As quaint and charming as these buildings are there is something about this "village" that troubled me. I have visited this place twice and enjoyed every minute but it was also quite unsettling. It was built as a folly for Marie Antoinette, none of the buildings are properly functional and it was designed to give the queen a sense of living a rustic life like her subjects but looking back it just highlights the gulf that really existed between the aristocracy and the "common people".
That being said there's a real quality to the setting and it's really photogenic and I hope you agree these are lovely shots...
A field, a pond and a shoal of greedy fish. All of these scenes are what Marie Antoinette would have looked upon on a daily basis as she explored her domaine.
I like the contrast of the miniature sunflowers interspersed with the barley and the tranquility of the view across the lake which is in stark contrast to the frenzy of the fish in the final picture as we were feeding them scraps of bread left over from lunch.
Today's pictures are connected by the theme "curves" but they are also connected because they were taken in 2010 at the Palace of Versailles, more specifically in the Domaine de Marie Antoinette a less formal private parkland with small palace, a grotto, a temple of love, a theatre, a farm and a small village.
The first of these pictures shows the interior of the theatre, it was difficult to get this picture because of the lighting and the fact that I wasn't supposed to take pictures inside. Apparently Marie Antoinette performed on this stage.
The second shot is of the interior of the summer house, a place where she entertained her many visitors. The beautiful tiled floor, the highly decorated walls and columns and the beautiful domed ceiling are reminders of the extravagant lifestyle of this most famous royal family.
The final two images are taken at the Queens House which is a rustic house set far into the park away from the Petit Trianon which is the formal residence. I love the curving staircase on the exterior and the wooden bench which matches the curves in other parts of the building.
