The Palace of Versailles is a short trip from Paris and while visiting the GE Healthcare facility in Buc, France myself and a co-worker stopped by to see the grounds. Although the Holiday Inn Paris Val de Bievre in Jouy en Josas claims to have a complimentary local shuttle and there is one sitting right here in front, they really don't use it. The hotel food was terrible and it was in the middle of nowhere. Taxis charged 8-10 EUR just to come pick you up! IMG_7821 Regardless of these obstacles (and thankful to the taxi driver on the first day of the visit that advised Versaille was closed on that day of the week) myself and a co-worker did make it out to Versailles to take a look around the grounds. IMG_7825 The fountains of Versailles required a vast amount of water, the Machine of Marly which was perhaps the largest integrated machine of the 17th century used 14 paddlewheels on the Seine to create enough water pressure to supply a resevoir either the fountains of the Palace at Versailles or the cascade at Marly depending upon the location of the King of France IMG_7831 It's the security guards of Versailles doing rounds at closing, they came up to me and said "Now it is time for goodbye" at which point I started back to the entrance taking photos IMG_7833 IMG_7834 This fountain recounts a story from Metamorphoses by Ovid. Latona/Leto was wandering the earth after giving birth to Apollo and Artemis and tried to drink from a pond in Lycia. The peasants refused to allow this by stirring up the mud at the bottom of the pond. She then turned them into frogs for their inhospitality, doomed to forever swim in the murky waters of ponds and rivers. IMG_7853 IMG_7862 IMG_7867 IMG_7875 IMG_7891 Return to Features