Le Chateau de Versailles and a tour of France!

   My host dad is a history fanatic. He knows a very impressive amount of the past, and is passionate about it which made the palace of Versailles a must-see. 
It was a four hour drive but I find it impossible to get bored while traveling in France. There is so much to admire out the window! We went directly to the castle, and spend almost as much time in line for the parking lot as we did on the road.
I met my host brother in the parking lot of the castle. He studies in the South of France but was visiting some friends in Paris. It was my first time seeing him! And kind of strange because I already consider his family as my own and vice versa.

Happy to finally be out of the car!!!

We visited the gardens, which made for miles of walking in itself. Then we went inside where I had to take a deep breath before entering each room as every single one took my breath away. Although our visit lasted a good four hours, we didn't even see half the castle! The place is so enormous: 20,000 people lived there during the period of Marie Antoinette. My host sister and I watched the movie, "Marie Antoinette"the day before which made it very easy to picture her eating breakfast in the dinning room, and the mobs with torches outside the balcony. 

In the galeries de glace

The galeries de glace is pretty impressive to visiters today. With three rows of chandeliers lining the ceiling which is dripped with gold and the walls lined with mirrors. But imagine in the time that it was built, mirrors were incredibly valuable and extremely rare. For all of Italy, there were one or maybe two mirrors. When people say this room lined with them...they went mad.

We stayed with my host mom's brother; who lives in a suburb of Paris. They were fabulous hosts and prepared delicious dinners presented impressively each night. We would then talk until as late as two in the morning! The next day we went to France miniature. A park with mini versions of French monuments. My family's clever way of showing me everything they would like me to get the chance to see. 

My host dad and me having fun in the gift shop!