When people think of palace visits in Paris, the Louvre and Versailles usually come to mind first.
Château de Fontainebleau is less well known, but as a royal hunting residence it was one of the French kings’ favorite places.
From Paris to Fontainebleau
To reach Château de Fontainebleau from Paris, take an SNCF train from Gare de Lyon. There was only one train each hour, so we had to plan carefully or spend an hour waiting at the station ~.~'"The ticket machine and French were no problem: we simply went to the counter and said, “Fontainebleau castle, thank you...” XD Just remember to confirm the departure time and platform, or getting on the wrong train would be Orz...These two girls chatted nonstop, and we worried they might disturb the other passengers. Mom brought out the secret weapon: one sheet of paper and one pen each. That kept them quietly occupied all the way there ^.^The train ride took about 35 minutes. Outside the station, a bus was waiting, so we quickly got on. After roughly 15 minutes through the small town, the castle appeared behind its shining golden fence ^.^
The White Horse Courtyard and Palace
Château de Fontainebleau covers 130 acres, with a keep, six main buildings, five courtyards, and four gardens.The glittering gate is covered with eagle emblems, symbols associated with Napoleon...
Reception roomThe White Horse Courtyard...
It was only 2°C today... and this girl still dressed like this for a photo... @.@'"The main building faces the White Horse Courtyard and its famous horseshoe staircase. Napoleon walked down these steps after his abdication ~.~'"
GuardroomThe King’s bedroom...
Council chamber...
Inside the Palace
The visitors’ entrance corridor...After renting the audio guides, we went upstairs to begin today’s tour...
The entire row of rooms on the left upstairs forms the Napoleon Museum.Inside were his military uniforms, weapons, and gifts from other countries...
The nursery...Council chamber
One of King Louis XVI’s favorite bedrooms...
The Queen’s sitting room. There is even a baby cradle at the front left...After making a full circle, we entered the many rooms and halls of the White Horse Courtyard from the left side of the staircase.
The Gallery of Francis I...
Wood paneling, stucco reliefs, and paintings combine to create Fontainebleau’s distinctive style.The gallery feels both magnificent and elegant. Its ceiling and wall paneling are made of walnut.
Beams divide the ceiling into sections decorated with intricate patterns.
Compared with Versailles, it was wonderfully quiet here ^.^Still, such a huge castle feels a little strange when it is completely empty ~.~'"
Fortunately, a few visitors kept passing by, so it did not feel too strange @.@'"
The palace library holds 15,000 books...Belle matched each room number to the audio guide and turned it into a checkpoint game ~.~'"
The Queen’s bedroom...This is the only throne room in France with its original royal throne still intact...
Napoleon signed his abdication here...
Out by the Carp Pond
Whew... finally out of the dim interior. It suddenly felt like seeing daylight again @.@'"
The Chinese Museum...Most of the collection inside was looted from the Old Summer Palace... It was closed today, and we only saw the stone lions at the entrance. Never mind, it was all taken by force anyway ~.~'"
Perhaps because Fontainebleau has so much woodwork, closed windows, and artificial lighting, the dim rooms felt a little stuffy @.@'" Looking over the calm Carp Pond finally made everything feel open again...Without sunshine it felt very cold today... We skipped the garden and hurried after Mom and the girls as they headed toward the exit XDAll right... time to say goodbye to Château de Fontainebleau~~Palace of Fontainebleau ~~
We headed back into Paris for an afternoon walk along the Champs-Élysées ^.^
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