An absolute must do while staying in Paris is to visit the château of Versailles, or better yet take a bike tour.  My mom and I used Fat Tire Tours and had an amazing day.  We first met the group at a central metro station in Paris where we all rode the train together…. around 30 minutes.  Then, we picked up the bikes and rode to a local market to piece together our picnic meal for later inside the beautiful Versailles gardens.  After getting our meats, cheese, bread, and fruits, we continued the ride inside the château itself.  We rode around the incredible paths, trails, and truly took in the history of the French monarchy. We stopped along a gorgeous canal to picnic with our food from the Parisian market.  We had so much fun walking around and taking in the scenery.   

Next, we continued the ride further down to see Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet and an area known as the Trianons which were actually the royal family’s additional pleasure palaces.  This area was not only beautiful, but also so rich in history because of the countless mistresses, extended royal family members, and Marie Antoinette’s peasants who stayed in her village.  

Now that we had ridden around the outside of the château, we finally made our way inside the palace.  My mom and I didn’t spend too much time inside the palace, but some mentionable places inside are the room where Marie Antoinette’s guards were killed in the beginning of the Revolution, the Hall of Mirrors were King Louis greeted guests, and even later signed the Treaty of Versailles to end World War l.  So, not only the exquisite architecture and gold detail is intriguing to visitors, but also is this memorable history which is so evident in the palace and surrounding gardens.  

More of my time was spent outside, as the rows of statues make perfect picture spots to reenact the stone old figures.  The glistening water is also home to paddle/row boats for rent.  I had so much fun rowing around, even though it was quite the exercise.  Nonetheless, this experience was beyond amazing, and I would definitely recommend visiting the château of Versailles while staying in Paris!