Versailles - Paris - July 16, 2009

Ahhhh..... This is the life. A day at Versailles, Louis XIV's spectacular chateau located in the suburbs of Paris (although it was outside of the city at the time it was built).

The gardens go on for as far as the eye can see!

And that's the palace behind me

There is art everywhere inside the palace - and naturally, it's amazing!

Here I am at the famous "hall of mirrors"

And here in the courtyard....

Louis the XIV made all of his nobles move out to Versailles so that he could keep control over them and prevent them from getting regional power that would threaten his own. He set up an elaborate system of court etiquette that everyone had to follow. It was all about power, which is too bad because it probably ruined a spectacular place to live....