Hello Paris lovers,
Here’s a photo essay to go along with my recent live-stream tour of the Queen’s Hamlet at Versailles. In the 1780’s Marie Antoinette had this secret farmland getaway constructed to escape the burdens of the royal court, and the word you’re looking for is enchanting. 😊
If you didn’t catch my guided tour of this area you can watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/yiOAC8n4lJc. We go into the reasons behind the hamlet, how the queen spent her time (and with whom), and the functions of each cottage. With lots of meditative visuals along the way, of course!
I’m so grateful I get to experience spaces like these and share them with you all each week. Stay tuned to my FB page for the announcement of my next live-stream tour, and go here to learn about supporting the project and accessing our private community of Paris lovers.
-FF
afrenchfryeinparis.com 
De belles photos–ce petit village est toujours intéressant, particulièrement oppose à la grandeur des palais ici.
Merci pour votre commentaire. Je suis tout à fait d’accord – quelle belle surprise, un vrai petit havre de paix !
What a delightful post this is. I’ve been quite a few times to Versailles, particularly to enjoy the gardens, went for the midsummer water-&light features, don’t really like overly much the Château but have been 2-4x to concerts and was stunned by the mirror room but totally failed to know anything about Queen’s Hamlet… Takes a foreigner to know :)
Makes me think of our time we lived in UK – had tons of visitors who all had hols and who told us of all the beauties of our region. Beauties we didn’t know because we were there not for hols and sightseeing but for work and living. Fascinating!
Those are very true words Kiki, I spent all those years living in Manhattan and barely did any of the big touristy skyscrapers, Statue of Liberty, etc. I’m so happy you enjoyed this post and I hope you’re doing great over there. :-)
Enchanting is definitely the word for this! Merci for such an insightful glimpse into this beautiful place, and for the amazing pictures!
Thanks Phyllis! Hope you’re well and having fun with your Paris planning.
Somebody told me that the sheep at Versailles are actually descendants of Marie Antoinette’s sheep, but I don’t know if that is true or not. Let us know if you find out!
Will do. Sounds about right to me! Thanks for stopping by.
I’m new to your Blog and FB page and enjoying every minute. I’ll be taking my Granddaughters (they are also cousins and terrific traveling companions!) to Paris next summer (I know, I know…) and filing away lots of info I have recently learned from you! Thanks!
Thanks I’m so glad I can help! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and I hope you have a wonderful time in Paris.
Beautiful photos! We went to Versailles when we were there in November and it happened to be the coldest, most rainy day of our whole trip — too cold to explore the Queen’s Hamlet. Thank you for showing us what we missed, with sunshine! :)
I’m so glad I was able to “take” you there a little bit. Thanks for the great comment!
I stumbled upon you quite by accident, but nothing is ever really an accident is it? Been 21 years since I’ve been to Paris and only recently have become obsessed with everything French again. Perhaps because I’m in my so called “Golden years” and realize time is slipping away. Common sense tells me to breathe in all my dreams while I still have time.
Thank You for your Saturday livestream tours. I look so forward to them, You are a natural…. knowledgable, entertaining, with an eye for detail and creativity. If I ever make it back to Paris I will definitely look you up.
I am an architectural enthusiast so I especially loved the door tour today.
Blessings to you and yours~
Janet
Thanks so much Janet, that’s a lovely comment to read before finishing my day over here. For some reason Paris grabbed hold of me from day one, and I’m a bit oddly sentimental about honoring the magic of it by remembering to appreciate the details. For me the city is a manifestation of a broader idea of trying to better yourself and your surroundings. None of those doors we saw today needed to be that gorgeous, but certain humans decided to inject extra beauty into their lives. At least that’s how I see it. :-) I’m so glad to have you watching and I can’t wait to share more with you.
If you had a choice, and its your first time in Paris, would you stay in the Marais or St. Germain?
It’s really a coin toss but if I had to choose it would be the Marais. -Corey
For what it’s worth, I agree with Corey on the Marais. You can easily walk across the river to visit the best of the Left Bank. For a first visit, do try to stay as close as you can to one of the metro stops on the number one line, like Hôtel de Ville or St. Paul. Will save you a lot of time traveling to major sights.
Toni, me too (Marais) – St Germain is très fashionable, Marais however is just the Marais, since forever, lively, authentic – but I also feel you could stay anywhere in Paris, AS LONG AS IT’S NOT TOO FAR FROM A METRO STATION (or RER). I live nr a RER-B station and I’m in the heart of Paris in 35′ with no worry about traffic, congestions AND it’s quiet and peaceful.
Enjoy!