Versailles - Le Hameau

Lillian :  When we left Le Petit Trianon we walked through The English Garden to Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet.  The "English" garden was designed to look natural and features the famous "Temple of Love" - 

 

 Audrey : It is ALL marble and has a lovely statue of cupid in the middle.

 Lillian : After a very pleasant little walk admiring all the spring flowers like these little blue flowers growing wild (possibly an Aubrieta?)

 

we reached Le Hameau -

                Audrey : Which is just SO pwetty - I'm sure Marie-Antoinette had it built for Blythe Dolls.

Lillian : The Hamlet was built to be like a little Normandy village.  Some of the buildings have gone now, the ones that remain are lovely and most have their own little gardens ...

Audrey : We wanted to move into that little house - it was just pewfect.

Lillian : I think that is the Boudoir - also known as the Queen’s Small House.  

Audrey : Later, in the countryside, we saw lots of half-timbered houses just the same as this - not black with white like in the books.

Lillian : Yes, I think those soft colours are much nicer - the French call this type of building  Colombage or pan de bois.

 

Lillian : It gets a little confusing trying to work out which pretty building is which - I think this is the Queen's House.

   
Audrey : Wasn't this at the other end of that building - because actually there are 2 houses joined together with a lovely gallery.  Anyway, this was a nice place to have a little rest - under the wisteria / glycine.

 

Lillian : Well, this is definitely The Mill.



















And this little cottage is probably The Guard's Room.



Lillian : This one is either the Warming Room or the Refreshments Dairy ...

 

 Audrey : There were lots of gates!

  Audrey : And this looks like the picture on a box of chocolates - Too Pwetty for Words!

Lillian : They call that The Marlborough Tower - and they stored all the fishing gear in the building underneath.

Audrey : There are still lots of fish - carp - remember when the children were feeding them from the little bridge?

 

Lillian : We wondered why this swan was in such a hurry ... but when she got to the bridge and the food the swan looked quite disdainful of all the fishes with their gaping mouths ... it was quite a feeding frenzy!

Lillian : These walls are the remains of the Preparation Dairy. 

Audrey : And all the trees in the orchard were in blossom - so pwetty.

 Lillian : There were flowers everywhere - I never knew that lilac came in so many different colours!

 

Audrey : Quite confusing - I thought lilac was, well, lilac coloured.  What is the French word for lilac?

 

Lillian :  It's lilas, Audrey, and they smell as amazing as they look.

Audrey : That is a good idea for a head-dress ... your favourite colour too!

Lillian  : There were purple tulips as well - aren't they just gorgeous?

Audrey : So many tulips - in so many different colours

 

 

Audrey :  Look - one Red tulip in the beds of white & pale pink ones!

Audrey :  Was that your very most favouritest tulip flower of them all?

Lillian : A fantastic bloom - quite painted.  That sort of feathering in tulips used to be caused by a virus.

Audrey :   Ooo not contagious I hope!   Or you might go all stripey!!!

   

Lillian : I think this is a Snowball Bush or Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) 

Audrey : But those flowers are not white like snow - they are almost green!

Lillian : I think the flowers turn white later.   The trees were also in flower - and being Australian dolls we had never seen these great big trees before with all their pretty flowers.

Audrey : We've done our research and they are Horse Chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum)    quite a mouth-full!

. 

Lillian :  Not all the gardens were full of flowers - there were also some very practical vegies.

 Audrey : And we did a little gardening too ...

 

but you were very tired Lillian - you did do lots and lots of posing for photographs that day.

Lillian : Well, here is one last photo from Le Hameau - looking across the lovely lake to The Malborough Tower.

Audrey : And there is the swan again.

 

 

Versailles - Le Petite Trianon

Lillian : This post will be all about Le Petite Trianon - The Queen's Palace

Audrey : It isn't very petite at all!  But everything is quite lovely - even the curly bits on the gates.

Lillian : It was built in the 1760s for Madame de Pompadour but it really seems to be Marie-Antoinette's house and her initials are everywhere ... here they are in the main staircase.




Audrey : I thought all the MAs were for someone's mother!








Lillian : Here is that staircase - it is quite lovely with very graceful curves.

Audrey : Like us?   But that gentleman has a very French profile don't you think?

Lillian : Oh Audrey!!   Our stylist was very interested in these reproduction uniforms - I think this is what the Queen's Guards wore but we don't know why these beautifully sewn reproductions were made.

Audrey : Perhaps they were made for that movie about Marie-Antoinette - the one with all the pretty shoes and dresses ... 

Lillian : by Sofia Coppola and starring Kirsten Dunst.  You could be right.


Audrey : We should watch it again ...

If I was in a movie about Marie-Antoinette I'd like a dress like this one ...

 

Audrey : Isn't it pwetty?
Lillian : Perhaps you should ask our stylist to make you a dress like that - or perhaps like this one?

Audrey : Well that is quite pwetty too but it is extwemely wide!  I don't want to be a dolly in a cushion!

Lillian : Ahem - let's get back to telling the people about Le Petit Trianon.
Audrey : Yes dear, do you remember this little carriage?  I don't think a lady wearing a wide dress would fit in it!

Lillian : It was tiny and very pretty (and in a glass case).  I think it was meant for children to ride in - pulled along by a goat perhaps.
 
Audrey : I think the people who lived there must have had very stwange lives!  Remember the gardening tools?  They were theatrical props but they were just too pwetty, all those ribbons would get all dirty ...


Lillian : Well even the theatre was very different then, they weren't trying to be realistic. 



Audrey : And the kitchen which is so enormous - it turns out that it was just a "Warming Room" for re-heating the food to be served to the very important people.

Lillian : It is wonderfully large and the fireplace is huge - our Tour Manager inspected the wonderful chimney.

Audrey : tee hee looks like he is expecting Santa any minute !

Lillian : You are in a naughty mood today Audrey.  There were enormous fireplaces upstairs in the grand rooms too - this one is made of purple breccia marble.  

 

Lillian :  That is in the "Living Room" or Salon - the damask fabrics are from Lyon

Audrey : Where we went later on.

Lillian : Yes, and there is an elegant harpsichord (or perhaps it's a clavichord) and a beautiful harp.  The harp has pedals ... single action I think which would mean it was from the correct period.

 

  

Audrey : This is the Bedchamber all very sweet and feminine.  I like the gold tulips.

Lillian : In the main palace the decor is very grand but in Le Petit Trianon everything is quite delicate - pastel colours and yes, feminine.  This is a boiserie - on the wall of the "Cabinet of Movable Mirrors" or  Boudoir.  The movable mirrors are quite fascinating.

Audrey : This is one of the wonderful windows on the ground floor.  Shall we show the people Marie-Antionette's hamlet next time?

Lillian : Yes, we both loved the hamlet.