7/11/2023: Palace of Versailles

Paris, France

This was probably one of our favorite days so far. We woke up bright and early to enjoy a quick coffee and croissant before starting our bike tour around the Palace of Versailles. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we spent the first few hours biking around, exploring the town's markets (it was basically a massive farmers market but all food) and learning of the town's history (specifically the late 1700s). After a picnic of sandwiches, watermelon, and red wine in the park overlooking the Grand Canal (which has a FASCINATING history), we hopped back on our bikes alongisde our fellow tour mates. Our next stop was the Petit Trianon, which was gifted to Marie Antoinette by her husband King Louis XVI as a repreive from the palace life that she hated.

Not to go off on a total tangent, but I have so much empathy for Marie Antoinette. She was forced to leave her home and family in Austria to mary a French prince (Louis XVI) at 13 years old. Everyone in France hated her immediately, simply because she was from Austria. And by hated, I mean LOATHED. And for no legitimate reason. King Louis XVI saw this and wanted to give her a place to go during the day that was her own. She expanded the gardens and created a space within the gardens where she could put on normal clothes, garden, and pretend to live a normal life a few hours out of each day (she was required to be back at the Palace before dark). Long story short, people’s hate for her exploded during the French Revolution (despite many grievances against her being outrightly untrue or her “extravagant lifestyle” being child’s play compared to her royal counterparts). They imprisoned her and her son who was only 7 at the time (he died in prison at age 10), accused her of incest with her son and other acts that were total bullshit (excuse my language), and then sentenced her to death by guillotine.

James and I both found her story SO fascinating. Definitely something we will both be doing more research on as there are so many theories out there and questions left unanswered.

We hopped back on our bikes and James and I discussed Marie Antoinette conspiracy theories all the way to the Palace of Versailles. We spent a few hours walking around the palace and it’s gardens until we were downright exhausted.

It was such a good day, and exhausted as we were by the end of it, we were both high on life.

~ Savvy