I have always wanted to visit the Palace of Versailles, 10 miles outside Paris (1/2 hour by train). We could have taken a train there and walked around, but knowing that the grounds are 2500 acres large I thought it might be fun to explore them with a bike tour. After a couple days in Paris around town it was also a getaway from the everyday. That was the best decision we ever made and was the highlight of our entire trip to Paris! 
Our bike trip started in Paris and we all boarded the train with our "cruiser" bikes supplied by the Fat Tire bike company. Then we went to the old city of Versailles where we stopped at a local market for picnic foods - cheese, wine and baguettes of course! When we got to the grounds we biked around past open fields full of ewe and a cute miniature village hamlet with houses and everything that Marie Antoinette had built and used to get away from the constant visitors at the palace and where she could play her billiards and carry on her love affairs. Riding bikes around the grounds gave us a chance to see the outer regions and cycle through beautiful autumn tree-lined paths such as this one. Nice pic Syd! 
I loved the Petite Trianon and Grande Triannon, which are located away from the actual castle and where many a grand party and love tryst were held by Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette.
We then stopped for lunch at the end of the long river and looked out at the castle while enjoying our delicious lunch.
It was still quite the ride up to the Chateau from there and then we had a chance to go through the Chateau itself, though we only had an hour to take in the grandeur of gold and marble detailing and artistic ceilings and tapestries.
The Palace of Versailles itself began as a modest hunting lodge. Well, as modest a lodge as one could expect from a French King. Then Louis XIV enlarged and enrobed the old lodge, turning it into the great Chateau we know today. It is not only astounding in size, but also very beautiful. You could explore the Versailles castle for days and find something new each time. As it is, there are 5 different tours of internal castle areas to explore and we only had time to do one! Naturally we chose the royal state apartments to see the Kings and Queens abodes. We only wish we had more time to explore the castle itself. Below is an example of one of the beautiful salons - called Hercules Salon and below that is the astounding Hall of mirrors overlooking the back garden and the river.
There were a series of flat tires on a number of bikes that day including Nyla's bike such that the guide thought that she was on candid camera or something. The last flat happened in Paris just before we got back to the shop, so the father who had the bad bike ended up just jogging home while the rest of us hummed the Rocky tune. Too funny!
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I loved the Petite Trianon and Grande Triannon, which are located away from the actual castle and where many a grand party and love tryst were held by Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette.We then stopped for lunch at the end of the long river and looked out at the castle while enjoying our delicious lunch.
It was still quite the ride up to the Chateau from there and then we had a chance to go through the Chateau itself, though we only had an hour to take in the grandeur of gold and marble detailing and artistic ceilings and tapestries.The Palace of Versailles itself began as a modest hunting lodge. Well, as modest a lodge as one could expect from a French King. Then Louis XIV enlarged and enrobed the old lodge, turning it into the great Chateau we know today. It is not only astounding in size, but also very beautiful. You could explore the Versailles castle for days and find something new each time. As it is, there are 5 different tours of internal castle areas to explore and we only had time to do one! Naturally we chose the royal state apartments to see the Kings and Queens abodes. We only wish we had more time to explore the castle itself. Below is an example of one of the beautiful salons - called Hercules Salon and below that is the astounding Hall of mirrors overlooking the back garden and the river.
There were a series of flat tires on a number of bikes that day including Nyla's bike such that the guide thought that she was on candid camera or something. The last flat happened in Paris just before we got back to the shop, so the father who had the bad bike ended up just jogging home while the rest of us hummed the Rocky tune. Too funny! Later that evening we went for drinks and italian dinner in the Latin Quartier near the Notre Dame, which is a small street of bistros and restaurants and bars. We went to a cool bar called George that has a signature touch of putting sparklers in their tasty cocktails! Syd also bought Nyla her first real gelato at a gelateria. 
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