Versailles France

About an hour west of Paris is the community of Versailles.

It is best known for the Chateau and the Hall of Mirrors…but today we are going to take a slightly different look at this community.

Let’s hop on the RER train.

The RER C line ends at Versailles-Rive Gauche station and from there it is about a 5-8 minute walk to the Chateau.

It is late afternoon when we arrive and the sun is setting, casting light on the outer buildings and creating a delightful mixture of light and shadow.

 

 

I love the gates…definitely worthy of such a magnificent palace.

But I digress, as we have not come to see the Palace today.

We are here to attend a performance in the stables.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The Academy of Equestrian Arts is just across the main square in front of the Chateau…and tonight we have tickets to attend a dressage performance there. I have never been to anything like this, so it is going to be a unique experience.

We have a bit of time before the show begins so let’s explore the town a bit.

My husband would be most content to continue exploring the town and its local market, but it is time to get back to the stable…the gorgeous building that was used as a stable by kings in times gone by …and find our seat for the show.

We were not allowed to take photos during the show, but I did find a wonderful website posted in 2011 that has some photos that will give you a sense of what we experienced. 

http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/academy_of_equestrian_art_in_versailles/

(We are glad we had this experience, but both of us concluded that we did not know enough about dressage to appreciate the show as much as many would have. Loved the stable tour afterwards though!)

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