Les Jardins Château de Versailles.

I visited Versailles twice during my stay in Paris. during my first visit I explored the gardens of the palace of Versailles. The gardens are a beautiful place to spend the day, with large open grassy spaces, marble statues lining every walkway, and dense, winding wooded paths that you could easily spend the day lost in. There's so much beauty to be discovered in just the gardens alone.

Only a 30-minute train ride from Paris, Versailles in the 17th century was a small village surrounded by swampland. It first attractedKing Louis XIII as a hunting ground, and he built a hunting lodge there. Thanks to Louis XIV, that modest lodge eventuallygrew into the opulent palace that stands today.

I arrived in Versailles at around 10:15am that morning and began walking up to the palace from the trainstation. I was immediately struck by the atmosphere of the palace and it's surroundings. From the moment you approach, you can feel the opulance and wealth that once filled these spaces, and theweight of the history thats held within these walls, from the scandolous affairs of the royal courts to the pillaging of the french revolution. You can feel it all echoing throughout. I'll delve more into the rest of the palace and some of its history in another post, but for now, let's continue with the gardens.

One thing you'll find a lot online is that the gardens are free. When I was doing my research, every blogger and their mother was they're free to visit. Fun fact: they are only free to visit during the off season, from October through March. A ticket to enter the gardens is €12, but the full "passport" ticket is only €36 and include so much more, so if you're going to versailles I definitely recommend making an entire day out of it. arrive when the palace opens and stay until closing. On my second visit, we brought a picnic to enjoy throughout the day, which made it even more special.

Once I had my ticket and entered the garden, I started off at the palace orangery, an area designed to supply the royal court with fruit year round. it features orange trees from Portugal, Spain and Italy, some of which are more than 200 years old. The orangery is one of my favourite areas in the palace grounds. There's something about it's functionality, while still remaining so stylised and visually striking, that I find incredibly inspiring. It makes me think, "how can I bring functionality and art together in my own work? How can I incorporate technical skill into classical beauty?"

I spent quite a bit of time in the orangery before continuing onward. Even with a map, I still managed to get lost walking through. I know I passed through Queen's Grove, where flowers in bloom lined the pathways.

After the queen's grove, I honestly couldn't tell you which direction I took. Looking back at the map, I seem to have made my way through the Bacchus Fountain, Saturn Fountain, Collonade Grove, Chestnut Grove, Mirror Pool and King's Garden.

King Louis XIV adopted the guise of Apollo, the Roman god of the sun, as an allegory for his reign. The palace was built facing east, so it would be bathed in morning sun, making the gold accents across the palace shine. Many of the artworks, sculptures and paintings found throughout the palace reflect this obsession with the Roman gods. The gardens feature fountains and statues depicting various deities and myths, or Louis XIV himself portrayed as a god, notably Apollo (the sun) or Mars (war).

My favourite part of the gardens was definitely the sculptures. I love them the most for the artistry, detail and technique they embody. And although I'm nowhere near that level in my own work, I hope to one day create something just as magnificent.

The thing I take away most from this visit to Versailles is that you can find beauty and inspiration in everything. Walking through the gardens, I was struck not just by the grandeur, but by the attention to detail in everything, the ornate architure and sculptures, the symetry of the hedges and archways. Nothing was done half-assed, everything was crafted with intenion and pride.

That level of thought and artistry is something i want to bring into my own work, cooking and baking. To not just create food that tastes good, but to layer it with story, technique and elegance. Like the architecture of Versailles, I want my work to carry a sense of balance, harmony and wonder, I want my work to reflect a celebration of craftmanship. Versailles has inspired and reminded me that food, like any art, is a form of expression, not only of skill but joy, creativity and a respect for tradition.

Thanks for tuning in, coming up next: Ferrandi Paris Diary: week 4, Croquembouche.

Until next time, from Willoh.