Strolling like royalty

Ahhh, a Sunday of rest. It is much needed, and much enjoyed. I got lazy last night and got home late, so I waited to update yesterday's little trip.

My very thoughtful sister decided to get an early birthday present for me, and sent me off to Versailles for a special evening viewing of the gardens. This was an elaborate 2 hour affair, filled with water fountains, special lighting, and classical music. Of course, it gets dark late at this time of year, so when I arrived at 8:30pm, it was still light enough outside to grab some pretty photos of the palace and grounds.

Sculpted masterpiece

Palace reflected off setting sunlight

Fit for a king!

As 9pm approached, the grounds filled up with people. Soon, we were all strolling along the tree-lined pathways, like children finding their way through a labyrinth. At the intersection of many paths, differently shaped fountains and statues stood guard.

One of many many many fountains

This one danced to the music!

Out on the main stretch of grass, jets were set up that spouted fire in rhythm to the music. It was fun to watch, as the jets spanned across a line that must have been over 100 yards long. I have to say, the little bursts of fire were nice and warming, and I took advantage of them by buying an ice cream cone to enjoy as I stood nearby.

Imagine roasting marshmallows on these!

As the sky slowly darkened, the mood only became more magical. The fountains were colored in all hues of the rainbow, and it was easy to imagine that they held magical waters to be made into elixirs and potions.

Fountain of... youth?

Statues looked like dancing fairies

A full 2 hours was alloted to exploring the gardens; the time went by really quickly as there was so much to see. One section even included fancy smoke machines and lasers in addition to music. I felt like I had been dropped into my own version of the movie "Labyrinth" (where's David Bowie???).

Patrons started lining up for the 11pm fireworks show pretty early. This was actually very impressive, as it was choreographed really well, with the music, fireworks, and special light/water/fire effects all working in tandem. I thought they had a nice variety of differently-shaped fireworks too; my favorites are the ones that sparkle and glitter for a few seconds after the initial burst. Unfortunately, there was no way to get a good picture of anything... it all ended up looking fuzzy:

This was a very unique experience to have; I got to explore some magnificent gardens, and the view of fireworks being reflected off the windows of the palace is definitely something to remember. Thank you, Pui and Germain!! :)