Versailles in the Snow

It has been snowing here since we arrived. I'm so cold it is unbearable. This morning we visited the gardens of Versailles, or should I say the frozen canal and winterized gardens. But we all agreed that Versailles was absolutely beautiful covered in snow. We had lunch at La Flotille, the restaurant in the gardens, and appreciated the food and the heat even more. They served us omelettes, salade, and fries with a pear tarte for dessert. Then we toured the castle. The students asked such good questions. They were horrified that the king had to wake up, eat, conduct meetings, go to mass, and fall asleep all in front of the public. The amount of attention the royal family received was too much to handle. The tour guide explained that there were two anti-chambers before the king and queen's bedrooms for visitors to wait. The more important visitors got to wait in the second room, and everyone else had to wait in the first. Several of us discussed that had we been living at the time, Louis XIV would certainly have let us be in the second room. They were also very curious about the decor and wanted to know more about the gold, paintings, and statues that decorate the castle. The Hall of Mirrors was everyone's favorite room of course. We then returned to the school where the students dispersed with their host families. Fabienne and I went to the movies and saw Invictus. (in English with French subtitles) Then we ate tortellini with ham and creme fraiche at about 10:00pm, played on the internet, and now I'm off to bed for another full day tomorrow! Bonsoir.