The gardens are massive. Over three square miles of massive. We had three options for our explorations. We could rent a golf cart, we could ride the Petit Train on a fixed route or we could rent and ride bicycles, The line for golf carts was long and it would be costing us 50 to 60 Euros. The bikes were only available further into the gardens so the train is what we opted for. We bought tickets and walked over to the loading zone only to see the train leave the station without us. No matter another one arrived in 10 minutes and off we went. The ride was bumpy and we joined in with a chorus of ooofs and arghhs as we hit potholes and speedbumps along the way. The first stop was at La Flotilla a cafe where we had some lunch. It was named for the numerous row boats that were lined up in the pond adjacent to the cafe. The second stop was at the Grand Trianon, an auxiliary palace favored by Napoleon. The third stop was at the Petite Trion another smaller palace.
Laid out in a very formal French style
Absolutely gigantic
We had to walk along the building in the distance from the left to the right to get to the entrance
Cherubs adorning the urns
The garden stretches out as far as the eye can see
Only from above can the layout be appreciated
Have coke will travel
The cherub has wings but prefers to get a ride on the Sphinx's back
More urns
Roman goddesses
And gods
The ticket kiosk for the train is seen as a dot on the far right hand corner. Then to ride the train one must walk all the way to this side
We are on and ready to ride
We pass long vistas
We pass other trains
Nothing here is done on a small scale
Stables for the horses
A fence and gate for the Grand Trion
A cute little guard shack
Our first stop
Swans in the pond
Time for a bite
French onion soup and a sausage with mashed potatoes
Fish and chips for Dave and Kristine
Deviled eggs and a bean salad for Leslie
A fully stocked bar
Birds and people laying out in the sun
A coffee truck
Moving on to the next stop
Grasses swaying in the wind
It was hard to make out what exactly is going on in this fountain. Perhaps turtles attacking the cherubs
One lone row boat on the windswept pond
Large open fields
Paths that go on and on
At the last stop a very impressive tree
A rotunda in the distance
A reflection pond
A lone bloom
A little runoff
Keeping the lakes full and fresh
The trees lining the paths are a delight
Tall and regularly spaced
More buildings on the ride back to the palace
The thinnest of hedges on the left
Heading back into the palace grounds
Rows of conical shaped trees
So regular and precise
Trimming skills required
Hose it down!
