fountain is a whimsical public fountain ornamented with sixteen works of sculpture, moving and spraying water, representing the works of composer Igor Stravinsky."